I just jotted down these quick notes and thought maybe you could make something out of them for your congregation.
In the text, Jesus is referred to a "Alpha and Omega." In our vernacular this would be A to Z. We might say that Jesus has it covered, that He is the answer - period. This is something we want the rest of the world to know. A to Z in what way? I. Jesus is the A to Z in victorious living. Look at His experience on the Mt. of temptation Matthew 4. II. Jesus is the A to Z in truth. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life." He is the truth about God. Refer to Hebrews 1:1-3 III. Jesus is the A to Z in faith. Jesus teaches us to live by unseen realities: Hebrews 11:1 The most important things in life are spiritual -- unseen.... IV. Jesus is the A to Z in love. "No one ever cared for me like Jesus...." Think of what He did in love for us. V. Jesus is the A to Z in power. He gives us the power of the Holy Spirit. VI. Jesus is the A to Z in peace. John 16:33 Question: Is Jesus the A to Z in your life?
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The title appears to be about psychology, but it is really about theology. Our well-being is not wrapped up in ourselves; rather it is in God's hands, and this what our text teaches.
I. Vs. 25 - The Command A. This does not mean to be unmindful or unconcerned. B. It means not to worry and fret about things. 1. Your life is in God's hands. Let him make a difference in how you live. 2. Your food and clothes. This does not mean that you shouldn't care what you eat or what you wear. It means that God will see that these things are provided. C. If you want a better life, heed this command. II. Vss. 25b-33 - The Condition A. Vs. 25b - There are more important things to be concerned about. B. Vss. 26 and 28-30 - The question to consider is, if God is concerned about these things, is He indifferent toward you? Think about it! C. Vs. 27 - The fact is that worry accomplishes nothing and takes up time that would be better spent in faith and trust in God. D. Vs. 32 - TRUST THAT GOD KNOWS - PERIOD! III. Vs. 34 - The Correction A. "Seek" - Do something about it. B. "Seek ye the kingdom of God." 1. Make God and His kingdom a priority in your life. 2. What are your priorities now? Be honest with yourself. C. "And all these things will be added unto you." Just trust that God will take care of you. It all boils down to trusting God and living for HIm. It means to surrender to God's will for your life and make that a priority. A "certain" lawyer came to Jesus and asked Him about how he could have eternal life. Jesus asked him what the law said and he answered correctly in verse 27. The lawyer then wanted to know who his neighbor was. Jesus gave him the "Parable of the Good Samaritan"in verses 30-37. He revealed how different people look at life in their relaltions with people. (Bottom line: Our neighbor can be anyone.)
I. Verse 30 - There are people who not only do not care, they mean harm. These theives were selfish, cruel, unfeeling and had no heart for other people. II. Verses 31-32 - People who are casually indifferent. A. If we aren't careful we will be llike this. (We might pass people by that God intends for us to help.) B. These men represent religious practice without heart. 1. Priests and Levites served in the temple at Jerusalem. They had religious duties to perform, and had probably done that before this encounter. 2. Their religion didn't help them to help the helpless man. Keep in mind: Religion is something we do. Faith is something God does in us. Religion is something we practice. Faith in Jesus is what we are and how we act. C. This is the sin of omission. III. Verses 31-35 - Someone who cares and acts on it. A. The Samaritan became involved in this helpless man's life. Who does the Lord want you to become involved with? B. The text will show us what it took for the Samaritan to care. 1. Courage - He didn't know where the thieves were. 2. Time 3. Money C. In verese 35 the Samaritan continued to care. Where do you come down. Remember, the key word here is compassion. Do you have compassion for people? (This is the first sermon in a series on "The Christian Walk" in Ephesians.)
"Walk" in the bible refers to living the Christian life. I think it stems from the fact that in order to live the Christian life, we have to walk with Jesus, or as it is sometimes referred to as "walking in the footsteps of Jesus." Our two messages for this sermon are from Ephesians 2:2 and 2:8-10 I. 2:2 - The walk of the past A. Notice: "In time past..." Before we were saved this is how we "walked." B. We walked "according to the course of the world." 1. This is the world system, apart from God. 2. This system is under the control of "the prince of the power of the air" - in other words, under the power of the devil. 3. These are what we call "lost" people. They might be good people in many ways, even good neighbors and dependable people, but apart from Jesus they are lost and living "according to the course of the world." Satan has convinced them that they are good enough without Jesus. C. They are "children of disobedience." II. 2:8-10 The working walk. A. Verse 8 - We are saved by grace through faith - plus nothing. B. Verse 9 - It is not of works. Jesus finished the work of salvation on the cross. We cannot work to be saved. But works are involved, not in our salvation but in our Christian walk. C. Verse 10 - We are saved, not by good works, but unto good works. 1. "We are His (God's) workmanship..." He does not start on the outside and work in, but begins on the inside and works out. 2. We are "created in Christ Jesus unto good works..." 3. Which God "hath before ordained." Before we were even born, God ordained works for us to do. In the past, we walked with the world, then we were saved and began to walk in Jesus and do the works that He wants us to do. Not saved by works but saved to work. (More next week) Jesus used the withering of the fig tree to call His disciples to faith. Faith is defined in Hebrews 11:1. Faith comes from the Greek word "pistis," which means "belief,"
firm persuasion that God is real and alive and that He will enter into any work in our lives. We, too, are called to have faith in God. I. It is a call to personal surrender to God. A. Through faith we give our lives to Jesus. 1. To save us 2. To sustain us 3. To use us. B. Have you personally surrendered your life to God through faith in Jesus? 1. He calls upon you to do that now. 2. It is something that you need to do no matter what others may say or no matter what else you have planned for your life. C. Surrender you life to Jesus now as He calls you to faith. "Have faith in God," Jesus says to you. II. It is a call to certainly. (Faith breeds certainty.) A. This is an age of doubt and fear. People ask: "What can we be certain of?" Hebrews 11:6 1. By faith we are certain that the God of the Bible is real. 2. By faith we can be certain taht the God of the bible wants to reward us here and hereafter. B. Vs. 23 - It is certainty that God can move the mountains in our livesd that keep us from the highest and best. 1. Faith removes the mountain of doubt. 2. Faith removes the mountain of fear. 3. Faith removes the mountain of sin. C. Vs, 24 - It is certainty that God hears and answers our prayers. III. It is a call to hope. (Faith and hope work together.) A. Many ask today "What possibilities are there?" Not Christians!!!! B. Faith brings the hope of assurance. 1. Assurance that Jesus loves us. 2. Assurance of the presence of Jesus. 3. Assurance that Jesus will help us to overcome anything that we need to overcome. C. Faith is the guarantee the God is on our side. 1. Not that He always agrees with us or likes what we do. 2. People who do not have faith in Jesus have chosen to oppose God. 3. People who do not have faith cannot understand the Christian life, the Bible, being saved, or etc. Listen to Jesus: "Have faith in God." Have faith in God and be saved. Have faith in God in daily life and watch your life grow. Use that faith to work for you every day. Have faith in God in everything. Have you put your faith in Him? Hold up your keys for the congregation to see. They all unlock, or start, something, not just to impress you with "man with the keys." Our text gives some keys that unlock the door to entrance into God's kingdom. What are these keys?
I. Grace: "For by grace are you saved." A. Grace is the unmerited favor of God. We don't deserve it, but we get it anyway. B. What does grace do, or what does it unlock? 1. Grace makes salvation possible. If God was not a God of grace, we would all be doomed. 2. Grace helps us in the difficulties of life. This is graphically illustrated in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. Grace is not just a principle, it is a daily reality in our lives. 3. God's grace helps us to apply the principles of grace and mercy in our own lives. C. God offers grace to all who receive it!!! II. Faith: "By grace are you saved through faith." A. It is faith in Jesus, not just faith in faith. 1. It is faith in His saving power. 2. It is faith in His keeping power. John 10:27-29 3. It is faith in His sustaining power. 4. It is faith in His overcoming power. John 16:33 B. It is faith that Jesus will give us His Holy Spirit. John 16:7-8 1. When we accept Jesus by faith, He makes good on this promise. 2. The Holy Spirit becomes our guide and our conscience. C. Put your faith in Jesus. III. Works: Verses 9-10 A. This is not as much a key as it is what we do when the door has been opened. B. We become His workmanship. 1. When we are saved, Jesus begins a lifelong work in us. 2. Jesus is not worked in like a salve. He comes in through the Holy Spirit and works from the inside to help us to do works outside. 3. We are all unfinished works. "He's still working on me, to make me what I ought to be......" C. We work for Jesus as He does His work in us. Colossians 3:17 Grace and faith are they keys to God's kingdom, and works are the result of our faith in Jesus. Put your faith in Jesus today. Before I go about Sunday duties, I want to share a thought with you that I had this morning in my daily Bible reading. It will be just a sketchy outline, but I think you will get the point.
Our text reveals some of the elements of David's faith. I. Vs. 1 - He loved the Lord. Isn't that the foundation of the faith of all people? II. Vs. 2 - He trusted and depended on the Lord. Vs. 3c - "So shall I be saved from my enemies." III. Vs. 3a - He prayed to the Lord. IV. Vs. 3b - He praised the Lord. All of these are elements of faith that we all need. There is some preaching in these verses!!!! Hebrews 11:6 tells us that without faith we cannot please God. Christian faith is not just believing about Jesus or believing Jesus, it is believing in Jesus. Faith should make a difference in our lives and it should reach out in all directions. For example:
I. FaIth reaches upward. Colossians 3:1-2 A. As a flower reaches upward to the sun, we reach up to the Son. In faith we grow toward Him, not away from Him. B. Sometimes our faith does not reach very high. 1. We are overcome by the trials of life: home, work, church, etc. 2. We are overcome by the cares of this life: the daily grind, the daily news, the various problems that we face that keep us earthbound. C. At these times we live beneath the privilege that we have in being believers in Jesus. After all, it is by faith that we overcome the world. 1 John 5:4-5 II. Faith reaches downward. A. Faith in Jesus does not fill us with pride so that we can't reach out to help people. It doesn't make us afraid to get our hands dirty. B. Jesus wants our faith to make us like Him. 1. He reached down to help the sinful. 2. He reached down to help the sick. 3. He reached down to help those in despair. C. Jesus' harshest words were reserved for the religious snobs of His day - the Scribes and Pharisees. III. Faith reaches inward. Colossians 2:7 A. Our faith in Jesus should make a profound effect on our inner lives. It makes us who and what we are as we live from the inside out. B. Faith reaches into our hearts and souls. 1. It stabilizes us. 2. It establishes us. 3. It enriches us. C. Victorious faith in Jesus is not a one-time change, in fact, it changes us within daily. Now comes the personal question. Does your faith make reach upward to Jesus. Does it make your faith reach downward, and outward, to others? Does your faith make you rich inward to change and enrich your life? When Jesus and His disciples saw a man who was blind from birth, they asked Jesus who had sinned," this man or his parents that he was born blind." Jesus' answer in verse 3 is the key verse for this sermon on seeing God at work: "Jesus
answered neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents, but that the works of God should be made manifest (revealed or seen) in him." This man offered the opportunity to see a work that only God can do. I. First, what God can do is accomplished by Jesus. A. The people were puzzled by what Jesus did. "Who is it that did this?" B.The Pharisees were angered because they weren't part of it, and because it was done on the Sabbath. C. The man's parents were afraid of it. (Vss. 18-23) D. The man who was healed came to see Jesus more clearly. 1. Vs. 11 - "A man that is called Jesus..." He only knew that a man helped him. 2. Vs. 17 - "He is a prophet..." 3. Vss. 33-38 - "Lord I believe. And he worshipped Him." 4. If you want to see Jesus more clearly, let Him work in your life. E. Now, which group would we fall in as we react to Jesus? II. Second, the only possible explanation for this miracle was that God was at work. A. Who but God/Jesus could make a man blind from birth see that God had done a great thing. 1. He brought hope into a hopeless situation. 2. He brought joy into a joyless situation. 3. He brought possibilities into the life of a man who before only had the possibility of begging. He is the God of possibilities! 4. He brought the power of God into a situation that changed everything for the better. B. This is the kind of thing that God had done before and still does today. Biblical illustrations: (1) We see this in Israel at the Red Sea. (2) We see this in David and Goliath. (3) We see this in the resurrection of Jesus. (4)We can see this in our lives if we will look through eyes of faith instead of through the eyes of doubt and fear. C. Consequently, we must learn to look at God's work in our difficulties in a new, challenging and exciting way. 1. We must not spend our time blaming God/Jesus. 2. We must not spend our time blaming ourselves. 3.We must not spend our time blaming our life's circumstances. 4. We must spend our time asking God to do only what He can do in all of the circmstances of our lives. 5. We must spend our time glorifying God and praising Him as we wait to see what He will do. Let's look to Jesus, for He brings the power of God to bear in our lives through the Holy Spirit. Let us learn to enjoying seeing God at work. After Jesus died, the Centurion said "Surely this man was the Son of God," or "He was a righteous man." Whichever, this is a remarkable statement from a most unlikely candidate - a battle hardened executioner. It is on record in the Bible that he saw the truth about the One whom they crucified. What convinced him? He certainly had clues.
I. Unusual phenomena A. Three hours of darkness - 15:33 This phenomenon was recorded by historians in ancient archives of Rome. B. Earthquake - Matthew 27:51 The timing of the quake was not missed by the Centurion. C. "And the graves were opened..." Matthew 27:51-53 Later, he would have the documentation of Christ's resurrection. II. The demeanor of Christ on the cross. A. He heard Jesus forgive those who crucified Him. Luke 23:24 This man had probably witnessed many crucifixions, but he had never heard anyone forgive those who put him on the cross. B. He saw Jesus' concern for His mother, though He was in agony. John 19:26-27 C. He observed Jesus' acceptance of the penitent thief. Luke 23:39-43 Again, Jesus was not thinking just of HImself in His moment of deepest agony. III. The key: Faith instigated by the Holy Spirit. A. He saw it all and believed, though all of it made no impression on others who witnessed all of the phenomena. 1. Keep in mind that the Centurion did not live in a vacuum. He had certainly heard of the claims that Jesus was the Son of God. 2. The phenomena and the demeanor of Christ were mixed with faith. B. Nothing will convince us about Jesus without faith. Hebrews 11:1 C. According to Hebrews 11:6, nothing else will please God. Throughout the New Testament, we have all kinds of things to convince us. Through His continuing work on this earth we have all kinds of evidence. But the evidence cannot be received intellectually until it is received by faith. It doesn't start in the head but the heart. |
All of these materials are free of charge. There is no copyright on them and you are free to use them as you see fit. I am happy to be of assitance to you in your preaching/teaching minstry.
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