[ Back ] [ Up ] [ Next ]            2009 Weekly Sermon Notes 

Pastor Sermon Notes from 2009

“The Way of Jesus”  notes on 12/27/09

Matthew 28:16-20  ¹⁶Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in^[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

I.                  Full time Commitment—Jesus

a.    4 seasons of Jesus life complete: Born, Lived, Died, Resurrected

b.    Great Commission: “I did my part, now its time you do yours…”

c.     2009—Another year has passed; 4 seasons come and gone, now what? 

II.              Full Time life Commitment—the local Church

a.    Our part of carrying on Jesus work:

1.      Therefore go…Relational Evangelism

2.      make disciples—Intentional Discipleship

3.      baptizing them—Familial Fellowship

4.      teaching them to obey everything—Critical Partnership

b.    Great Communion: “God is most glorified in me, when I am most satisfied in Him.”

Full Time Vocational Commitment—the Universal Church

a.    Pray—Luke 22:  yet not my will, but yours be done."

b. Assess—Matthew 6  ²⁵"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? ²⁶Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? ²⁷Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life^[b]?  ²⁸"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. ²⁹Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ³⁰If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? ³¹So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' ³²For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. ³³But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

c.     Offer-- Rom 12: ¹Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual^[a] act of worship. ²Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  

d.    Step Out—James 4 ¹⁴Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. ¹⁵Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."

e. Great Collaboration: Romans 10 ¹³for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." ¹⁴How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? ¹⁵And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

IV.  Hand it Over…

+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+

“The Joy of Jesus” notes on 12/20/09

Matthew 2  ¹After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi^[a] from the east came to Jerusalem ²and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east^[b] and have come to worship him."  ³When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ^[c] was to be born. ⁵"In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:
 ⁶" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,  are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler  who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'^[d]"  ⁷Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. ⁸He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."  ⁹After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east^[e] went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. ¹¹On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. ¹²And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.

I.                  Cradle characters—supporting cast of 6

a.    Joseph:  Confused He was a working class; blue collar guy. A carpenter who we know little about and disappears from the story of Christ early on.  Thought to have passed away.  Confused because of the circumstances of Mary’s pregnancy, the dream concerning the baby’s birth. Still, at the cradle His Confusion gave way to joy.  A Boy!

b.    Mary:  Wonder  She was the innocent teen; so much time ahead.  She would stay by Jesus side all of His life and eventually live with John the Apostle.  Wonder because her life was not going to go like she had planned, but  it was heaven directed.  Still, at the cradle her wonder gave way to joy.  A Son!

Shepherds: Amazed  They were the underemployed of the day.  Publically

a.    ostracized.  Amazed because they knew so much of the wonder of creation, but personally knew so little of the Creator of the creation.  Still, at the cradle their amazement gave way to joy. A Baby!

b.    Heavenly Host:  Alarmed  These were heavenly beings delegated with an earthy mission.  Alarmed because they understood the fragility and the danger of sending God’s one and only Son into a world that  was subject to sickness, pain, and death—all that were never present in their heavenly abode.  Still, at the cradle alarm gave forth to joy.  A Savior!

c.     Magi:  Excited  These three Persian Holy Men or wise men or kings, were Priests by  trade and astronomers by training.  Excited because of the ancient prophecies they saw unfolding before them, the starry Light guiding their path.  Still, at the cradle excitement gave way to joy.  A King!    

d.    Herod: Fearful   Known as the madman who killed family and friends to preserve his rule.  Would later order the slaughter of scores of babies in His quest to silence those who said a new King was born.  Fearful, of the unknown. Fearful of losing control.  Fearful of life.   If only He had made his way to the cradle…if only he would have given Jesus a chance.  If only…if only  

Cradle Characters

I.                  —2 main characters

a.    Jesus  Joyful 

 +~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+

“The Name of Jesus” notes on 12/13/09

“Devil made me do it….”  notes on 11/29/09 

        b. There is a battle Within: Romans 8 ¹⁵I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. ¹⁶And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. ¹⁷As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. ¹⁸I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature.^[c] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. ²⁰Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.  ²¹So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²²For in my inner being I delight in God's law; ²³but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. ²⁴What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? ²⁵Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!

Real Question is: ⁹No one who is born of God will continue to sin,

Facts: 1) Every sin can be forgiven 2) We will always struggle with certain sins 3) We should be striving to be delivered from certain sins 4) It’s a lifelong process.  5)  Its both attitude and action that counts. 

III.  A Certain Success ¹⁰This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother.  ¹¹This is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another. ¹²Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous.

a.    An Attitude  toward others: John 13  ³⁴"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ³⁵By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

b.    An Awareness of self:

Original Humanity                       Fallen Humanity

Saved Humanity                         Maturing Humanity

+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+

“Making Right Choices”  notes on 11/15/09

1 John 2:28-3:3 ²⁸And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.  ²⁹If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.  ¹How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ²Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears,^[a]we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. ³Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

Part I: The Basis of Fellowship (1:1-2:27)

I.                   Introduction 1:1-4

II.                The Conditions for Fellowship (1:5-2:14)

a.      Walk in the Light  1:5-7

b.      Confession of Sin 1:8-12

c.      Obedience to His commands 2:3-6

d.      Love for One another 2:7-14

III.             The Cautions of Fellowship (2:15-27)

a.      Love of the World 2:15-17

b.      Spirit of the Anti-Christ 2:18-27

Part II: The Behavior of Fellowship (2:28-5-21)

I.                   Characteristics of Fellowship 2:28-5:3

a.     Purity in Life 2:28-3:3

Born to Be Born- Anew.  ²⁸And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming.  ²⁹If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him.

a.     Be Accepting of Baby Christians—1 Corinthians 3:1-3

 ¹Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual but as worldly—mere infants in Christ. ²I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. ³You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere men?

1.  We all were physical babies at one time

2.  We all were spiritual babies at one time

3.  We all are supposed to grow to maturity.

4.  Not all do…why?

a.      Poor Leadership—Equip the Saints

b.      Pesky Laziness-neglect the Word

c.      Pitiful Lethargy—reject the Responsibility  

God’s Goal is for us to help one another to grow in grace…

b. Be Admonishing to Carnal Christians—Romans 8:5-7 ⁵For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.  ⁶For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.  ⁷Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

1.  As a Non-believer, we are influenced more by our carnal (base, lower) Nature

2.  As a Believer, we are to be influenced more by our Spiritual (higher) Nature.

3.  To do both is to be carnally—minded; immature, lukewarm, lacking in joy, conviction, and purpose.  Some use this dysfunction in leadership positions in the church-wreak havoc

God’s Goal is for us to encourage one another to grow…

c. Be Appreciative of Maturing Christians—Ephesians 4:11-14

¹¹It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, ¹²to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up ¹³until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.  ¹⁴Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.

                1.  What is maturity?  Jesus put it this way…¹³Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. ¹⁴The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. ¹⁵But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. FRUITFULNESS

God’s Goal is for us to grow to be fruit inspectors and fruit producers…

I.                  Born below to Live-Above  ¹How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. ²Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears,^[a]we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is

EX.  The truth about eyeballs   Hebrews 12:2 ²Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

                                                            1.      Eschatological Hope

                                                            2.      Escalating Joy

                                                            3.      Entertaining Life

John 10:9-11 ⁹I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.^[a] He will come in and go out, and find pasture. ¹⁰The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.  ¹¹"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

                                                            1.      Ever-Increasing Priorities  

He died for me, the real question is, will I live for Him. 

II.              Born to Decide to Decide. ³Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.

                                                            1.      Reconcile our Past

                                                            2.      Recognize our Propensities

                                                            3.      Rekindle our Passion

It’s not about perfection but purity…its not so much a question of how as why…

EX.  Thank You.   

+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+

“Anti-up Your Understanding” notes on 11/8/09

Pluralism-- a term used to describe the acceptance of all religious paths as equally valid, promoting coexistence—(Accept)

Universalism-- In Christianity Universalism is the belief that all people will, eventually, be saved and reconciled to God. It generally accepts the idea of a real heaven, but denies the existence of an eternal Hell. (Deny)

Syncretism- attempt to combine teachings and doctrines from different and apparently divergent traditions, for example Roman Catholicism and Protestantism, or from Christianity and Buddhism. (Include)  

Gnosticism -- teaching that humans are divine souls trapped in a material world created by an imperfect god.  We all have a spark of the Divine. Denies the goodness of creation and the humanity of Jesus. (Delay)

2.  Forming Classic Cults

^20-21But you belong. The Holy One anointed you, and you all know it. I haven't been writing this to tell you something you don't know, but to confirm the truth you do know, and to remind you that the truth doesn't breed lies.  ^22-23So who is lying here? It's the person who denies that Jesus is the Divine Christ, that's who. This is what makes an antichrist: denying the Father, denying the Son. No one who denies the Son has any part with the Father, but affirming the Son is an embrace of the Father as well.

The Gospel needs more head knowledge…cannot be that simple

Religious Cults: The Popular View
What exactly are religious cults? With such a large number of religious organizations and movements in the world today, it's important to understand what we mean when we start labeling certain groups. The dictionary defines cult as "a system of religious worship or ritual"; "devoted attachment to, or extravagant admiration for, a person, principle, etc." According to this definition, any believer in any god is a member of a cult. In the popular media, a cult is typically defined as a religious sect whose members are "controlled" by a manipulative organization or individual. This kind of cult is usually portrayed as deceptive, requiring absolute loyalty from its followers. Members are often removed from their prior lives altogether, including their jobs, homes and families. The Hare Krishnas, Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church, and Moses David Berg's Family of Love are some popular examples of this type of cult.

Religious Cults: The Christian Perspective
Christians define religious cults from a different perspective. Simply, a cult is any religious group that deviates from the fundamental teachings of the historic, Bible-based, Christian faith as confirmed through the ancient ecumenical creeds. Generally, if a religious organization follows Jesus Christ, but denies or distorts essential Christian doctrines such as the Trinity, the resurrection, or salvation by grace alone, that organization is considered a cult. Traditional examples are the Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses, Christian Science, the Unity School of Christianity, and the Way International. All of these groups add to the simple gospel of Jesus Christ. In addition, some add to the Bible, such as Mormonism's The Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and The Pearl of Great Price. Similarly, Christian Science has added Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures. The Jehovah's Witnesses have actually changed the text of the Bible to make it fit their version of doctrine.

Religious cults add their own rules, rituals and ceremonies -- their own works of righteousness to the finished work of Jesus on the cross. These organizations officially state that Jesus' sacrifice is sufficient for salvation, but then they go on to say that their version of "works" must be added to the simplicity of His grace in order to warrant true salvation. These groups will often use James 2:26 ("faith without works is dead") to establish that works are part of salvation. Although it is true that faith without works is dead, it isn't the works that save us. Works are merely the result of a truly changed life through a saving faith in Jesus. A true Christian does good works because he has received the free gift of salvation, not to get salvation.

3. Forming Realistic Christianity

.   ^24-25Stay with what you heard from the beginning, the original message. Let it sink into your life. If what you heard from the beginning lives deeply in you, you will live deeply in both Son and Father. This is exactly what Christ promised: eternal life, real life!  ^26-27I've written to warn you about those who are trying to deceive you. But they're no match for what is embedded deeply within you—Christ's anointing, no less! You don't need any of their so-called teaching. Christ's anointing teaches you the truth on everything you need to know about yourself and him, uncontaminated by a single lie. Live deeply in what you were taught.

The Gospel needs more healthy knowledge. Cannot not be lived

Spiritual Growth - What is it?
Spiritual growth is detailed in 2 Peter 1:3-8, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."

So, spiritual growth includes: (1) increasing in your knowledge and understanding of God's Word, (2) decreasing in your frequency and severity of sin, (3) increasing in your practice of Christ-like qualities, and (4) increasing in your faith and trust in God. Perhaps the best summary of spiritual growth is becoming more like Jesus Christ. In 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul says, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." Jesus Christ is the ultimate example of what it truly means to be spiritual.

Spiritual Growth - How is it done?
In order for spiritual growth to occur, you first need to make sure you possess a true spiritual life through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. "And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life" (1 John 5:11-12). When you believe in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit lives inside of you (John 14:16-17) and you are a new creation in Christ! 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" Your old nature, which is dominated by sin, is replaced with a new nature that is under the influence of God's Spirit (Romans 6-7). Spiritual growth can only occur in a person who knows the Lord Jesus Christ as his or her Savior.

Learning how to grow spiritually is a life-long journey which occurs as you read and apply God's Word to your life. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 teaches us, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." In order for spiritual growth to occur, we must be taught, rebuked, corrected, and trained by God's Word. Then we will be thoroughly equipped for every good work. This is the essence of spiritual growth.

Another key to Christian growth is walking in the Spirit. Galatians 5:16-18, 24-26 explains, "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law…Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other."

Walking in the Spirit is allowing Him to fill you (Ephesians 5:18), control you, and guide you. This is brought about by consciously choosing by faith to rely on the Holy Spirit to guide you in thought, word, and deed (Romans 6:11-14). Failure to rely on the Holy Spirit's guidance will result in a believer not living up to the calling and standing that salvation provides. Ephesians 4:1 says, "…I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received."

+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+

“God’s Gift is Me…!” notes on 11/1/09

1 Corinthians 15 ⁴⁹And just as we have borne the likeness of the earthly man, so shall we^[a] bear the likeness of the man from heaven.  ⁵⁰I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. ⁵¹Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— ⁵²in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.

        D.  On Earth we can only resemble Him in Spirit=in Heaven we will reflect Him in understanding, appearance and character…the way we think, the way we look, the way we will ever be!  

III.           Our Gift to the Future

a.      Holy Body; 1 Corinthians 6 ¹⁸Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. ¹⁹Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ²⁰you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. We acknowledge His ownership

b.      Healthy Body;  2 Corinthians 7  ¹Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God. We acknowledge our stewardship

c.       Honored Body;  John 15 ¹²My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. ¹³Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.  We acknowledge His Lordship.

 If we can prolong a person’s life for the sake of them making a decision for Christ, then our laying down and leaving here are worth while. 

+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+

“And the Winner is….”  notes on 10/18/09

1.      What is the greatest Virtue in our Christian life?  Honesty? Holiness? Purity? Selflessness?  Godliness?  NO  Answer=Choosing to Love God Totally  Mark 12 ³⁰Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.'^[b]

2.      What is the Greatest Sin in our Christian life?  Pride?  NO Answer =Choosing to Like God Conveniently   Rev.3. I wish you were either one or the other! ¹⁶So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth

+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+

“Heard it in a Love Song”  notes on 10/11/09

^{1 John : 7-14  7}Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. ⁸Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.  ⁹Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. ¹⁰Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him^[a] to make him stumble. ¹¹But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.
 ¹²I write to you, dear children,
      because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
 ¹³I write to you, fathers,
      because you have known him who is from the beginning.
   I write to you, young men,
      because you have overcome the evil one.
   I write to you, dear children,
      because you have known the Father.
 ¹⁴I write to you, fathers,
      because you have known him who is from the beginning.
   I write to you, young men,
      because you are strong,
      and the word of God lives in you,
      and you have overcome the evil one.

I.  Son-Shine Breaking Through.  ⁷Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. ⁸Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.

          a. Old Commandment:  Realize: One to One   John 13:34 ³⁴"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

                b. New Commandment: Realize: All for One and One for All

A) Jesus proved His love for me by His Sacrifice —eyes on Him

          B)  Jesus fills my heart with Love for Him

                    C)  Jesus fills my heart with His Love

                    C)  Jesus fills our hearts with His Love

          B)  Jesus fills our hearts with Love for Others

A)  We prove our Love for Jesus by our Sacrifice --eyes on others

II. Son-Light Breaking Forth .  ⁹Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. ¹⁰Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him^[a] to make him stumble. ¹¹But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.
Key theological thought:  hate blinds…love illuminates… Human 3 stages of Hate: Dislike, Disassociation, Dysfunction; all directed outward

Spiritual 3 Stages of hate; all directed inward

a.     Blinds our Spiritual Hearts ¹¹But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness.. whoever loves walks in light!

b.     Blinds our Spiritual Principles  and walks around in the darkness…whoever loves does not compromise!

c.      Blinds our Spiritual Minds  he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him. Whoever loves is assured!

We as Christians are called to love one another.  Living in love illuminates our minds to see Jesus, others, and ourselves in the right light; Helps us to live individually and collectively according to Biblical Principles and perhaps the most important, keeps us all tenderhearted, caring and encouraging one another on the path of life.  Love allows us to see us for who we really are as a person and as a fellowship. Love is to conquer hatred in every congregation!      

III.  Son-Song Breaking Out  ¹²I write to you, dear children,
      because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
 ¹³I write to you, fathers,
      because you have known him who is from the beginning.
   I write to you, young men,
      because you have overcome the evil one.
   I write to you, dear children,
      because you have known the Father.
 ¹⁴I write to you, fathers,
      because you have known him who is from the beginning.
   I write to you, young men,
      because you are strong,
      and the word of God lives in you,
      and you have overcome the evil one.

Song=In every stage of life, Jesus has given to us the Victory, the Ability and the Tenacity to live a life of love, individually and in our fellowship…

I.                   Conclusion—7 Biblical Steps of Love to Conquer Hate

1.  Forgive Ephesians 4:31-32 ³¹Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³²Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

2.  Depend Philippians 4:13 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

3.  Express Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

4.   Dump Psalm 109:1-4 O God, whom I praise, do not remain  silent,  ² for wicked and deceitful men have opened their mouths against me; they have spoken against me with lying tongues. ³ With words of hatred they surround me; they attack me without cause.  ⁴ In return for my friendship they accuse me, but I am a man of prayer.

5.  Claim Philippians 4:7 . ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

6.  Wait  Isaiah 40:31  but those who hope in the LORD   will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.

7.  Hang in there!  Luke 11: 5-9  Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, ⁶because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.'  ⁷"Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' ⁸I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness^[a] he will get up and give him as much as he needs.  ⁹"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+

“On the Road Again…”  notes on 10/4/09

1 John 1:8-2:6 ⁸If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.  ¹My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. ²He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for^[a] the sins of the whole world.  ³We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. ⁴The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵But if anyone obeys his word, God's love^[b] is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: ⁶Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

Part I: The Basis of Fellowship (1:1-2:27)

I.                   Introduction 1:1-4

II.                The Conditions for Fellowship (1:5-2:14)

a.      Walk in the Light  1:5-7

b.      Confession of Sin 1:8-12

1. Deliberately On Our Knees ⁸If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. ¹⁰If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives
   1. Accept we are a Sinner—Rom 3:21-24  ²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
   2. Accept that we need a Savior Ephesians 2  ⁸For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— ⁹not by works, so that no one can boast.

3. Accept we are Saved    1 John 5 ¹²He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.  ¹³I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

On our knees we find: We are His,           We are each others,           We are heaven bound, We are free to really stand  up and LIVE life. 

A.     Standing On our Feet .  ¹My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. ²He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for^[a] the sins of the whole world.

1.     We will Stumble and discourage Ourselves—James 3 ²We all stumble in many ways

2.     We will Sin and disappoint our Father

3.     We Will Succeed and encourage our Friends

On our feet we realize; Jesus stands up for Us, Jesus stands with us, Jesus stands for us, Jesus stands before Us---Come follow me…

          3.  Walking On our Way  ³We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. ⁴The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. ⁵But if anyone obeys his word, God's love^[b] is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: ⁶Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.

                1.  We never walk alone John 14  ¹⁵"If you love me, you will obey what I command. ¹⁶And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— ¹⁷the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be^[a] in you. ¹⁸I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ¹⁹Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. ²⁰On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. ²¹Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

On our way, we find that with Him we can be like Him: accepting, loving, forgiving, convicting, living with a purpose for all of life…dying to self and living more and more simply to please the Father who loves us and the Savoir who waits for us…

+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+

“Got a Light?”  notes 9/27/09

 ⁵This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. ⁶If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. ⁷But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all^[a] sin.

Light= spiritual illumination, something that makes vision possible, something that enlightens or informs…Being able to see inwardly and know convincingly that we have found that God is real  

Darkness=devoid or partially devoid of light: not receiving, reflecting, transmitting, or radiating light, not clear to the understanding

A.  Out cry for Light-- ⁵This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all.

1.    The human spirit longs for the infinite in the midst of the finite

2.    The human mind longs for understanding in the midst of not understanding

3.    The human body longs for immortality in the midst of  mortality

4.    The human heart longs for heavenly revelation in the midst of earthy  religion

Ecclesiastes 3:11 ¹¹ He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.

Our immortal souls long to know God is there, God is good, God is loving, God is pure, God is holy….2 Corinthians 4⁶For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"^[a]made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ’ God gives to us the light “ spiritual illumination”  for us to know we are sinners and what He  has done on our behalf through Jesus….

 B.  Outfitted for Light--. ⁶If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.

1. Light of Jesus---John 14 ¹²When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."—eternal illumination

 2. Light of the Word---Psalm 119: ¹⁰⁵ Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path---outer illumination

 3. Light of the Holy Spirit--- John 14 ²⁶But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you—inner illumination

4.  Light of the Church—2 Cor. 6 Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? Corporate illumination

C.   Outcome of Light ---. ⁷But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all^[a] sin.

1. Awareness of Keeping in the Light—repentance, avoiding sin, dealing with sinful habits, righting wrongs,

2.  Acceptance to live according to the Light—

EX. Bright Light, Broad Light, Beamed Light…. Got a Light?

John 16:24 ²⁴Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+

“Being in this thing together”  notes 9/20/09

1 John 1: 1-4 '¹That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. ²The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. ³We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. ⁴We write this to make our^[a] joy complete.

I.  Exegetical Vs. Topical Sermon Series:

1 John…bring your Bible  

        a. Introduction

1.  Keyword=Fellowship; Being in this thing together

Part I: The Basis of Fellowship (1:1-2:27)

I.                   Introduction 1:1-4

II.                The Conditions for Fellowship (1:5-2:14)

a.      Walk in the Light  1:5-7

b.      Confession of Sin 1:8-22

c.      Obedience to His commands 2:3-6

d.      Love for One another 2:7-14

III.             The Cautions of Fellowship 2:15-27

a.      Love of the World 2:15-17

b.      Spirit of the Anti-Christ 2:18-27

Part II: The Behavior of Fellowship (2:28-5-21)

I.                   Characteristics of Fellowship 2:28-5:3

Purity in Life 2:28-3:3

a.     Practice of Righteousness   3:4-12

b.     Love in deed and Truth   3:13-24

c.     Testing the Spirits  4:1-6

d.     Love as Christ Loved  4:7-3

II.                Consequences of Fellowship 5:4-21

a.     Victory over the World  5:4-5

b.     Assurance of Salvation   5:6-13

c.     Guidance in Prayer   5:14-17

d.     Freedom from Habitual Sin 5:18-21 

2. Authorship: John The apostle 
   1. 1,2,3 John and fourth Gospel use same phrases, style of vocabulary, frequent use of contrasts…
   2. All Church Fathers believed Johannine  author
   3. John understood and knew Jesus: 

                                                              i.      Only Apostle to die a natural death

                                                            ii.      Received and wrote the Book of Revelation

                                                          iii.      Had the care of Mary given to him by Jesus at the Cross

    iv. Mostly…He was called the “Beloved Disciple” meaning He had a special place in the heart of Jesus.  Perspective: John 13  ²³Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.  ²⁴Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake.  ²⁵He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it?

1 John 1: 1-4 '¹That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. ²The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. ³We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. ⁴We write this to make our^[a] joy complete.

 He is REAL!  '¹That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—

                1.  The Problem of Docetism; Greek for “to seem” puts the emphasis on the Divine Nature of Christ and denies the human nature of Jesus   

                    a.  Jesus only “appeared” to have a real body---because He was Divine; More of a ghost-like appearance of a body…Thus the cross experience never really allows Jesus to personally understand human suffering—

                    b. Disconnect with you and I if He cannot relate to us... Beg to differ

Mark 14 ²²While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, "Take it; this is my body."

Hebrews 4:14-16   ¹⁴Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens,^[a] Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. ¹⁵For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.

1. Because Jesus is human, He understands each and every situation we face, because Jesus is Divine, he can do something about it!
2. Docetism today still exists for those who don’t want to be that close to God—their behavior on behalf of God falls short—not realizing that it’s more about God’s behavior on behalf of them!   

He is LIFE! this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. ²The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us.

1. The Problem of Death; Our Biggest fear.  We are only creatures born who know we are going to die.  Every phobia can be traced to our fear of Death. 

          a. Jesus is the Author of Life; John 1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ²He was with God in the beginning.  ³Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made

                b. Jesus is the Giver of Life; John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,^[f] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

            c. Jesus is the Offer-er of Life. 

                    1.  To be born once is to die twice, to be born twice means to die once.  We already have eternal life, the question is where will we spend eternity.

John 10:9-11 ¹⁰The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.  ¹¹I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep

He is CLOSE!. ³We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.

1.The Problem of Deciding; fellowship implies a closeness, a shared life experience.  John says this is characterized simply as joy.  Why not be a winner and not a whiner.  Why not cultivate this close relationship and fellowship with God. 

He is real, He is life, He wants to be close.  ⁴We write this to make our^[a] joy complete.

a.      Being in this thing together=fellowship between Jesus, those who have known Him those who do know Him, and those who will come to know Him.  It’s a sweet fellowship

+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+

“Being a Great Church” notes 9/13/2009

Matthew 22:37-40  'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'^[a] ³⁸This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'^{[b] 40}All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."

Matthew 28:19-20 ¹⁹Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in^[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

A Great Commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission will grow a Great Church                  ---Rick Warren

The 5 Secrets of Being a Great Church

I.                  Love the Lord Your God with all your heart…Worship (Magnifying)

Psalm 34:3 (NASB) O magnify the LORD with me, And let us exalt His name together

a.    Worship God for His Plans for the future

b.    Worship God for His Passion in the past

c.     Worship God for His Presence in the Present

We are all just performers, for an audience of One…

II.              Love your neighbor as yourself---Service (Ministry)  

Ephesians 4:12 (NRSV) …equip the saints for the work of ministry

a.    Ministry is reaching out in the name of Jesus to help meet people’s  spiritual, emotional, relational, and physical needs

a.    Every member should never  be content to Sit, Soak , and Sour.  

II.              Go and make disciples---Evangelism (Mission)

a.    Evangelism is simply sharing the Good News of Jesus’ Coming, Death on cross, resurrection and His coming again soon!

You can only share what you have experienced, 3 stage; before Christ, How Christ came into your life, difference He has made.

               b. Evangelism is more than a responsibility, it’s a privilege 

III.            Baptizing them--Fellowship (Membership)

Ephesians 2:19 (LB) You are members of God’s very own family….and you belong in God’s household with every other Christian

        a. As Christians we’re called to Be-long       not just Be-lieve___

IV.            Teaching them to obey—Discipleship (Maturity) 

Colossians 1:28 (NCV) So we continue to preach Christ to each person, using all wisdom to warn and to teach everyone, in order to bring each one into God's presence as a mature person in Christ.

                                                A Good Mission Statement

To bring people to Jesus and Membership in His Family, develop them to Christ like Maturity, and equip them for their Ministry in the church and Life Mission in the World, in order to Magnify God’s Name. 

The real question is this, do we want to be a good church or a great church?  The answer lies in the level of commitment.