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2 Chronicles 6
June 1, 2011
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Sermon Notes May 15, 2011
Psalm 127: 1-2
Intro: A convention of delegates from each state gathered in Philadelphia in order to write and agree upon a Constitution. They were having trouble coming together after winning the war. The year was 1887, four years after the Revolutionary War ended.
Benjamin Franklin stood to address the presiding officer of the convention. Franklin was not a born again Christian, but he had a respect for Christians, He believed in an active God and knew the Scriptures. He was asking for the convention to agree to begin each session with prayer. Here is James Madison’s record of Franklin’s speech…
t/s – I note this speech today because Franklin quotes our Text,
Psalm 127. In connection to Psalm 127, he also mentions
“the builders of Babel.”
First, let’s read again Psalm 127: 1-5 (focus on vss. 1-2)
Then, let’s talk about Babel.
Finally, we will find a biblical supposition for Life & Family.
Read Psalm 127
t/s – Why does Franklin connect Psalm 127 to Babel?
(Building in Vain…. Wasted, fruitless efforts to build)
The Story of Babel (Genesis 11) Key verse: Genesis 11:4
Contrast for Abraham’s Story…. Genesis 12:2
I will make you a great nation, I will bless you and make your name great! And so you will be a blessing
God used Abraham and His family to Bless the World!
Pursuing Prosperity and Security…. (“House” = Family)
Prideful reliance on Self vs. Humble dependence on God
(Babel) (Abraham)
Our Suppositions about Life and Family.
Nissi Dominus Frusta – Without the Lord Frustration – Edinbrough
Labor Omnia Vincent – Labor Conquers All – Oklahoma
t/s – We are a people who pride ourselves in a capacity to Stake Our
Claim in the World; to Build and protect what is Ours!
Signs of Prideful Self-Reliance (Symptoms of Babel Fever)
Work Is good, God-ordained…. Job or Vocation?
We tend to associate Worry with Weakness, Actually, Pride!
Prideful Self-Reliance
Ill – Jesus… Remember you have a Father.
n Fertility gods and child sacrifice!
n Imagine trading a child for prosperity, success, wealth
—- We do it one evening meal at a time!
Vs. 5 – Speaks to status, standing, respect in the public square.
We trade our good name for prosperity and security!
The symptoms of Prideful self-Reliance, Babylonian Fever:
Toil, Anxiety, Neglect, Compromise
Building a life/Family without the LORD is Wasted Effort… Vain!
Oh, you might succeed — Prosperity & Security — Meaningless!
Solomon had more money, bigger family, better education, wider fame than we could ever imagine:
Vanity, Vanity of vanities, All is Vanity! (Eccl.)
ILL – Boys building a Snow Fort
…Sucked into the Soil…
All our Work, worry, weary years… Vain! We want our Lives to matter, to count, to mean something.
App – Focus on what God Gives you, not on what you can manage to Grab for yourself and Guard!
Psalm 127: 1-2
Seek first the Kingdom of God and His Righteousness, then,
All these things will be added unto you.
The Gospel – Life that matters cannot be grabbed and guarded,
It is Given, freely, by God!
Eternal Life is not Grabbed, but Given… Ephesians 2: 8-9
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Sermon Notes April 17, 2011
Mark 15: 22-39
Intro: “The Passion of the Christ” was released Seven Years ago…
I watch the Mel Gibson Movie, “The Passion of the Christ” Two times.
— Second viewing I noticed a woman make her way out of the theater
just after Pilate condemned Jesus to be crucified
She casually snacked & slurped throughout the crucifixion scene!
t/s – This casual, calloused, comfort with the Cross stands in contrast with our text, Marks account… Two word phrase, “They Crucify Him,”
Beneath – dividing up his garments
Above – Sign, The King of the Jews
Beside – Two thieves insulting him
Around – The place called skull Hill and ugly crowd
But Mark quickly pulls our eyes away from the sight of Jesus on Cross.
Mark 15: 22-39
“And” == dominates nearly ever verse… 15 of 18 in KJV!
The monotonous repetition of “and,” “and,” “and,” gives the effect
of an endless succession of the waves of sorrow, pain, and contumely (ridicule) which broke over that sacred head.”
— Alexander Maclaren (d. 1910 – great Scottish preacher)
READ
As the Story of the Crucifixion of Jesus unfolds, several tensions surface (questions)
— vs. 30, 32, 36
— He did Not! Enemies Saw Evidence of His weakness,
We Know It as an amazing display of Strength!
— vs. 39 – Finally, the centurion Sees!….The Son of God!
— Two words to Pilate early Friday morning…No more all day!
— Largely Silent for six Hours
Seven statements are recorded from the Cross. Mark only chooses one. Essential!
Vs. 34 – My God, My God, Why have you Forsaken me?
– Troubling thing for Jesus to Say. What does He mean?
A Quote from a Psalm (22)
Exp – Jesus quotes the first sentence from Psalm 22 … Familiar Messianic Song.
All the ends of the earth will remember…All the families will Worship!
Note: The fact that Jesus cried to God, “My God,” shows not entirely without hope!
A Mysterious blend of Access to God and Abandonment by God.
Psalm 22 == I am utterly forsaken now; but, God will exalt Me!
Next week, Praise God, The Exaltation!
Today, Forsaken?!
A Cry from His Soul!
Exp – On the Cross, Jesus was utterly forsaken, abandoned, desolate…
— Pain real; blood wet & warm, shame overwhelming, loneliness absolute
Point = the Weight of His Suffering forced the cry from His lips!
ILL – Crosses are popular jewelry, home decor….cultural … “Nice”
Crucifixion did not become common in art until all who had seen a
Real one died off! C.S. Lewis
Danger == Oh, now I know what it was like! (We cannot Imagine!)
t/s – This Cry from the Soul of Jesus speaks to more than the weight of the physical suffering of Jesus; it speaks to the essential
Work of Jesus on the Cross.
A Rare, glimpse into the great mystery….
What Happened on the Cross? (what did Jesus DO when He died there?)
Exp – Hear the Word of the Lord (I am not fit to answer) — the Deep End!
But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for
Our iniquities; The chastening for our well being fell upon Him, and by
His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each one of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the
Iniquity of us all to fall on Him. (Isaiah 53:5-6)
He made Him Who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf that we might
Become the righteousness of God in Him.
And He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross.,, (1 Peter)
Jesus died on the Cross as a substitute for you & me. He paid the debt, once for all! He took our sins upon Himself!
Now hear His cry — My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?
Jesus became sin. For the first time He was cut-off from perfect fellowship with the Father! Father, somehow, turned His back on His sin-laden Son.
He open the Access to the Holy Presence!
ILL – Common Question, “How could a Loving God send someone to Hell?”
n Recent and Regional Question….Unusual, self-centered society.
More Substantial Question —
How can a Holy God Embrace a Sinner like me in Heaven?
App – Jesus Paid It All!
The Cry of the Cross reveals the ultimate Penalty/Wage of Sin – DEATH
— Separation from God….abandoned, God-forsaken, forever!
t/s – Most people underestimate the cost of Sin!
ILL – I had a paper route when I was 10-12 years old
Throwing papers one spring during baseball season…broken glass Door!
— Quickly promised to pay for the damage
— Wealthy entrepreneur ($25 month)! — Savings Account
— a Few Days Later…. Elderly Lady standing on her porch in front of her
New glass door….handed me the bill
** The Cost was twice what I had! No Way to Pay!
I had over estimated my ability to Pay… Underestimated the Cost
I Can Deal with my own Sin … One day you will — utterly cut-off, forsaken…..
Full of fear, dread, regret….. “Wailing and gnashing of Teeth”…
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April 10, 2011
Mark 14: 26-31 & 66
1 Peter 5: 6-10
Sermon Notes April 3, 2011
Mark 14: 43-50
Intro: This morning, we will read one of the most famous, well
known paragraphs in the Bible. Even people who have never
read the Bible, know this story. It has so much raw power, moves people so deeply, it has been retold, recaste, reflected
over and over again in literature and art.
Speaks to the Core of Christian Message
Mark 14: 43-50
Context = Jesus wakes up disciples in the darkness of Gethsemene, “The one who betrays me is here!”
Text (Note: vs. 49-50 == 14:27)
Betrayal Moves Us. A visceral reaction.
ILL – I first learned about betrayal when my sixth grade girl friend went to a movie at the Ki-He-Ka theater with a seventh grade boy… “She Done You Wrong!”
Betray = treachery, disloyalty, unfaithful to one who puts faith in us.
This story from the Gospels moves us because we have all experienced Betrayal and feel, deep down, just how WRONG it is!
t/s – What is the Point? How Does Betrayal contribute to the Gospel?
Judas’s Betrayal and the Desertion of the Disciples, speaks to the Gospel in two crucial ways….
Sin, Our Sin, Is Betrayal
Exp – Few of us deny our sin. Instead, we minimize it, make it
More understandable, acceptable…
ILL – “Sinful Pleasures” (candy display in gift shop)
ILL – Grandmother of rebellious four year old, “He is just awful!”
— and oh so cute!
The Character of Sin
a) Aiming at the Wrong Target (missing mark)
b) Crossing the Line/Boundary (transgression)
c) Rebellion against King (Americans embrace)
d) Treachery or Betrayal!
Sin is, at its bare essence, an act of unfaithfulness, disloyalty
Against the One who created and cares for me all my life!
Sin Is Relational (Against God! … Not rules)
ILL – Hosea married an Adulterous Woman (made a fool of him)
Israel’s Sin is Like a Wife’s Adultery…. Betrayal!
App – God is your Creator, Provider, Faithful & Rightful King.
Your sin is not cute, an acceptable guilty pleasure…
Your Sin is Betrayal, Dessertion….WRONG!
(Should Burn in Your Belly like Betrayal)
Note: Mark sneaks up on us….With whom will I Identify
n Not Pharisees; not scribes; not Romans; Crowds
n I am like the Disciples… I like Jesus… with Him
n Would I Forsake, Betray….?
Died He for me, who caused His pain?
Jesus Still Died for Us.
Exp – This paragraph clarifies some confusion about Jesus’ Death
Betrayed and Forsaken…. ALL!
ILL – We sometimes develop this fantasy about the Cross
What Jesus did was heroic, spectacular…. Understandable.
Amazing Love! How can it be?
Romans 5: 6-8, 10
App – Only an Honest embrace of My Sin gives me an
Accurate appreciation for His Death!
Conclusion
Your sin is as Wrong as Betrayal; and, Jesus still died for you.
Beneath the cross of Jesus, Mine eyes at times see;
The very dying form of Him who suffered there for me.
And from my smitten heart, with tears, two wonders I confess;
The wonders of His glorious love and my unworthiness.
Prayer
Invitation
I don’t want you to waste another Easter going through the motions.
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Sermon Notes March 27, 2011
Mark 14:36
I know of a man who was distressed and troubled by his circumstances. He was so burdened that he felt one more pound of pain would push him into the grave. It seemed his troubles surrounded him. He sought the support of friends, but longed to be alone. The sorrow affected him physically … , stumbling and falling to the ground too weak to stand. His Life situation overwhelmed him, crashing down like a tidal surge.
What do you think of such a person?
Fear, Doubt, Distress, … these are foreign to Faith!
Surely this man needs the Lord!
Problem: This man Is the Lord.
I just described Jesus in Gethsemene
Thesis: Sometimes, Circumstances press in and overwhelm us.
Mark 14: 32-42 Read with Comments
— distressed = “sore amazed”…struck with sudden fear
— troubled = “very heavy”….uncomfortable as away from home
— deeply grieved = exceeding sorrowful….surrounded by sorrow
1st – Marvelous glimpse into the redemptive suffering of Christ (Real)
2nd -Practical Help When Sorrows like Sea Billows Roll
— Devastating diagnosis
— Family is Falling Apart
— Combined weight of life’s small disappointments weight Heavy
— Broke
When Circumstances press in and overwhelm you…
Four Pillars of Truth (36)
“Abba, Father” = a term of intimacy…. I know you love me!
ILL – Disciples on storm tossed sea,
“Master don’t you care that we are dying here!”
App – Stand firm in God’s Love…Acceptance
Exp – “All things are possible with You”
— You have not lost control of me or my situation.
ILL – Isaiah was afraid, he felt that circumstances were Heavy.
“I saw the Lord seated on His Throne!”
App – God Is on His Throne
T/S – These two present a problem.
If God loves all and has all power, WHY I s he allowing this?
“Remove this cup from Me” …. Jesus makes a very honest request.
“Cup” now instead of “Hour” == OT for Wrath/Suffering
— He knew why He had come….Father’s Purpose
Yet, honestly, the thought repulsed Him!
Ill – Thad got splinter upstairs in Garage…hid it from Mom (Fester)
Ill – Jeremiah,“You tricked me God! Cursed be the day of my Birth
App – Without Honesty we are Isolated in our Pain…Cut off
“Yet, not what I will but what You will.”
— Despite how I feel, I know that Your ways are RIGHT!
ILL – Peter’s advice to a group of Christians suffering persecution
1 Peter 4:19 — Where did Peter get that Idea!?
He learned it from the Master in Gethsemene
Conclusion
The dark night drove Jesus to His knees. He fell to the ground under the heavy burden; but, in the garden, He found His feet. When the Hour came, He stood tall and said, “Arise. Let us be going!”
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Sermon Notes March 27, 2011
Mark 14: 12-26
Intro: We are worried & bothered about so many things…
ILL – Dax & tattoo Troubled Julie (unfounded, silly fear)
(something that should keep you awake at night)
The Wages of Sin is Death. What will you do about your sin?
Imagine yourself a child of 10, a Hebrews child in Egypt.
The lamb is roasted and your whole family eats him
t/s – I have just told you the story of God’s central act of Redemption for Israel. Every year, God’s people ate the Passover Lamb in order to remember and to celebrate God’s faithful, gracious “Passing Over.”
The Passover is the context for the Cross of Jesus.
Mark 14: 12-26 Jesus gave His Life during Passover
READ
“Christ and His redemption are the subject of the whole word of God.”
Jonathon Edwards
The Bold Claim of Jesus
Instead of the Passover Lamb, ME! (My Body, My Blood)
ILL – Imagine on Memorial Day… I stood to declare —
From now on… forget about the fallen soldiers, remember me!
App – Jesus, “I am the central act of Redemption!”
The Crucial Claim of Christianity
Jesus Is our Passover Lamb. He has once for all given His body and blood to cover our sin.
The wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
This had been God’s plan all along. The Passover served to prepare us for the work of Jesus on the Cross….The Lamb slain from the Foundation of the World.
Jesus gave his life as our ransom, His blood is payment for our sin.
Do you accept this?
ILL – One Sunday night, I stood in church singing. My high school
Buddy, no church background next to me…
There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Immanuel’s veins; and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
My buddy leans over to whisper out the side of his mouth,
“That’s gross!”
We have a tendency to avoid all this talk of the Blood. We find it distasteful, crude, unsettling. Jesus knew we would, so he commanded us to regularly eat the bread and drink the cup, This Is My Blood!
t/s – Not only physically, but spiritually offensive… Sin is Ugly!
We have a tendency to avoid the issue of Our Sin.
The Blood of the Passover Lamb forces us to confess, to acknowledge, — to own — the full weight of our sin.
The price of your sin is death, eternal separation from God; but God’s great gift of Redemption is Jesus Death of Cross…Eternal Life!
Be still, Listen, Death is coming for you.
What will you do about your sin?
Prayer
In the OT, God was willing to Passover every Hebrew household; but each one had to apply the blood….Acting by Faith.
In the Upper Room, Jesus offered the bread and the cup to His disciples; but each one had to choose to Take, Eat, Drink.
On the Cross, Jesus died for everyone,…
Today, Jesus offers forgiveness of sin, rich and free; but you must take action….trusting and Receiving His gift for yourself.
I want to give you that opportunity this morning…
For the wages of sin is death; but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Whoever will call upon the Name of the Lord will be saved.
If you want to deal with your sin today, asking Jesus to forgive and cleanse, look up hear at me….
Sinner’s Prayer
Standing, Singing, You come… I prayed that prayer trusting Jesus; I want to confess Him now as Lord of my life.
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Sermon Notes March 20, 2011
Mark 12: 35-37
Intro: Traveling this week, crossed the Continental divide…
T/S – Jesus Divides People…Determines Eternal Destinies.
Matthew 12 = Tells of a Day of Division
Seven controversies (11:27-12:40)
Dividing Lines..Battle lines Defined
Day One Dramatic Triumphal Entry
Day Two Cleansing of the Temple
Day Three A Day of Controversy (Fuss &Fight)
(A Day of Rejection)
Taxes, treason, resurrection, Scriptures…
Begins Religious Leaders Question Jesus’ Authority
“Who Do You Think You Are?!”
Ends Jesus sitting as Judge in the Temple…
n Condemns the religious establishment
n Commends a poor widow who gave sacrificially out of her poverty.
t/s – Near the end of this day of controversy, after all Jesus’ questioners fell silent, Jesus had something to say. In a sense, he was answering the first question, “Who do you think you are?”
Mark 12: 35-37
Psalm 110:1
Peter preached the first Sermon Psalm 110
Hebrews described Supremacy of Jesus Psalm 110
Revelation Describes Final Victory Psalm 110
The Most Quoted OT verse in NT Psalm 110:1
Primary Confession of Faith… Jesus Is Lord!
I am not what you were expecting, because your expectations are Distorted!
Expected a political/military King like David. (freedom & prosperity)
Messiah is David’s Lord.
Adonai = Master….used for YHWH…..
The Messiah is Greater than David
Son of David is Son of God
“In what sense is he his son?” (vs. 37)
I am not what you were expecting, because your expectations are Distorted!
Expect: Approval Rules Fulfill Dreams
Receive: Repent Relationship New Dreams
I am the Savior King, Messiah….. The Lord. My Rule Is….
By what Authority do I do these Things?(11:28) By My Authority!
I Am the Lord.
Opposition to me is Vain.
Rejection of me is Foolish.
Mark 12: 10-11 Psalm 118: 22-23
Destinies Divide on Me.
Concl: Teaching boy to ride without training wheels…
In foolish frustration, he pushed me away…
I let go…. I did not fall…. He did!
Before You push Jesus Away… Understand Who He Is.
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Mark 10:46-52
Intro: I was showing a little girl my microphone not long ago
Mark 10: 46-52
Vs. 52 – “Following Him” + Named Person, Bartimaeus
Lead us to believe he became a Disciple
“Made Well” = sozo…Made whole…Saved!
He followed Jesus, the first thing He Saw!
I am surprised Mark Tells this story!
* Mark 10:45 to 11:1 is perfect Transition
How this Story Functions in Mark’s Gospel…..
Mark 8:21 – Do you not yet understand?
Mark 8:22 – Healing of Blind Man at Bethsaida
n Needed a second, clarifying Touch
Section – “Clarifying the Gospel for the Disciples”
Mark 10: 46-52 – Book end Miracle… The Blind See!
How the Story Moves Us!?!
We are moved by the Blind Man’s passionate, persistent, shameless Faith…. He Cries Out to Jesus Like a baby, no…like a Beggar!
Jesus, Son of David, Have Mercy of Me!
ILL – Fanny Crosby wrote a song… # 308
Shameless, Saving Faith comes when We…
See Jesus for Who He Really Is
Exp – Vs. 47 – Crowd – Nazarene…. Bartimeus = Son of David
Son of David = Not used by Mark… Jews understood
OT Messiah….Savior King
Isaiah 29:18; 32:3; 35:5
App – Blind Bartimaeus could see what the Crowds could not
t/s – Why is that so hard?
See Myself for Who I Really Am
Exp – Bartimaeus cried out with a passionate, public, personal plea
ILL – Imagine slipping from your roof….hanging onto gutter
App – Disciples (see) Live in a Steady Desperation
—- Poor in spirit, Mourning, hungering & thirsting…
A sense of need — deep and urgent!
Rev. 3:17
Conclusion – I am not sure what comes first….
I am sure they come Together!