There is a force at work in the world today that is more powerful and more significant than any other in the history of the world—the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is our hope of glory. So, we gladly suffer affliction and boldly proclaim Him as he advances His kingdom. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Colossians - Alive In Christ
TEXT: Colossians 1:24-49
TITLE: HIM!
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: God builds His Kingdom as we experience affliction for Christ and we proclaim the gospel of Christ.

POINTS:
1. The Place of Affliction in God’s Purposes
2. The Priority of Proclamation in God’s Purposes

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”If read to the Colossians, these words [from John Woodhouse, quoted below] may have been a—Lord, I believe, help me with my unbelief moment. They were small and unimpressive. Men more eloquent and philosophically astute than pastor Epaphras were trying to persuade them the key to life was bigger than the gospel.”

“What was true for them is true for us. The gospel doesn’t always look like the most powerful and significant force in the history of the world. Our best evangelistic efforts seem fruitless. Affliction and suffering produce discouragement. It’s tempting to doubt the power and sufficiency of the gospel when your marriage is on life support, society increasingly despises your faith, and you’re your atheist neighbor is living the dream. In these experiences and so many others, it’s tempting to doubt and diminish the gospel as the most powerful and significant force in the history of the world—Lord, I believe, help me with my unbelief.”

“For this reason, we must understand how God is advancing His kingdom. Paul tells us in these verses: God builds His Kingdom as we experience affliction for Christ and we proclaim the gospel of Christ.”

“God doesn’t advance His kingdom through mass marketing and media. He is not bringing about His purposes through Christian Nationalism. The kingdom of God does not rely on impressive buildings and flashy preachers. God advances His kingdom and brings us to maturity, through affliction for and the proclamation of Jesus Christ.”

“Paul begins with an upside-down statement—read 24a. What? Who rejoices in their suffering?! Paul does. And for good reasons. As a minister (servant) of the gospel, Paul belongs to God. Jesus died for his sins. He belongs to Jesus. Once a ruthless persecutor of Christ’s church, now a servant of Christ’s church. But there was something else that produced transcending joy amid his suffering—Paul believed God was advancing His gospel kingdom, saving others just as he saved him through his afflictions.”

“Christ’s death is sufficient for our salvation in every way, lacking nothing in anyway. So what does Paul mean when he says— I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions? To answer that, let’s take a step back.”

“Paul was used to advance the kingdom of God uniquely—taking the gospel to the Gentiles. In Acts 9, according to God’s plan, Christ appeared to Paul (Saul) on the way to Damascus, saying—Why are you persecuting me? To persecute Christ’s church was to persecute Christ himself. Such is the union of Christ and his people. A few verses later the Lord said, He chose Paul to take the gospel to the Gentiles and in doing so would suffer for Christ’s name.”

“God chose Paul to make known the fullness of God’s Word, that is the mystery, the OT promise now revealed in the gospel, that the once alienated and hopeless Gentiles were included in God’s plan of salvation. Now, by grace through faith, they are in Christ and Christ is in them. Because God lives in their hearts, they possess the hope of glory, a life of divine blessing today, and infinitely more in heaven with Jesus. This is something they had no hope of before. The afflictions Jesus bore on the cross were for the Gentiles too! This is the—(25) the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. For this, bringing the gospel to the Gentiles, Paul suffered greatly.”

“Paul suffered with joy, for the sake of advancing God’s kingdom, including the Colossians—(24) Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake—the church in Colossae which he didn’t plant and never visited, and two millennia later, our sake. So when Paul says his afflictions fill up what is lacking in Christ’s, he means his afflictions are advancing the intended effect of Christ’s afflictions on the cross, which is bringing the gospel and all its spiritual blessings to the Gentile.”

“We are engaged in the same conflict Paul was. The mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints is still being revealed through us as we suffer and endure affliction for the sake of our gospel mission.”

“God is advancing His kingdom through the affliction of His people and the proclamation of His Son. Not the proclamation of our:

• Theological distinctives

• Parenting methodologies

• Anecdotal stories

• Spiritual gifts

• Community Groups and other ministries

• Personal prayer and Bible study

• God won’t advance the gospel on the east side through the proclamation of our ecclesiastical distinctives

God is advancing His kingdom through our proclamation of HIM—Jesus Christ and HIM crucified! Paul summarizes his ministry in 25-27 in one word—HIM!”

“We proclaim HIM! We don’t need anything else to proclaim but HIM because in HIM, we lack nothing; apart from HIM, we have nothing to proclaim. That’s not to say we have nothing else to talk about, but that in all we talk about, at the center of it is always HIM! From theology to practical Christian living, it all flows from, points to, and finds its purpose in HIM!”

“It’s HIM, we proclaim! Notice what Paul says—HIM we (all of us) proclaim, warning everyone. What are we warning everyone about? Your only hope of glory is HIM! Turn to HIM in faith and repentance. If you belong to HIM, you must live for HIM. Don’t add to HIM. You have all you need in HIM. Don’t drift back to your old ways because you are a new creation in HIM.”

“Don’t miss Paul’s threepeat of the word, everyone. No one is in a situation that requires something more than HIM.”

“I hear people say it—I need more than Jesus. That’s what the Colossians are being told. Paul will have none of it. HIM we proclaim because He is enough. Christ is sufficient for all our needs. He is your wisdom and hope in every matter and circumstance. We proclaim HIM, warning or teaching, Whatever the topic, the need, the danger—to everyone.” 

“Here’s the goal—(28) that we may present everyone mature in Christ. Maturity in Christ is HIM at the center of life. It’s the ability to rejoice in our sufferings because we know we belong to HIM, and he will finish the work He began in us. Spiritual maturity is to say—Lord, I belong to HIM, so use me as you will, whatever the cost. To mature in Christ is to find your all in HIM and HIM alone. That’s the goal.”

“There is a force at work in the world today that is more powerful and more significant than any other in the history of the world—the gospel of Jesus Christ, who is our hope of glory. So, we gladly suffer affliction and boldly proclaim Him as he advances His kingdom.” 

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
2 Corinthians 11:23-33 
Philippians 1:29-30

QUOTES:
 John Woodhouse - “There is a force at work in the world today that is more powerful and more significant than any other in the history of the world. It is not the spread of democracy, nor is it any of the anti-democratic movements that are currently active and threatening. It is not capitalism, nor socialism. It is not civil rights, gay rightsor feminism. It is certainly not atheistic secularism. The force that is more powerful and more significant than any other in the history of the world is the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

John Piper - “What is lacking in the afflictions of Christ is not that they are deficient in worth or merit, as though they could not sufficiently cover the sins of all who believe. What is lacking is that the infinite value of Christ’s afflictions are not known in the world. They are still a mystery—hidden—to most peoples. And God’s intention is that the mystery be revealed, extended to all the Gentiles. So the afflictions are lacking in the sense that they are not seen and known among the nations. They must be carried by ministers of the word. And those ministers of the word fill up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ by extending them to others.”

APPLICATION:
Notice Paul’s final words—read verse 29.

To see the Colossians center their lives on Christ was his driving passion. Fully reliant on the Holy Spirit, Paul tirelessly labored to see Christ-centered churches. Is that true of you?

1. Develop the conviction from passages like Col 1 that Christ is enough. 

2. Evaluate where you seek help. Do the books, programs, and people you pursue for help unmistakenly, undeniably,  and unapologetically lead you directly to Christ, or do you have to work Christ in yourself? If they don’t lead you to Christ, run from them, because they lead you to someone and if that someone is not HIM then at best you are adding to HIM at worst you running from HIM. 

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
How Great You Are
Only A Holy God
Help Us See Christ
When We See Your Face
In Christ Alone

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Colossians 2:1-5

Who we were then was entirely our doing. Who we are now is entirely His doing. JESUS CHANGES EVERYTHING! Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Colossians - Alive In Christ
TEXT: Colossians 1:21-23
TITLE: Jesus Changes Everything
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: Jesus changes everything!

POINTS:
1.  Who We Once Were
2. Who We Are Now

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”In verse 21, we find the 3-fold GRIM REALITY that describes who we were.”

“‘And you who once were…’ Alienated - We were alienated from God. And our alienation is not simply describing the state of the brokenness and separation in our relationship with God. Instead, what is being described here is the active, purposeful persistence in our slavery to sin and willing idolatry. We were not passively floating around in the darkness of space in a thrusterless space capsule, being pulled by various forces here and there as we drifted further and further away from God. Rather, our alienation here is better described as having a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel of our 1966 Shelby with our foot buried on the throttle, racing hard and fast and further into our alienation from God.”

“‘And you who once were…’ Hostile in mind - Paul does not want us to misunderstand who we were as he now adds to our alienation and describes we were also ‘hostile in mind.’ If our alienation wasn’t bad enough, our hearts had turned on him in hostility, as active His enemy. In our hatred of him (a passive description of our enmity with God), foot still buried on the gas, we yanked on the wheel and headed straight at Him.”

“The GRIM reality is that in our minds, from the very wellspring of our hearts, we were at war with Him! We believe and teach that we ran away from God, but here we find that we ran at Him.”

“‘And you who once were…’  Doing evil deeds - Adding to our alienation from God and to our hostility toward God, we were doing evil deeds. Paul, making sure that we understand what he is saying, adds to our estrangement from God and our hearts and minds fixed full-on hate to now doing evil deeds. We embodied our sin.”

“The GRIM reality is that this IS who we once were! We were alienated from God, hostile toward God, and doing evil deeds against God and others! BUT, THE GOOD NEWS is Jesus changes everything!”

“While still exulting in the majesty and supremacy of Jesus, Paul speaks to our hostile alienation in sin that is aimed at God and others… BUT, HE DOES NOT LEAVE US THERE.”

“Vs 21 should have a profound effect on us as we behold the majesty and supremacy of Christ. This is both terrifying and beautiful! By the cry of His command, Jesus created us and holds us together! We hated him and sought to undermine him, having tried to take His place on the throne, with our backs turned against him pursuing the filthiness of evil deeds. HE HAS NOW RECONCILED US!”

“We are now Reconciled by the blood of His cross! We are now Reconciled by His death! Jesus and His crucifixion change everything! It is here that we see the CROSS of Jesus as the overarching TURNING POINT for us - the CROSS of Jesus changes everything for us. The OLD now passes away, and now the NEW has come through the body of our Savior as He bears our sins on his perfect body and as Jesus pours out his holy blood in that inexplicable sacrifice.”

“Before God, our Judge, the records of who we were have not been lost (though we want them to be)! THE historical RECORDS PROVE WHO WE WERE - no fire could destroy them, and no effort on our part could rid us of our past hatred and transgression against God. But the good news is that at the CROSS OF JESUS CHANGES EVERYTHING. HIS BLOOD COVERS OUR RECORDS, AND HIS DEATH RECONCILES US BEFORE GOD!” 

“The reason Jesus has done this is to present you and me before the judgment seat of God - His 2nd Coming - as righteous. Without Jesus, we will not escape the righteous wrath of God. But, with Jesus, we are righteous in God’s eyes and this is who we are now!”

“Who are we now in Christ? Jesus ‘presents you above reproach’, meaning we are presented without the stain of sin. Jesus ‘presents you holy’, separated unto God in righteousness. Jesus ‘presents you blameless’ - without stain, we bear no blame anymore. We are now forgiven and reconciled.”

“We, who were once alienated… separated from God, have now been brought near in Christ! We, who were once hostile in mind… enemies of God, are now loving worshippers of God in Christ! We, who were once doing evil deeds…unrighteous before God,  are now made righteous in Christ! JESUS CHANGES EVERYTHING.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Genesis 6:5
 2 Corinthians 5:21
Ephesians 2:13
Luke 7:47
Romans 5:17

APPLICATION:
3-fold Application

• Continue in your Gospel faith. Remembering how you got here will be fuel for continuing on in your gospel faith

• Be rooted in your Gospel hope. Peter O’Brian - “...continuance is the test of reality. If it is true that the saints will persevere to the end, then it is equally true that the saints must  persevere to the end.”

• Become what you already are NOW in Christ. We were once embodying sin… now embody holiness and righteousness! Now we are reconciled by the Cross of Jesus, holy, blameless, and above reproach. Live in your innocence - live in your new reality!

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Come Behold The Wondrous Mystery
Jesus, There's No One Like You
Glorious
Behold Our God
How Vast The Love

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Colossians 1:21-23

Out of all the things that matter in your life, your Christology must matter most. Nothing matters more than what you believe about Jesus and how you respond to Jesus. Because Christ is supreme and sufficient, he should tower over our lives and draw us to him in every aspect of life. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Colossians - Alive In Christ
TEXT: Colossians 1:15-20
TITLE: JESUS!
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: It’s all about Jesus!

POINTS:
1.  The Supremacy of Christ over His Creation
2. The Sufficiency of Christ for Our Reconciliation

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”I was born and raised in NW, Washington. Naturally, I have spent much time in the city of Seattle. The views can be breathtaking on a sunny day in the right spot. The blue waters of Puget Sound give way to the brilliant Seattle skyline that stands against the backdrop of the lush greenery and looming Cascade Mountain Range. And towering above it all is Mt. Rainier. Everything on the horizon gives way and draws your gaze to the snowcapped volcano that rises 14,410 above the ground. If you fly into Seattle on a cloudy day, the rugged ice-capped peak rises from the sea of clouds. Whether from the ground or the air, it's a majestic sight.”

“Our text today is the Mt. Rainier of Colossians. Paul's words rise above everything he's said to this point and all he will say hereafter. The first nineteen verses of Colossians have been building up to this point, and the seventy-five verses that follow flow from our text today.”

“Our text can't be disconnected from 12-14, where Paul reminds the Colossians what God has done for them in Christ. Once living in darkness, they have been welcomed into God's kingdom of light, where they share in the blessings of God as sinners fully forgiven and redeemed, qualified in Christ for divine mercy and grace instead of divine judgment and wrath. TRANSLATION: Jesus is their sure and heavenly hope in life and death.”

“Now, in 15-20, it's as if Paul pulls back the curtain. And as he does, there's a shift. Everything changes as the towering assertions of Christ consume Paul's thoughts. The you's and I's of the first 14 verses give way to the he's and him's. Ten times, Paul uses phrases He is, by him, through him, or for him. The breadth of these terms is emphasized by the all seven times. The message is simple: It's all about Jesus!”

“Out of all the things that matter in your life, your Christology must matter most. Nothing matters more than what you believe about Jesus and how you respond to Jesus. Because Christ is supreme and sufficient, he should tower over our lives and draw us to him in every aspect of life.”

“Paul begins by telling us who Christ is, first as it relates to God—(15) He is the image of the invisible God.”

“Jesus makes the invisible God of the universe visible. From all eternity and for all eternity, Jesus shines forth the image and glory of God. Don't try to figure it out; just stand in awe and wonder!”

“Then Paul describes who Jesus is as it relates to creation—(15) Jesus is the firstborn of all creation. Jesus is the preexistent Son who makes the invisible God visible and is the Lord over all creation.”

“In early church history, the term firstborn was a source of great confusion. The third-century heresy known as Arianism taught that Jesus as the firstborn of all creation meant he was part of God's creation, stripping him of deity. But the term firstborn here does not have anything to do with time or order; it's about rank and authority. Christ is the firstborn of all creation, not because he was born first but because he existed before and is supreme over creation.”

“As the creator of ALL things, Jesus is the GOAL of ALL creation. See the phrase for him; some have translated it as toward. The point becomes even more powerful. ALL of creation begins and ends with Jesus. He is the Alpha and the Omega. The Beginning and the END. ALL things, from the unseen to the majestic Mt. Rainier, ALL of it finds their ultimate goal in Jesus.” 

“Including you and me. Relationships. Money. Job. Intellect. Thoughts. Decision-making. Parenting and grandparenting. Marriage. Body. Gifts. Evangelism. Bible reading. Opportunities. Leisure. Trials. Jesus is the goal of you.”

“The tense of the verb hold is present, meaning it's a continual action. Jesus continually, moment by moment, holds his creation together. With a word, everything would cease to exist. The message to us is the same as the Colossians—This is your Savior!”

“Did you expect that? In this towering text, did you expect Paul to go from Christ supreme over the cosmos to head of the church?  And by head of the church—don't miss the metaphor—just as the head is connected to the human body, Christ as head of the body is connected to the church.”

“That means two things: 1. The place Christ's supremacy is expressed most gloriously and most clearly is the church and uniquely when the local church gathers. 2. In Christ, you are personally and intimately connected to the supreme source of wisdom, life, and power. For a church tempted to look to other places for superior spiritual knowledge and power, Paul says—Stop looking! You have Christ and Christ is all you need.”

“Simply put, Jesus' resurrection was the beginning of making all things new. More than that, he is the new beginning. He is the author of new life in the age of the Spirit that the OT points to and Acts unpacks. Those once dead in sin are now raised to life and reborn as new creations. This puts Jesus at the center of everything we are, do, and proclaim.”

“it makes Jesus—in the words of Paul at the end of 18—that in everything he might be preeminent. In all we do, from church to leisure, Christ is the most treasured. Most loved. Most pursued. Most celebrated. Most trusted. This is who the gospel has brought you to. This is who loves you. This is who you belong to. This is who we are inseparably united with. This is who has your days in his hands and is working all things for your good. This is who is coming back for you.”

“This is what it means to live a gospel-centered life: Live with Jesus at the center of your existence. That's God's desire. And Christ is worthy and sufficient to be the center of your existence.”

“Paul says Christ is preeminent because in him dwells the fullness of God. Ponder Paul's claim. All that God is. All that God offers. All His purposes. His power. His presence. His wisdom. It dwells in Christ. Outside of Jesus, we have none of God. With Jesus, we lack nothing from God!”

“If you know Christ, you lack nothing for life and godliness. No matter what you think you're lacking. No matter how inadequate you feel. In Christ, you have all of God that He wants you to have in this life. I know that sounds impossible, but here's what makes it certain—read 19-20.”

“Paul ends where he ended in 14—the cross. The one in whom the fullness of God was pleased to dwell. The visible image of the invisible God. The one whom all things were created by, through, and for. The one who reigns supreme over all creation. That one condescended to us—God Incarnate. He, driven by His Father's glory and love for you, willingly left heaven, took on flesh, and gave himself unto death, so that, by his blood that covers every sin, sinners like you and I would be reconciled (20), peace with God, having life, not only in this life but the life to come in heaven when all of creation will be made new in the light and presence of Jesus, the preeminent One of eternal glory!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
1 Timothy 6:16, John 4:24 - God cannot be seen
John 1:18, Hebrews 1:3 - But Christ is His image. Jesus makes the invisible God visible!

QUOTES:
John Piper - “All that came into being exists for Christ—that is, it exists to display the greatness of Christ. Nothing—nothing!—in the universe exists for its own sake. Everything from the bottom of the oceans to the top of the mountains, from the smallest particle to the biggest star, from the most boring school subject to the most fascinating science, from the ugliest cockroach to the most beautiful human, from the greatest saint to the most wicked genocidal dictator—everything that exists, exists to make the greatness of Christ more fully known—including you, and the person you have the hardest time liking.”

Mark Jones - “There is something in Christ more excellent and comely than the office of a Savior; the greatness of his person is more excellent than the salvation procured by his death.” Mr. Jones adds—”The glory of his person outweighs even the glory of his work on our behalf. However, who he is enabled him to do what no man is capable of: die in the place of a multitude of sinners. We praise him first for who he is and then for what he accomplished.”

APPLICATION:
- Do you struggle with "church?"—The problem isn't the church; it's your Christology.

Paul wrote this towering text because certain teachings that diminished the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ were hindering the Colossians from seeing and living a gospel-centered life. What is hindering or even diminishing Christ's place in your life? Whatever it is, I leave you with these words as application:

John Piper - “If your heart ever wavers and grows cold, go here [Colossians 1:15-20]; memorize this litany of glories and ask God to give you affections that correspond to the measure of this greatness. If any person or any power or any wisdom or any love awakens any admiration or any amazement or any joy, let it be the greatest Person and the greatest power and the greatest wisdom and the greatest love that exists, Jesus Christ.”

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
We Give Thanks (Psalm 107)
Bless The Lord O My Soul (Psalm 103)
Come Thou Fount
We Receive
Glorious Christ

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Colossians 1:21-23

Colossians 1:9-20 form one long sentence in the original. Paul gets started up and he doesn’t stop. The effect is one of the richest sections in Scripture. Paul’s desire is to root his readers in their gospel identity before he exhorts them on how to live. Paul knows, to quote David Prior—believers never move on from the cross of Christ, only into a more profound understanding of the cross. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Colossians - Alive In Christ
TEXT: Colossians 1:9-14
TITLE: Knowing Is Growing
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: The more you know the more you grow.

POINTS:
1.  A Godward Perspective
2. A Worthy Life

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”…after 37 years of marriage, here’s my experience—The more I learn about Donna, the more I love her and the more I love her the more I know about her. It’s a beautiful cause and effect. That cause and effect principle operates in the Christian life as well. Colossians 1:9-20 form one long sentence in the original. Paul gets started up and he doesn’t stop. The effect is one of the richest sections in Scripture.”

“The more we understand God’s will, the more our worldview is shaped by the gospel, the more Godward our perspective is, the more our lives reflect His glory. The more you know the more you grow.”

“Paul’s begins 9—And so, from the day we heard. What did they hear? They heard from Epaphras (3-8) about their faith in Jesus and their love for one another, that was born out of their hope of heaven. The gospel they believe is real. Their faith in Jesus is real. Their hope of heaven is real. This undeniable reality that Paul is so thankful for fuels his prayersfor them.”

“What does Paul mean by the knowledge of God’s will? Is Paul referring to God’s private plan for individual Christian? God does have a plan for your life and it is good because He is good. But His plan for you is set in a much bigger plan. For Paul, the will of God here is His redemptive purposes.”

“Paul’s prayer is that their knowledge of God’s plan of redemption would grow more and more, notice end of 9—in all spiritual wisdom and understanding. In other words, they would increasingly understand life and their lives at the spiritual level.”

“Call it a cross-centered perspective, an eternal perspective, or a Godward perspective, Paul prays it would characterize the Colossians more and more.”

“As we will see in Ch. 2, some were trying to dupe the Colossians with other humanistic notions and philosophies that had an appearance of wisdom but were void of Christ, therefore, leading them away from Christ. So Paul prays they will see and understand all of life with a Godward perspective, which is that Christ is the center of God’s will and therefore the key to all spiritual wisdom and understanding. Don’t we need this prayer today?”

“Walking was a Jewish metaphor for how one lives their life. To walk in a manner worthy of the Lord is to live a life consistent with who God is and what Christ has done for you in the gospel. If you are in Christ, live like you are in Christ. Paul exhorted the churches this way often.”

“Walking in a manner worthy of the gospel can never be unattached to the gospel. That leads to either legalism (earning favor with God through behavior) or licentiousness (living like God doesn’t care how you live). [Be sure to be clear in your understanding of ‘justification (position before God) vs sanctification (practice before God in light of our position before God)’”

“A Fruitful Life - An apple tree bears apples because it’s an apple tree. Likewise, a Christian’s life should bear fruit that reflects who they are in Christ:

• Quick to forgive others because you have been forgiven in Christ

• Gracious and gentle toward one another because in Christ, God has been and continues to be gracious and gentle toward you 

• A heart for the lost because once you were lost but God set his affections on you and saved you. 

• A joyful willingness to sacrifice for the sake of the gospel because Christ made the ultimate sacrifice for you

We could go on but you get the picture. Bearing fruit in good works that reflect the nature of the gospel that shapes you.”

“A Knowledgeable Life - Don’t miss the circular nature of Paul’s thoughts—the knowledge of God’s redemptive will (9) compels us to live for His purposes (10). The more we live for God, bearing fruit, the more we grow in our knowledge and love of Him. It’s a spiritual cause and effect. This principle exists in the Christian life in two ways:

• Intellectual—Personal study, Sunday preaching, teaching ministries of the church, fellowship of CG

• Experiential—If you want to increase in your knowledge of God, throw yourself into what God is doing and in the doing you learn about God intimately.”

“The more you know of God in your head and heart, the more you want to serve and imitate God. The more you serve and imitate God, the more you learn about God. It’s an upward spiral that magnifies the power, beauty, and glory of God!”

“A Powerful Life - Here’s what we tend to forget: This is no ordinary power. Look at 11—We are strengthened with ALL power (sufficient for the task), according to His glorious might (God’s might is infinite). This is extraordinary power. It’s an immense power. It is power scaled to God Himself. Ultimately, it’s a resurrection power according to Paul in Ephesians. Paul takes God’s colossal power and applies it, not to miracles, but to everyday Christian living—endurance and patience. The Colossians needed endurance and patience to stand in the truth of the gospel in the face of false teaching. We need endurance and patience to trust God, be content in Christ, and stand in righteousness instead of complaining, growing bitter, and becoming despondent in difficult situations and with difficult people. That is impossible apart from the Spirit’s resurrection power at work in us.”

“Hears the deal: In the context of Paul’s prayer, the more you know the will of God and how He works it, the more you understand and experience the unmatched power of His Spirit at work in you, and the more your life will be marked by God-pleasing, Christ-exalting, joy-filled endurance and patience. And you say—Yet not I but Christ in me!”

“A Thankful Life - Paul has come full circle. In 3-8 he shared how thankful he is that they are part of God’s redemptive will. He begins this section exhorting them to grow in their knowledge of that will. He ends by reminding of their place in His will through the saving power of the gospel. And the only appropriate response to that knowledge and reality is a life of joyful gratitude to the Lord. If you are a Christian, you should be one of the most thankful people on the planet. Think about what Christ has done for you—He has brought you out of darkness into the light of His kingdom, fully forgiven and with the hope of heaven, sharing in the eternal and indescribable heavenly inheritance with the saints. God understood your greatest need and He provided an answer—the forgiveness of your sins through the death and resurrection of His Son Jesus Christ.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Philippians 1:27
Ephesians 4:1
Galatians 2
Ephesians 1:19-20

QUOTES:
David Garland - “For Paul, understanding God’s will involves recognizing how Christ is the fulfillment of God’s redemptive purposes, how God’s salvation is open to all people, and how God intends for Christians to live in whatever situation they find themselves in.”

D.A. Carson - “Great endurance and patience: the expression suggests both the kind of stamina that gets under a burden and carries it with enduring fortitude, and the kind of stamina that knows how to possess its soul in patience. Those are not virtues that are popular in our age. We extol champagne: lots of fizz and a pretty good high, but having no nutritional value for the long haul. In an age when tempers are hot, quick solutions are ardently courted, success is revered, victory is cherished, independence is lauded, and easy triumphs are promised, "great endurance and patience" at first glance seem like less than stellar qualities. But the truth is, they are so far beyond human capacity that they require the power of the Spirit of God. These virtues enable the believer to survive with joy when persecuted, to triumph in self-composure and contentment when insulted, to trust God's all-wise and all-gracious providence when one is suffering like Job. When Jesus sees these virtues in us, he is well pleased.”

D.A. Carson - “If God had perceived that our greatest need was economic, he would have sent an economist. If he had perceived that our greatest need was entertainment, he would have sent us a comedian or an artist. If God had perceived that our greatest need was political stability, he would have sent us a politician. If he had perceived that our greatest need was health, he would have sent us a doctor. But he perceived that our greatest need involved our sin, our alienation from him, our profound rebellion, our death; and he sent us a Savior.”

APPLICATION:
1. What role does the Bible play in your life?
2. How central is the church to your life?

Do you desire a more pleasing life to God? Are you spiritually struggling? Trust in the might of God through His Spirit, draw near to God in prayer, pursue Christ through His Word, and plug into your gospel preaching church.

BECAUSE: The more you understand and experience God’s will in Christ, the more you will grow in living for Christ to the pleasure of God. 

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Revive Us Again
Help Us See Christ
Man Of Sorrows
When You Move

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Colossians 1:15-20

Friday evening and yesterday, we looked at what the Scriptures say about the Holy Spirit and the spiritual gifts. Why devote a weekend to studying the Holy Spirit and the spiritual gifts? Because you, as a church, and our family of churches are continuationists, meaning that we believe the spiritual gifts are for today, and are to continue to be used until Christ returns. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT WEEKEND
TEXT: Ephesians 5:15-21
TITLE: Be Filled With The Spirit
PREACHER: Mark Prater

POINTS:
1.  Why Do We Need to Be Filled With the Spirit?
2. What is the effect of being filled with the Spirit?
3. How may we be filled with the Spirit?

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”To effectively use your gifts for the good of your church, and for your witness here in the Tucson area, you need the Holy Spirit and His power. This morning, we are going to look at a verse in Ephesians 5 that tells us, even commands us, to be people who are filled with the Spirit because that command is given, in part, to meet our need for God’s power.”

“Verse 18 is a command that is not to be disregarded. We know it’s a command because the language used here “be filled” is in the imperative mood meaning that this is a command, and it is a good command that meets our need.”

“At our conversion, when we are born again, we are indwelt with the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3.) But it’s clear from this verse, that even though we are indwelt with the Spirit, we have a daily need to be filled with the Spirit. We know that because the language used in v.18 is not only written in the imperative mood, but also in the present tense. ‘Be filled.’”

“Paul doesn’t seem to think that a Christian can be too full of the Spirit. Rather, the present tense language assumes that we need more of the Spirit. For the believer being filled with the Spirit is not a one-time event but a continuous, daily on-going command and need.”

“We are commanded by God to be filled with the Spirit often, daily, continuously…”

“There are 12 references to the person and work of the Holy Spirit in this letter to the Ephesians and they reveal our need for the Spirit’s presence and work.”

“The presence of the Spirit in our lives meets our need of having a “guarantee of our eternal inheritance until we acquire possession of it.” (1:13) It is the Spirit that gives us wisdom, meeting our daily need for God’s wisdom, when we ask God for it in prayer. (1:17) It is in Christ that we are being built together in unity as a dwelling place for God by/in the Holy Spirit (2:22). It is through the Spirit that we receive God’s power when we pray and meets our daily need to grasp the h/l/w/b of Christ’s love for us, and the need for God’s power to use our spiritual gifts. (3:16) We are to pray at all times in the Spirit so that we will persevere in boldly proclaiming the gospel. (6:19) These references to the Spirit tell us that God gives us this good command to be filled with the Holy Spirit to live the Christian life, serve the church, be an effective gospel witness, and persevere in doing all of this until we possess our eternal inheritance. In other words, to do all of that, we need the work and power of the Spirit.”

“Did you note how this command is contrasted with being drunk with wine? In other words, Paul is asking what is influencing or controlling you? Either we are influenced by wine that we have drank, or we are influenced by the Spirit that fills us. We are to be filled with the Spirit because we have an ongoing need to be influenced by the Spirit in the way we live our lives. The influence of the Spirit in our lives is not some ecstatic event, rather the context tells us that influence is moral in nature resulting in spiritual and relational fruit. …we are to be people whose lives are so given over to the Spirit that the influence of the Spirit is to be as obvious as the influence of those who have drunk too much wine.”

“Paul wants us to be filled up with God himself. If you’re not aware of your need to be filled with the Spirit, consider for a moment that God is infinite, that He is unsearchable, that He unfathomable. In light of who God is, no wonder we, as God’s people, need to be filled daily by the Spirit for there is always more of God’s presence that we need and can receive.”

“Even though we are filled with the Spirit individually, contextually we see that the effect is a corporate one. READ vv.19-21. A community of believers that is filled with the Spirit addresses one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs which is partly a reference to the teaching of Scripture. It is a community that sings wholeheartedly to God. It is a group of people known for their gratitude for all things at all times and it is a community of people that is marked by mutual submission to one another out of reverence for Christ rather than being demanding of one another. Just as its obvious that a person is drunk with wine by the way they conduct themselves, a community of believers is obviously filled with the Spirit by the way they conduct themselves, seen in how they relate to one another and to God.”

“I don’t know about you, but I daily face situations and issues that I don’t know what to do, or how to handle them. These are moments to pray for the Spirit’s filling and fresh impartations of the Spirit’s wisdom, guidance, and power. Don’t waste those perplexing times, rather turn them into passionate prayers. And when it comes to using our spiritual gifts, we must pray for the Spirit to lead us and to give us power. What we have enjoyed this weekend can only be explained by the work of the Spirit as He has empowered our gifts. When your soul is dry, thirst for Jesus, and ask Him to fill you with the Spirit. Brothers and sisters, our response to this command to be filled with the Spirit must be marked by persistent prayers where we ask the Father and the Son to give us the Spirit.”

“Aware of our need for the Spirit, let us invite the Spirit’s presence, work, and power by asking the Lord to fill us with the Spirit.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Ephesians 4:26-32
Galatians 5:25
John 7:37-39
Luke 11:13

QUOTES:
Sovereign Grace Statement of Faith, pgs. 44-45 - “The full range of spiritual gifts remain at work in the church and are given for the good of the church and its witness to the world. We are therefore to earnestly desire and practice them until Christ returns.”

Richard Gaffin - “This command…is relevant to all believers throughout the whole of their lives. No believer may presume to have experienced a definitive filling of the Spirit so that the command of verse 18 no longer applies. Short of death or the Lord’s return, it continues in effect for every believer.”

Greg Allison & Andreas Köstenberger - “The expected or intended response to this command is for Christians to yield to the Holy Spirit, to be controlled-pervaded or permeated-by the Spirit in all their ways, to consciously place themselves under the guidance of the Spirit moment by moment.”

A.M. Stibbs and J.I. Packer - “Now imagine a doctor telling a patient that he is not using his lungs properly, and that he needs to learn to breathe more deeply. If the patient were like some seekers after the fullness of the Spirit, his immediate reaction would be to ask the doctor to produce his lung pump, and properly fill his lungs with air for him then and there! But the doctor’s prescription would be daily breathing exercises, by which he would himself learn to take in more air, and thus gradually to increase his capacity for intake…Something similar applies to the Christian’s experience of the fullness of the Holy Spirit. The extent to which the Spirit actually penetrates and possesses every moment of our time, every corner of our lives, and every sphere of our thought and activity, is always capable of enlargement.”

Gordon Fee - “Here, then, is the ultimate imperative in the Pauline corpus: God’s people so filled with the Spirit’s own presence that they come to know God in all his fullness and reflect such in the way they live in relationship to one another and to God himself.”

J.I. Packer - “Christians are meant to grow spiritually through, and within, and under, the fullness of the Spirit’s new covenant ministry.”

J.I. Packer - “It is as if the Spirit stands behind us, throwing light over on Jesus, who stands facing us. The Spirit’s message to us is never, “Look at me; listen to me; come to me; get to know me,” but always, “Look at him and see him, and see his glory; get to know him, and hear his word; go to him, and have life; get to know him, and taste his gift of joy and peace.”

Sovereign Grace Statement of Faith, pg. 43 - “The Spirit also desires to fill God’s people continually with increased power for Christian life and witness. To be filled with the Spirit is to be more fully under his influence, more aware of his presence, and more effective in his service. All Christians, therefore, must continually seek to be filled with the Spirit by living and praying in such a way that invites the Spirit’s work among us…”

APPLICATION:
Q. Are you aware of your daily need to be filled with the Spirit?

How may we be filled with the Spirit? Four recommendations:
1. Pursue living a holy life - Chapter 4 here in Ephesians ends by telling us that sin grieves the Holy Spirit!
2. Walk by the Spirit - Paul says that we walk by the Spirit by not gratifying the desires of the flesh, rather we produce the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control) and we are people who are open to the Spirit’s leading, and promptings even when they are spontaneous and unplanned.
3. Thirst for Jesus - The more we are aware of our thirst, the more we see our need for Jesus and our need to be filled with the Spirit. Even though the Spirit works in distinct ways, His work consistently points to Christ.
4. Pray for the filling of the Spirit - We are to ask the Father to give us, to fill us, with the Holy Spirit. In addition, the context of Luke 11 teaches us to be persistent in prayer, which means that we should pray for the filling of the Holy Spirit repeatedly and persistently asking for fresh impartations of the Spirit’s power.

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Sing
God Is Faithful
He Will Hold Me Fast
Christ Our Hope In Life And Death
Help Us See Christ

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Colossians 1:9-14

Our text today is a celebration. From a heart overflowing with thanksgiving, Paul celebrates the Colossians. As we listen in, my prayer is that we will be compelled to apply what he is modeling to our lives and church. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Colossians: Alive In Christ
TEXT: Colossians 1:3-8
TITLE: Something Worth Celebrating
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
1. Growing in Thankfulness for the Church
2. Remaining Confident in the Message of the Church

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”I am grateful that early in our Christian walk we were part of a church that emphasized and prioritized the biblical practice of seeing and celebrating God’s work in one another. Sad to say, it’s a dying discipline. And as it dies, a God-ordained means of joy, comfort, and Christ-exalting worship die with it.”

“The discipline was alive and well with the Apostle Paul. He was the master of seeing and celebrating Christ in others. To be with Paul was to be reminded of God’s multi-faceted goodness toward you and love for you in Christ Jesus.”

“A hallmark of Paul’s care of the church—whether he planted it or not (Paul didn’t plant the church in Colossae)—was his thankfulness for the church. Paul was passionate about God’s people and that passion was most revealed in His thankfulness expressed for and to the local church.”

“If anyone has seen the dark underbelly of the church, it was Paul. Paul was personally involved in so much of the doctrinal and relational messiness of the first-century church, but his thankfulness for the church never waned.”

“Paul’s thankfulness is not merely a general attitude; he points out three specific things he sees in them: their faith, their love, their hope.”

“Faith. This is where true Christianity begins. John 3:16-18, Acts 16:31, Romans 4:4-5 and Ch. 10, they all teach that sinners are saved, not through behavior, through faith.”

“Whenever we talk about having faith, we have to ask—Faith in what? The world loves faith. Faith is good. Faith is an expression of a mentally healthy and balanced life—You gotta have faith. Faith in yourself. Faith in reincarnation. Faith in your faith. It doesn’t matter. So as long as you have faith something, you’re okay. The problem with that viewpoint is that there is no inherent value in faith. Faith in your faith is works. Faith must be attached to something. It’s the object of faith that has value and power.”

“Paul is clear in 4 that the object of the Colossians' faith is Jesus. They have faith in Christ Jesus. Nothing else. No one else. They are saints and faithful brothers by faith alone in Christ alone. Salvation is not something you can earn. It’s a gift that comes by grace alone through faith in Christ alone. The Colossians' faith came as they heard and understood and TRUSTED in the gospel message from Epaphras.”

“The church in Colossae, and this church, are a group of people who trust Christ personally, exclusively, and continually. This is critical because we will see in Ch 2 that their faith in Christ alone was being challenged by certain people as insufficient. So Paul encourages them by celebrating their faith in Jesus Christ.”

“Their faith in Jesus has spilled over into their relationships with one another—namely, love for one another. At the heart of the Christian life is love. It begins with a divine love initiated by God, accomplished in the gospel work of Jesus, and applied to the hearts of unlovable sinners by the Holy Spirit through faith.”

“Paul has heard of the Colossians faith working through love for one another (Galatians 5:6). So he celebrates it, he encourages them in it, and he thanks God for it because it their love for one another is evidence that their faith in Jesus alone is real and sufficient because it reflects the love of the gospel that has come to them.”

“Paul refers to their hope, not as a subjective act of hoping isolated from their faith and love, but as the basis of their faith and love. It‘s not a verb, it’s a noun. Notice 5 again. Paul thanks God for their faith and love—because of the hope laid up in heaven for you. Of this (what’s this—it’s hope) you have heard before in the word of truth, the gospel. In other words, the object of hope is Christ himself.”

“Once the Colossians had been without hope in this world. But now, through the gospel, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, in which they believe and stand in Christ, heaven, they have a heavenly hope. A sure future with the risen Christ in the glorious presence of God that will never end. In Christ, God no longer counts their sins against them. In Christ, Death has lost its sting because it . leads to an eternal life of immeasurable riches. As 1:27 says—Christ IS their sure and certain hope of glory because in him all God’s promises are Yes and Amen.”

“For so many people, hope is nothing more than a foundationless and blind optimism. But the gospel offers sure and lasting hope because it’s a  hope rooted in the living Christ, in whom God is faithful to all His promises.”

“…the Colossians faith in Jesus, the promised Messiah, was a fulfillment of the ancient and sacred promise of the OT that the gospel will go to the nations, that includes the Gentile Colossians.”

“The gospel is a real message with real power being used by a real God to save and sanctify real sinners. The bearing fruit is that people are being saved. The growing isn’t numbers, it’s sanctification—those who have been saved growing more and more in Christ as they go about the gospel mission.”

“This week I thought about how this applies to our desires to establish a CG on the Eastside this year with the hopes of planting a church in the future. It’s scary. How will we do it? What if we fail? Are we too small? When Paul tells the Colossians the gospel is bearing fruit and growing, he reminds us - As we go, we will grow.”

“For a church tempted to doubt the sufficiency and supremacy of Christ, this was just what they needed—to be spurred on in their gospel hope to reject error and persevere in the faith. Is it what you need today?”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 119:74
John 3:16-18
Acts 16:31
Romans 4:4-5, and ch. 10
1 John 4:9-10
Titus 2:11-13

QUOTES:
Charles Bridges - “How cheering is the sight of a man of God!  How refreshing his converse! How satisfactory and enlivening is the exhibition of his faith! The goodness of God to one becomes thus the joy and comfort of all.”

B.B. Warfield - “It is not, strictly speaking, even faith in Christ that saves, but Christ that saves through faith. The saving power resides exclusively, not in the act of faith or the attitude of faith or the nature of faith, but in the object of faith.”

H.B. Charles - “Bearing fruit describes the power of the gospel among unbelievers; growing describes the power of the gospel among believers. As we share the gospel, we should be like roots, not pipes. Water passes through pipes without any positive effect on the pipes. But as water passes through the roots of a tree, the tree grows stronger. As the gospel is bearing fruit among the lost, it should be growing and deepening and increasing among the saints. This is the power of the gospel…it can bear fruit and grow at the same time.”

APPLICATION:
Q. How are you cultivating a thankful heart for your church? Starting Point: Focus on God’s grace evident in your church not your personal disappointments with your church.

Q. What is the object of your hope today?

• As we step into the unknown, even in faith, it can be scary—grow in trusting God

• As we leave our comfort zones—grow in contentment in Christ

• As we stumble and make mistakes—grow in conviction that God builds His church, not us

• As we make certain sacrifices for the sake of Christ—grow in seeing Christ as our only treasure

• As we give ourselves to what seems impossible—grow in experiencing the enabling grace and power of the Spirit

As we Go not Knowing, proclaiming, and demonstrating the hope we have in Christ on the East Side, the gospel will bear fruit through us and in us. 

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
In Christ Alone
All I Have Is Christ
We Receive
Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Ephesians 5:15-21

Who am I? It’s one of the most pressing and profound questions anyone must answer. The question, of course, is about identity. In a day when identity is increasingly rooted in how one feels about self, what one experiences in life, or what one does in life, the question is critical. If you’re a Christian, there is only one way to answer the identity question. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Colossians: Alive In Christ
TEXT: Colossians 1:1-2
TITLE: The Glory of A Greeting
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA:

POINTS:
1. In Christ, We Identify with Christ Alone
2. In Christ, We View Life Through the Gospel Always

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
” The truth is we share a common struggle in our fallenness: We are prone to live life out of our stations and struggles in life instead of our identity in Jesus Christ. In doing so, we miss so much joy and wonder that is ours as the victorious children of God. That’s where Colossians comes in. Colossians is a celebration. It’s a celebration, first, of the preeminent and victorious Christ. Over the next few months, you will find that Colossians, as a whole, is the most Christ-centered book in the Bible.”

“Second, Colossians is a celebration of being Alive in Christ. Because our identity is found in the Victorious One, we can live as victors in this fallen and challenging world.”

“That is your pastor’s prayer for this series: That we would increasingly live every day not out of our suffering but out of our victory in Jesus, living close to the cross, believing the gospel speaks to every part of life, and experiencing the joy and wonder of belonging to God, no matter the season we find ourselves in.”

“The first verse in Colossians makes it clear that Paul wrote it. He wrote this letter probably while imprisoned in Rome around 62 AD, about the same time he wrote Ephesians and Philemon. Paul is writing to a primarily Gentile church started and pastored by a man named Epaphras in Colossae (Scholarly consensus around Acts 19:10). Epaphras brought the gospel back to his hometown, a small and sleepy town roughly 100 miles east of Ephesus in modern-day Turkey. He is writing to strengthen the church against certain ideas and philosophies (primarily Jewish) that deviated from the gospel. Paul’s strategy: show them the supremacy, sufficiency, and all-satisfying nature of Jesus (15-20) which now defines their lives.”

“There is plenty going on in Colossians, but the heart of its message is a call and privilege to identify with and stand in Christ.”

“Paul’s letters are never shaped by mere stylistic formulas. There is Glory in a Greeting for Paul. His letters, from the opening to the closing words, are expressions of his deep affection, appreciation, and divinely appointed care for the churches. The Theology, Christology, and the Ecclesiology Paul packs into his greeting will be unpacked in the rest of the letter.”

“Paul uses two different terms to describe the believers in Colossae: First, Paul refers to them as saints, or you could translate that as—holy ones. Not holy in the sense of purity, that’s one use of the word. There’s a second use of holy in Scripture—being set apart. Paul reminds them that just as He is an Apostle—by the will of God (1)—by the will of God, they have been set apart to be His people. They might not be apostles like Paul, but out of millions of lost, God chose them, setting them apart to be His. Second, Paul refers to them as faithful brothers. Like saints, faithful can be used in two ways—reliable and believing. Paul repeatedly exhorts the Colossians to be faithful to the gospel, particularly in the face of false teaching. But here, Paul uses the greeting to establish their new and true identity in the gospel.”  

“They are faithful brothers in that they have faith in Jesus. They have heard and believed in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for their salvation.”

“These things are true about them for one reason: their union with Christ. This is the repeated refrain of Colossians—They are in Christ.”

“To be in Christ means he encompasses your entire life. You may be a Tucsonan, a mother, a student, or a doctor, but the only identity that matters is your identity in Christ. In Ch. 2, Paul says—Christ’s death becomes our death, his burial our burial, his resurrection our resurrection, and ultimately Christ’s victory our victory.”

“Jesus is not a condiment we add to who we are. He is our all in all—our complete identity.”

“If you’re a Christian, it doesn’t matter how accomplished, intelligent, or popular you are. The best thing about your life, the only thing that eternally matters about you, is you are in Christ, and he is your hope of glory in life and death!”

“A primary point Paul makes in Colossians is the various ways the believers in Colossae benefit from God’s grace. Of course, that begins with the unmerited favor of God (grace) to sinners through the forgiveness of the cross that removes God’s deserved wrath and justifies them before God (peace). But grace and peace are connected not only to future hope but also to their present lives.”

“In Christ, not only have they received saving grace that brings eternal peace, but God provides ongoing grace and peace that surpasses all understanding in even the most challenging trial because, in Christ, they belong to him. They can live faithful lives before the Lord because they know God will provide grace for any season, and their greatest need has been dealt with—sins forgiven, righteousness imputed, justified before God, and therefore, at peace with God.”

“If we are in Christ, we know grace and live by grace so we can face life and live for the Lord with true peace in our hearts instead of anger and fear.”

“Colossians was written almost two millennia ago. But its message is as real as we are gathered and unpacking it. The Spirit intends that Colossians shapes our self-view as we live on gospel mission together in Tucson, AZ.”

“Colossians isn’t a Sunday snack. It’s a divine manifesto of the supremacy of Christ, who is the sure hope of glory for his people. As an Apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, Paul writes it with the authority of God Himself. The Lord desires that we understand, experience, and apply its transforming and unchanging truths to every aspect of life right here where God has us in Tucson.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Acts 17:28

QUOTES:
Jerry Bridges - “As Christians, our identity is to be found in our relationship with Jesus Christ, not in our subjective and often negative life experiences.”

David Garland - “The recipients may be Colossians, but the only identity that matters to God is that they are Christians.”

Kent Hughes - “Best of all, they were in Christ, which is one of the deepest and most joyous of mysteries. In barest terms, it means the Colossians, and indeed all authentic believers,  partook of all that Christ had done, all that he was (and is), and all that he would ever be.”

Bryan Chapell - “We should understand that, fundamentally, our faith is not about what we do (as important as that is), nor is it about what we think (as important as that is). Our faith is fundamentally strengthened by understanding who we are through the indwelling Christ. We are who we are because of our union with Him.”

G.K. Beale - “This grace and peace is to enable them to live set-apart lives and be faithful as they live in Colossae.”

John Woodhouse - “The wonderful theological assertions that have been made (holy, believing, brothers, in Christ) apply to a particular group of real people in a specific location in this world. They are not abstract ideas. They are as real as the people gathered in Philemon’s house in Colossae, listening to this letter being read.”

APPLICATION:
- Do you think about yourself and each other this way? To be in Christ means you are exclusively and inseparably joined to him (Ch 2). To be in Christ means you are part of a new family, a spiritual family, the ultimate family, serving and encouraging and fellowshipping with one another (Ch. 3-4). To be in Christ means HE shapes and determines your behavior. We can’t love the world or be into “spirituality” and be in Christ (Ch 2-3).

- What are these glasses for you? The Bible makes it abundantly clear the mark of true spiritual maturity isn’t how well you know the Bible. It’s not how doctrinally astute you are. True spiritual maturity is not about how well you can articulate complex doctrines. Spiritual maturity is revealed in a heart that views and interprets life through the lens of the gospel more and more. Because you are in Christ, your life and the world you live in are no longer about earthly matters; it’s about redemption and reconciliation and all things being made new in Jesus Christ. Do you increasingly see life through the lens of the gospel?

There is one goal: The glory of God revealed in His church as we increasingly live out of our identity in Christ because we have been made alive with Christ.

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Your Name is Matchless
Glorious Christ
Beautiful Lord
Help Us See Christ

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Colossians 1:3-8

As we wrap this mini-series, we see how Jesus’ final words in Acts 1:8 profoundly shape our mission and evangelism till He returns.  Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Going Not Knowing
TEXT: Acts 1:8
TITLE: You WILL BE My Witnesses
PREACHER: Tim Lambros
BIG IDEA: The ascended Christ calls you to be a gospel witness by the power of the Holy Spirit.

POINTS:
1. The People in the Mission
2. The Power for the Mission 
3. The Person who Commissions

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Acts is a one-of-a-kind unique, New Testament book.  There is no other like it.  Four gospels about Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection.  Thirteen epistles.  Acts could have easily been titled THE ACTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT or even THE ACTS OF THE RISEN CHRIST THROUGH THE HOLY SPIRIT WORKING THROUGH THE CHURCH.”

“Only in the book of Acts do we know that it was a 40 day period where Jesus presented Himself alive to the Apostles.  Acts is also unique because it’s our crucial link between the gospels and the established Churches like Romans, Corinthians, etc.”

“We see from the earlier verses that the risen Christ ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem.  They were to wait for the power that would come with the Holy Spirit – even if they had no idea when or what it would be all about.  Then we come to this scene that begins in V. 6. As we parachute in to learn and be challenged by this account, we’ll take a closer look at the PEOPLE, the POWER and the PERSON that surfaces with Jesus’ final words.”  

“In their excitement building over a 40-day period, we can imagine Peter speaking on their behalf they ask the Risen Savior a question ‘Will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ Jesus doesn’t answer the question but gives a mild rebuke.  Rather than major on correction the Ascended Christ gives them a commissioning.  He tells them they will be His witnesses.  No longer will you be hoping for a political theocracy, now you will focus on being my witnesses.  This is a crucial theme in the book of Acts, the birth of the Church and expansion of the gospel to the known world.”

“The main thread in the book of Acts – the core mission in the growth of the Church is this idea of witness. 39 times this idea of witness is used throughout this amazing book. Acts 2:32, Acts 3:15, Acts 10:39!”

“What is a witness? one that gives evidence. Specifically - one who testifies in a cause or before a judicial tribunal.” 

“All Christians are called to be His witnesses.  In Jesus’ last words, he commissions these Apostles.  In 10 days it becomes 120 people, then 3,000 then 5,000 and the witnesses of Jesus Christ fill the entire known world.”

“All Christians ARE a witness.  When the risen Christ says “you WILL BE my witnesses” then you will be.  Witnessing is not some activity you put on when there is time in your schedule.  We ARE HIS WITNESSES.  You might be a bad witness for Christ or a good witness for Christ but part of your new identity is that you ARE a witness of the ascended Christ!”

“Church, we believe God is calling us to take our witness of the gospel of Jesus to the east side of Tucson.  Begin by examining yourself as a witness of the Ascended Christ.  Be ready for God also to do a transforming work in your life.”

“Jesus says you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you and you will be my witnesses.  The power of the Holy Spirit comes to transform – literally change you identity and how we see ourselves – into being His witnesses.”

“What happened to the group of 120 timid believers huddled up on the sidelines in the upper room for 10 days?  THEY WERE ENDUED WITH POWER!  God calls you and I to be His witnesses but gives the power to do so!”

“The Ascended Christ sent the Holy Spirit to give them power TO BE HIS WITNESSES.  It’s no different today. Nobody in this room who has been born again came to Christ outside of someone being a witness – a witness testifying to the person and work of Jesus Christ.  Do you feel like you are one of the timid believers in the upper room?  God has power for your witness!”

“Who do you say Jesus is? Accurately understanding WHO is tellingthe Apostles /telling us we will be witnessesis key. Who is this Person about to ascend to the heavens right in front of them?  How you answer that question is fundamentally important as we seek to be His Witnesses walking in the power of the Spirit.”

“Some would say that’s a silly question Tim.  We all know that it’s Jesus.  True. But just like we say to the unbeliever ‘who do you say Jesus is?’ I want to ask the same question to believers today.  ‘who do YOU (believer) say Jesus is?’  Or maybe I can say it this way – ‘When it comes to being on mission for the ascended Christ, who do you say Jesus is?’”

“Why is it so easy to drift away from personal evangelism? You ever wonder why you grow in spiritual disciplines like Bible reading, doctrinal growth, prayer, Biblical fellowship, recognizing/putting to death sin but never seem to get much progress when it comes to evangelism?  Ever ask yourself why you have the sincere and godly desires to BE A WITNESS and see family and friends know the living God that saved you but for some reason the sincere desires seldom translate to actual evangelism? We all have a longing to be bold witnesses but too often it doesn’t translate into actual evangelism.  Why is that?”

“If you’re not careful you can subtly resent this call on your life.  It can almost feel like bait and switch.  Living on mission as a witness of the ascended Christ is the inevitable catch for all the benefits we received in Christ. On top of that, if you’re not careful you can get way off and begin to think that God is up in heaven with his feet up on the desk and we are called to do all His messy work with sinners to make His name known. How do you see/view the Ascended Jesus?”

“Church, ask yourself this question – deep down in your soul do you find Jesus beautiful? Do you enjoy God?  God is on mission to make the beauty and glory and grandeur of who He is known into the world. His call on us to be witnesses so we will be like Him and make Him known to others.  God is filling the world with the knowledge of who He is and invites us to be His witnesses to this. This is God displaying His glory through His Son and we are called to join Him.”

“The nature of the ascended Christ fuels our mission Jesus Christ came into this world because Jesus, the Person calling us to be witnesses, in his very nature is full of life and goodness and in His very being overflows.  We are witnesses to the Person and work of Jesus because Jesus is the Person God sent in His abundance and natural fullness.  Jesus came not be served but to serve.  Jesus came to make God known.  Nobody knows who God is apart from Jesus revealing who God is. God’s mission from the beginning was to reconcile people to Himself NOT BECAUSE HE NEEDS ANYTHING but because He wants to fill the world with His goodness.” 

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Acts 4:13
Psalm 96:3
Matthew 28
Romans 10:14
Acts 1:8
Hebrews 1:3
2 Corinthians 4:6

QUOTES:
Kent Hughes - “To be a witness for Christ is to bring a message that is a marvel of simplicity: Jesus Christ is God come in the flesh; he died to pay for our sins; he was resurrected; now he is exalted in Heaven; he calls us to believe in him and so receive forgiveness of sins. This is good news. There is nothing to join, no system to climb—just a person to receive and, in him, eternal life.”

Michael Reeves - “Unless we honestly find God to be beautiful and enjoyable, we’ll have nothing worth saying to the people around us.  Until we see him aright, we’ll have no genuine desire to fill the world with the knowledge of our God.”

Martin Luther - “I did not love, yes,, I hated the righteous God…. And secretly, if not blasphemously, certainly murmuring greatly, I was angry with God.”

APPLICATION:
In our mission as a Church, we state that we exist to proclaim and demonstrate the transforming power of the gospel – THAT’S WHAT A WITNESS DOES.  That’s at the heart of why we exist as a Church.  That’s the consistent message in the Book of Acts. 

The proclamation and demonstration of your life witnesses to something.  What is it?

Regardless of what position you play when you get off the sidelines and get into the game – all of us need to ask ourselves this question – what kind of witness am I? 

Do you have an accurate view of WHO THE PERSON IS THAT COMMISISONS US? If you have a wrong view of who the Ascended Christ is you will have a wrong view of what it means to be a witness.  As one author put it – you may be suffering from an impoverished view of God.

1. Examine your witness.  What does your life proclaim and demonstrate?

2. Has mission and evangelism become a clunky and despised add-on to your Christian life of forgiveness and fellowship with God?

3. In what ways does my view of the Ascended Christ need correcting?

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
There is One Gospel
How Firm A Foundation
Father You Are All We Need
Let Your Kingdom Come
As You Go

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Colossians 1:1-2

Today, we look at our third purpose as a church—Outward ministry to the lost. In a word, evangelism. In two weeks, Tim will preach on personal evangelism from Acts 1:8. But today, our focus is church planting. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Going Not Knowing
TEXT: Ephesians 3:7-11
TITLE: There is Nothing Like The Church
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: Nothing is like the Church!

POINTS:
1. The Gospel Creates the Church
2. The Church Reveals the Glory and Wisdom of God in the Gospel

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Today, our focus is church planting. For this, I could not think of a better text than Ephesians 3:7-11. It’s not the Great Commission. It’s not a blueprint for successful church plants. There is no call to go to the nations. But it is the starting point and foundational conviction we must have if we are to be a church that passionately pursues our gospel mission:— We exist tobuild a God-glorifying church through the proclamation and demonstration of the transforming power of the gospel. Every aspect of that mission— Sunday attendance, CG participation, personal evangelism, or personal sacrifice to see an East side plant—begins with embracing and believing Paul’s words about Christ’s church in Eph 3.”

“Nothing compares to Christ’s Church. It’s not perfect. We don’t worship it. But there is nothing like it on this planet.”

“In Ephesians 1-2, Paul brilliantly unpacks God’s plan of salvation. Before the foundations of the world, God devised a plan to choose and save and make sinners His own. Through the long-awaited sacrifice of Jesus, sinners who could not help themselves and did not deserve help from God are now mercifully saved by grace through faith. This is the gospel Paul refers to in 7. It is the mystery of Christ (4) that has the privilege of making known to the Gentiles. This mystery of Christ is revealed in 6.”

“Paul’s idea of mystery is not something unsolvable but rather something once hidden but now made known. The gospel was foretold in the OT, but now, in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, it has been fully revealed. Belonging to God is no longer about nations, bloodlines, or ethnicity. It’s about undeserving sinners of all shapes, sizes, and colors saved and made part of God’s new humanity that exists as His dwelling place in a fallen world.”

“That should be enough for all of us to stop, fall down on our knees, and worship. Once the enemy of God but now beloved heirs in Christ. We must remember this. We must live with a daily awareness of who we once were apart from Christ and who we now are in Christ.”

“Paul never forgets he does not deserve to belong to God and be part of His church. He lives with an amazed heart and a sense of profound privilege that Christ would save him and make him part of his church.”

“The claim of verse 10 is stunning: God makes His manifold, multi-faceted wisdom known to the cosmos through the church. Like a diamond’s brilliance is revealed in its multi-faceted cuts, the manifold wisdom of God is revealed in the church.”

“God could have used any means he desired to make his glory and wisdom known—He’s God! He has endless resources. But He chose the church, you and I, together, to make his wisdom known, not only to mankind, (10) the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. That is stunning! God intends for the angels that He created to endlessly worship Him and keep their eyes on the earthly church so that they can witness the greatness and glory of His wisdom. As they do, they can better glorify and praise God had they not.”

“The angels of Psalm 148:2 that praise God; the angels in Revelation 7:11 that fall on their knees before the throne and worship God; the angels that cry out Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts in Isaiah 6:3; they are better able to glorify and worship God as they witness all He is doing in His church.”

“What we are doing isn’t very impressive to the world. It’s primitive foolishness. But let the nations rage and boast. God has devised an eternal plan (11) where ordinary people like you and me, living ordinary lives shaped and informed by the gospel, reveal God's extraordinary glory and wisdom to the cosmos! Unfathomable! Unimaginable! Stunning! There is nothing like the church. All earthly things and institutions fade into insignificance when compared to the church. The church alone, which includes our church, represents the grandest and greatest of all His works.”

“This is why we are passionate about the church. This is why we prioritize the church. The church is Christ’s priority. He designed the church in eternity past. He left his place in the Trinity for the church. He suffered in this world for the church. He died for the church. His love for the church is so profound he views her as his bride. He is interceding for the church right now. Jesus is returning for one reason—the church. Jesus has one thing on his mind and heart—the glory of his Father through the church! Aren’t you glad and grateful you are part of His church?”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Ephesians 2:11-22
1 Peter 1:10-12

QUOTES:
Martyn-Lloyd Jones - “There is nothing beyond the Church. She is the highest and the most supreme manifestation of the wisdom of God; and to look forward to something beyond the Church is to deny not only this verse but many other verses in the Scripture. The Church is the final expression of the wisdom of God, the thing above all others that enables even the angels to comprehend the wisdom of God.”

Martin Lloyd-Jones - “The Apostle is asserting that what is happening in the Church is so stupendous, so glorious, that even the brightest angelic beings who have spent their entire existence in the presence of God, even they are staggered and amazed at what they see in and through the Church.”

John Piper - “No angel will ever sing “how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.” This is our song and our joy, and they can never sing it or know it. But God wants them to see it. And the angels love to stoop down and get as close as they can to the wonders of redemption and how God prepared and saved and gathered his church.”

Charles Spurgeon - “Give yourself to the church. You that are members of the church have not found it perfect and I hope that you feel almost glad that you have not. If I had never joined a church until I had found one that was perfect, I would never have joined one at all. And the moment I did join one, I should have spoiled it. For it would not have been a perfect church after I became a member of it. Still, imperfect as it is, it is the dearest place on earth.”

APPLICATION:
- Have you lost your joy, passion, and gratitude for not just being saved but also being saved and made part of the Church? One of the surest ways to be like Paul is to get involved! Throw yourself into your church (Romans 12:1). Get ready because as you throw yourself into God’s work through His church, God will grow your gratitude and sense of privilege to be a part of more and more and more.

- This is why we want to plant a church on the east side of Tucson. Next Sunday evening, we will envision you for our mission for new year. Please be there—husband, wife, kids. Allow your presence at that meeting to be a declaration—This is my church. At that meeting, we will lay out three convictions that shape our vision on the Eastside: A biblical model, faith-filled risk, and personal sacrifice. Each one could be an application of today’s sermon because each one is rooted in the one big truth: There is nothing like the church

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
How Vast The Love
How Firm A Foundation
God Of Every Grace
Christ Is Mine Forevermore
The Glory Of The Cross

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Ephesians 3:7-11

There will be much that we pour our efforts into, but by the grace of God, let’s commit together, to gather together, hold fast to the Gospel, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to praying! Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Going Not Knowing
TEXT: Acts 2:42-47
TITLE: ALL IN
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: Because we belong to Jesus, we are all in for His people.

POINTS:
1. All in all the time on the Gospel of Jesus Christ
2. All in all the time in the fellowship in Jesus 
3. All in all the time in the breaking of bread remembering Jesus
4. All in all the time in prayer

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Our mission is to build a God-glorifying church that proclaims and demonstrates the transforming power of the gospel to our city and beyond. Biblically speaking, this is the three-fold purpose of any church:

• Upward Ministry to God, which is worship

• Inward Ministry to believers, which is edification

• Outward Ministry to the world, which is evangelism.”

“We must pursue all three purposes of the church and not allow one or more to atrophy and another become THE THING we focus on. Scripture calls us to our robust purpose in all 3 - worshipping God, edifying the Church, and going to the world!”

“Last Sunday, we beheld the transforming power of the Gospel that so moves on the soul of those saved by Jesus that we climb onto the altar as a willing, joy-filled sacrifice in praise and worship of God… our UPWARD Ministry to God. We, former God-haters, have been mercifully saved by Jesus and given gospel-fueled purpose as a Church. Now, loving the Savior, on that altar as LIVING SACRIFICES… we climb up again in the INward ministry to believers… the saints… sacrificially ministering to one another.”

“This is where we are going in Acts; we find this brand-new community of Christians beginning in Jerusalem, just as Jesus promised. We see in verses 41-42 that this new Holy Spirit-filled, water-baptized, covenant people are now the Church - “together” the “fellowship” of the believers.  Now called and gathered by the power of the Gospel, filled with the Holy Spirit, they will be going not knowing as Christ’s witnesses into their towns and villages and then to the world. Compelled and reassured by the Holy Spirit, they will be going not knowing what God will do but in faith that God was with them.”

“The word “devoted” means “continually steadfast.” The original language is one of devoted continually… ALL IN ALL OF THE TIME!”

“Shorthand for “the apostles’ doctrine” was the Gospel. The word… the teaching… the doctrine of Christ and His Cross is the foundation of our church. The Gospel, as delivered by the Apostles, is the rock on which we stand. And we are all in all of the time on this Gospel. This means that all that we are, our very identity as a people of God, and ALL that we do (our very lives personal and together) has, as its wellspring, the Gospel!”

“This is why we pound away at this same nail - Jesus Christ and Him crucified. For the Apostle Paul, it was of first importance to him because he was all in all of the time on the Gospel and resolved to deliver nothing else but the message of the Cross to the churches. He guarded and defended it and called pastors to guard and defend it. He cherished it and called the churches to cherish it. He warred against enemies of the gospel when they rose up in the churches and calls us to the same.”

“This is why we desire that all of our sermons point to the Gospel. If it’s not Christ and Him crucified, then what is it? This is why all of our discipleship points to increased faith in Jesus. This is why all of our counseling must faithfully and desperately cling to the gospel. The goal of our discipleship and counseling is this: growth in our faith in Jesus Christ! If our goal is anything other than pointing to the gospel and increased faith in Christ, then our discipleship and counsel are something other than Christian. This is why our songs for worship are robust in the clarity of the gospel. This is why when we speak of generosity and giving as grounded in the gospel mission.”

“The “fellowship” of believers in Jesus is like no other fellowship. The sense of its meaning has at its core a shared participation. ‘Koinonia’ – Christ is at the center.”

“This shared participation among the people of God includes deep concern for the financial and practical needs of fellow believers and the Gospel mission advance. Giving for the “relief of the saints” and provision of the mission. Together at their man gathering, together in their homes, the church was built up/strengthened as they edified/nurtured one another.”

“The greatest threat to the edification of the Church comes from within. Being ALL in on the fellowship of the saints compels us toward maintaining unity, forgiving one another, serving one another, weeping with one another, rejoicing with each other, discipling one another, working out conflict between each other, bearing with one another in love.”

“Breaking of bread” is mentioned again in 46 IN THEIR HOMES. Is this the commissioned Lord’s Supper that Jesus instituted in the upper room with the disciples? After some study, the answer is YES. And, yet, it’s usage here Acts allows for this to also include eating in fellowship together as believers. And this kind of fellowship around food was more than hanging out grabbing some hot wings together. These times of fellowship at the table in the homes of Christians is one of intentional identity as ones saved by Jesus, remembering Jesus and encouraging one another in Jesus. It was intimate, the sharing affections for the Savior, the sorrows and joys of this life in Christ. There is a sober reminder of the holiness of God… we are regularly filled with awe and wonder at the mercies of Jesus Christ and His Cross.”

“The difference between eating with sinners/non-believers and eating with the saints is radical. There is no fellowship “in Jesus” with those who reject him. We eat with them, talk with them… but we cannot have fellowship with them… this informs how our relationship with those who turn their backs on Christ. We do not turn our backs on them but our intimacy at the table in Christ shifts.”

“PRAYER to the Lord and for each other is an amazing gracious gift that we now have in Jesus.”

“They knew nothing would happen if God did not move, so they prayed that He would move! In Jesus, we have direct access to the throne room of God where HE LEANS IN to hear our prayers. There we worship Him, we plead with Him, we pour out our hearts to Him. The deepest longings of our souls are brought before the Sovereign King and He is ready to answer every sing time.”

“We are beginning the groundwork of a church plant on the eastside – going not knowing, BUT we must not and we are committed to not neglect the nurture and edification of the church. There will be much that we pour our efforts into, but by the grace of God, let’s commit together, to gather together, hold fast to the Gospel, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to praying!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Ephesians 4:11

APPLICATION:
1. What keeps you from being all in week after week on Sundays?
2. What keeps you from day by day (46) gathering in fellowship in CG?
3. When the men the meet, where are you?
4. When the women meet, where are you?
5. Can I, in integrity, describe my fellowship as ALL IN - Continually Steadfast?
6. If not, we are ALL IN somewhere. Where?

- When was the last time you opened your home or were in another's home - for an intimate meal together - discussing the gospel and sharing life together in Jesus?

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
How Great (Psalm 145)
Praise to the Lord
God Is Faithful (Psalm 114)
Sing
There is One Gospel

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Ephesians 3:7-11

The church doesn’t exist for itself—we exist for God’s glory. That means we need to understand where God Himself is going and what He is doing so that all we do serves His purpose. That’s the point of the next four weeks. Our theme for the new ministry year is Going not Knowing. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Going Not Knowing
TEXT: Romans 12:1
TITLE: Living on the Altar
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: We do what we do because Jesus did what he did.

POINTS:
1. A Life of Worship is Compelled by the Gospel
2. A Life of Worship is Complete Gospel Devotion

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Everyone is looking for meaning and purpose—Why am I here? Where do I fit in? Where should my life be going? These are crucial questions. As a local church, those questions are crucial—Why do we exist? Where are we going? What are we supposed to be doing?  Too often the answers to those questions arise from the convenience of pragmatism, the pressure of the majority, the winds of culture, or the sanctity of tradition. But the church doesn’t exist for itself—we exist for God’s glory. That means we need to understand where God Himself is going and what He is doing so that all we do serves His purpose.”

“Our theme for the new ministry year is Going not Knowing. That phrase is rooted in Acts 20:22 where Paul said—Behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there. We are going into this new year not knowing what God will do. Here’s what we do know: Our mission is to build a God-glorifying church that proclaims and demonstrates the transforming power of the gospel to our city and beyond.”

“It’s a mission that is upward, inward, and outward. Biblically speaking, this is the three-fold purpose of any church:

• Upward Ministry to God, which is worship

• Inward Ministry to believers, which is edification

• Outward Ministry to the world, which is evangelism”

“We’ll end our series with a Family Meeting to unpack the practical details of what it looks like for us to fulfill our purposes this year. Today, we begin with Purpose #1—Upward Ministry to God, which, in a word, is Worship.”

“We do what we do because Jesus did what he did. That is the big idea of Romans 12:1. We are to offer ourselves to God as a living sacrifice because He offered His only son Jesus as a sacrifice for us. The result is a life of worship that is pleasing to God.”

“The gospel moved from Paul’s head to his heart, and he explodes in worship. But Paul isn’t done. He spends the final five chapters of Romans showing us what the transformative power of the gospel looks like in everyday life. This is the corner Paul turns in 1 when he writes—I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God. The mercies of God are an obvious reference to the gospel. The word therefore points us back to the glories of the gospel in the first eleven chapters.”

“Borrowing some phrases from John Stott—Paul loves to move from exposition to exhortation, combine doctrine with duty, link belief with behavior, connect creed to conduct. It’s a reminder for us that while God is MOST concerned with the heart, He is not ONLY concerned with the heart. God wants my heart and my feet.”

“This is not a given. We can’t assume a gospel-driven life. A life of worship is neither automatic nor inevitable. Paul knows this so he urges us.”

“This is where a life of worship begins. We don’t do what we do to gain God’s favor. We don’t do what we do because it’s religiously productive. We don’t do what we do because its emotionally rewarding. We do what we do because Jesus did what he did!”

“Paul’s point is not that we must pay God back for His grace. The holiness of God, the nature of Christ’s sacrifice, and the pervasiveness of our sin makes that impossible. The point is a heart fixed on grace will overflow with gratitude expressed in discernable and practical ways because the gospel is the foundation and fuel for a life of worship.”

“Paul now explains the nature of our worship—a complete devotion that demands our entire existence. Drawing from 2, the gospel transforms our hearts so that our minds will be renewed to TREASURE, THINK and LIVE like Christ. The term Paul uses for bodies in 1 refers to the whole person—body and soul, head and heart, beliefs and behavior. It requires every part of us.”

“That’s what the gospel does. It leads us to full surrender. It makes us new creations who are satisfied in God and treasure Christ above all else in this world. This is the essence of  worship.”

“Ponder the picture pastor Sproul gives us here: I climb up on the altar to present myself as a living sacrifice for God’s glory and renown. It’s good to sing. It’s good to serve. It’s good to give. But a life of worship is more than that. Paul says it’s full consecration. We die to ourselves and live for Jesus.”

“If I am a Christian, the only sensible, logical, and appropriate response is to surrender my entire existence to God. He deserves it. He demands it. It’s what He saved us for. On the flip side, to experience saving mercy but live for myself doesn’t make sense. Why do dogs bark? They are dogs. Why do kids act like kids? They are kids. If I’ve been saved by grace, I make my whole life an a sacrificial offering of praise to my Savior. Why? Because I belong to Jesus.”

“To the degree we fix our eyes on Jesus, we will fulfill God’s purposes for us. The real power is in the one who climbed up on a cross and became a sin sacrifice for us. Christ alone is our strength, hope, and vision!”

“A Romans 12:1 life is individual, yes, but it is also corporate. Together we are the body and bride of Christ. I know people (so have you) who believe they are a church unto themselves. It’s Jesus, me, and my ministry and the local church is barely an afterthought. That approach may be safe and convenient, but it’s unbiblical. The dominating theme of the Bible is God’s glory revealed in His grand purpose to redeem a people for His own who will worship Him forever.”

“Church, we believe the Lord is leading us to Go not Knowing in some every specific ways this year. To be sure, our going is not an end, it’s a means. Worship is the end. It’s what we were created for. It’s why we will Go not Knowing what the Lord will do, whatever the sacrifice. Our Savior is worthy.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Ephesians 5:2
Matthew 16:24-25
Ephesians 2:1-10
Jeremiah 31:33
1 Peter 2:9

QUOTES:
John Stott- “Only a vision of his mercy will inspire us to present our bodies to him and allow him to transform us according to his will.”

APPLICATION:
God’s grand purpose in it all is to create a worshipping, not person, people, to the praise of His glory forever (Revelation 21:1-4)

Church, God has always called us to be a part, as a Church. We aren’t THE part, but we are a part. As the church, we get to:

• Climb on the altar and sacrifice our schedules to make the Sunday gatherings, CG, and other faith building and Christ-exalting ministries of our church a priority.

• Climb on the altar and sacrifice our personal convenience as we give ourselves to the hard work and inconvenience of planting a church.

• Climb on the altar and sacrifice our personal comfort and maybe even reputation as we proclaim Christ to those around us.

Everyone has sacred cows they are unwilling to climb up on the altar with. We believe what God is calling us to will challenge those sacred cows. What are yours?

• What aspect of your lifestyle or routine needs to be hoisted upon the altar because it is hindering a life of worship?

• Maybe for you, going is just getting to church or CG consistently.

• For some here, going may be rearranging your life to be part of the groundwork on the East side this year.

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
He is Our God
Holy Holy Holy
We Give Thanks (Psalm 107)
We Receive
My Life is An Offering

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Acts 2:42-47

Beginning in July, week after week, we have beheld and savored the Glory of God. These messages have been leading us to this glorious place: PRAISE THE LORD. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES:  Sermons in the Psalms, Vol 2
TEXT: Psalm 113
TITLE: Who Is Like Our God?
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: Our incomparable LORD is worthy of our endless and highest praise!

POINTS:
1. The Never-ending Praise of His Name (Vs. 1-3)
2. The Grandeur of His Glory (Vs. 4-5)
3. The Marvel of His Mercy (Vs. 6-9)

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”This Psalm opens with the imperative - Praise the Lord. The opening first three verses make it clear! The last words of this Psalm make it clear! Praise the LORD! From beginning to end, it is clear… Praise the LORD!”

“Recalling that this Ps was likely the first song sung at Passover, we must put ourselves in the Jewish homes worldwide at that time as they sang and prepared for the Passover. The public temple service was a responsive service in which the Levite priests would declare each part of the verse, and the people would respond.”

“This song does not first build the case that grips our hearts, leading us to praise. Rather, this song bursts forth in Praise of our God first! “Praise, O servants of the LORD!” - the prescription!”

“Now Vs. 2 provides the description - the praise of the Lord now begins to take ‘SHAPE’ and instruction.”

“How long am I to praise the LORD? We worship our God right now… FORTH with a trajectory of forevermore. We begin now and refuse to cease… if more can be, we magnify Him!”

“There is a sense in this verse in which the meaning points to the faithfulness of the rising and setting of the sun… the faithfulness of the rotation of the earth… so shall the faithfulness of our worship be.Yet it also describes our praise being lifted up every day! The effect of the verse is: The inclination and disposition of the heart is one of joy, thanksgiving, need, longing, trusting, and returning to the praise of His glorious name! ‘Praise Him every waking moment and do not stop praising the LORD!’”

“Q. Who is like the LORD our God? This question and its answer provide the framework of this Psalm. This question… really… is God’s question to us about himself, provided not simply as a test but aims us toward the praise and blessing of His name. The grandeur of God’s glory begins to be described for us by revealing the vast, immeasurable difference, distinctiveness, distance, ‘otherness’ in holiness describes the LORD in the words, “The LORD is high above all nations, and his glory above the heavens!”

“God is high above everything that we see, experience, or conceive in our minds and imagination. God is high above all of the people of the earth and the observable universe! God is (vs. 5) seated on high He is present, ruling over all of creation - He is seated on high as its Sovereign, Providential KING in majesty! As high and ‘other’ is He, He rules it all from His Holy throne!”

“The god of SELF attempts to pull God off of His seat - dethroning Him and we attempt to take His seat! The greatest enemy of God and His glory is not first out there somewhere declaring their rule and reign. Application for us: in our sin, we want to sit on high!So texts like these are pure gold. When my view and thoughts of God have been diminished and I am failing to behold the Grandeur of His Glory… caught in anger, complaining that things are not going MY way…A difficult situation comes to my mind, and forgetting all that is good and true about my God, I turn on him in accusation. The gods of this world obscure our view of the Glory of God.”

“Who is like our God in His humiliation/condescension? From on high, He looks down! O, how far the LORD has come and stooped down to look on us! AND this is nothing but the magnificence of His MERCY.”

“We marvel at His mercy as He stoops and looks on the heavens and the earth who raged against Him. (vs 6). We marvel at His mercy as He comes to the dust and goes into the burning trash heap (dunghill). (vs 7) Has He not come so far?! There is no sinner, so filthy and so far, that God cannot show mercy - THIS IS WHAT MERCY IS! - the undeserved saving of God. His nail-scared hand has reached into this dark place and has pulled you out! We marvel at His mercy as He raises us up when we should have be been left where we were, but HE seats his saints on high (vs 8). We marvel at His mercy in the compassion of the miracle pictured in the imagery of a barren woman.

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Isaiah 40:15
Isaiah 44:6-8
Matthew 1:21
Matthew 1:23
Philippians 2:6-11

QUOTES:
Charles Spurgeon- “While praising him aloud, the people were also to bless him in the silence of their hearts, wishing glory to his name, success to his cause, and triumph to his truth.”

Charles Spurgeon- “For ever, and more than ‘for ever,’ if more can be, let him be magnified.”

John Calvin - “… at such a distance from us…”  “he magnifies his mercy towards us”

Charles Spurgeon - “It is a marvel of mercy that the sun should rise on the rebellious sons of men…”

APPLICATION:
Who is like the LORD our God? NO ONE! Let this humble you and draw you to behold the Grandeur of His Glory. Psalm 113 gets around in front of us exhorting self-worshippers like me and you by exulting God lifting our eyes ‘UP’ to the one and only incomparable God.
- Behold the Grandeur of His Glory!!!
- Behold the Marvelous Mercy of Jesus as he came down and gave His life in our place on the cross!

The Gospel result is we have been lifted from dust and the burning trash and a cursed life and made princes in God’s kingdom! Seated with Christ Jesus to the confession and praise of His Glorious name!
Q. How high has your pride sought to take God’s seat? There is mercy for you!
Q. How far have you been buried in the filth and burning trash of your sin? There is mercy for you!

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
This Is Our God
Our Song From Age To Age
Jesus I My Cross Have Taken
There is One Gospel
Jesus, There's No One Like You

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Romans 12:1

What do you want more than anything else? Psalm 84 takes us into the thoughts of a man who wants God more than anything else. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES:  Sermons in the Psalms, Vol 2
TEXT: Psalm 84
TITLE: A Bellhop’s Psalm
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
1. He Longs to Worship God with God’s People
2. He is Dependent On and Delights In God’s Grace
3. He is Satisfied In God’s Salvation

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Here’s a challenging thought (Ligonier Website): Where and who do you want to be? Is it more important to you to be in this world with a high position and much acclaim, or would you prefer to be a mere servant in the household of God? The world and its allurements may be enticing, but all of it will pass away. Only the household of God will remain, and only what we do for Christ will have eternal value. We can distill that thought into one penetrating question—What do you want more than anything else? Psalm 84 takes us into the thoughts of a man who wants God more than anything else.”

“Psalm 84 was written by one of the sons of Korah. You can read about them in 1 Chronicles 23-26. As a division of the Levites, the Korahites served in the temple. There were numerous temple tasks: priests, musicians, treasurers, and others. The Korahites had the lowest duty in the temple—doorkeeper. …The Sons of Korah were ancient bellhops.”

“Psalm 84 is their perspective of the privilege of being at the temple with God’s people in God’s presence. Their job was menial. Their ministry was not exalted. But that didn’t matter because they loved being in the house of the Lord. Psalm 84 is their chance to tell the world about it. And today they get to tell us about it. As they do, a portrait appears of the person who wants God and desires to be in God’s presence with God’s people more than anything else.”

“In this portrait, we find three characteristics or, as the psalmist presents them, marks of blessedness, of the one who wants God more than anything else.”

“Jewish people believed in an omnipresent God. They believed Yahweh was always with them. But they also knew God’s presence and glory was uniquely manifested and experienced in the temple. The sacrifices, the Law, God’s covenant people gathered, all of it made the temple a place where God’s people could encounter and engage with God in a way like no other.”

“The verbs longs and faints express a desire and yearning for God so strong that it exhausts his whole being. The psalmists says—My heart (spiritual) and flesh (physical) sing for joy to the living God. This wasn’t about mental assent; it was about being consumed with God. He treasures God. He longs for his glory. He finds his greatest joy in His presence. He sings for joy in God and considers himself blessed for being part of it all!”

“How important is this today? Fewer and fewer Christians are interested in gathering with God’s people to worship God in the presence of His glory. I’m too tired. I’m too busy. I’m too hurt. I’m good I read my Bible. I think the psalmist would say—What’s up with not going to church!”

“Listen, we don't need a temple to go to today. We have seen, we know, and we experience the glory of God in Jesus Christ. The gospel transforms everything. Personal peace with God. Personal union in Christ. The Spirit lives in the heart of every believer. But there’s so much more to the Christian life than me and Jesus.”

“There is nothing magical about this building. But when we gather to worship God together, in a unique and powerful way we are the dwelling place of God and we experience His presence and glory that cannot be experienced in any other way. I submit to you, if any part of this life is like heaven, it is what we are doing right now.”

“When you walk through those doors at 10 am is there a sense of awe and wonder, joy and privilege? If you think about what we are doing, there should be.”

“In the Bible, the sparrow is symbolic for something that is worthless and the swallow for something that is restless. Are you feeling worthless? Is your soul restless? This is where you belong.”  

“…the traveler had a deep desire to be at the temple and an abiding confidence in the grace of God to strengthen them for the difficult and trying journey. So they made the journey with joy AND resolve.”

“According to 6, the psalmist dug wells in the desert and trusted God for rain. His pilgrimage to Jerusalem represents ours in this world. We do our part in the Valley of Baca by making it a place of springs. We dig pools, i.e., thankfulness, studying His Word, serving and blessing others. We do that anticipating God will do His part—supplying the autumn rains, i.e., bringing joy, peace, and provision.”

“This is how we go from strength to strength as it says in 7. Seeing and experiencing, knowing and growing in Christ more and more on the road to Zion, this is how God grows our faith in and love for Him.”

“What is your Valley of Baca today? What does it look like for you to dig blessings out of hardships? Follow the highway to Zion that the Lord has put in your heart. Allow His grace to supersede any trial. Trust He will send rain in due time as he brings you closer and closer to heaven. He will do it. He is for you!”

“Here’s what makes this celebration of God’s salvation so amazing.  Numbers 16 recounts how God judged Korah and his family for their rebellious temple service by causing the earth to swallow them up. Now centuries later, one of the Sons of Korah is writing this psalm that praises that same God for His grace and favor in salvation. Whether or not 11 is a result of thinking back on Numbers 16 we don’t know. But the family who knew severe judgment from God now marvels in His salvation.”

“He’s close enough to catch glimpses of the wonder and glory of it all. And a glimpse is enough. One day of glimpses is better than a thousand in the tents of the wicked! Why? Because the doorkeeper belongs to God.”

“We’re all just bellhops right now. But the gospel has set our hearts on the highway to Zion. Heaven is our home. Like the worshiper in Psalm 84, we are on a pilgrimage. And one day in heaven our glimpses of glory will be turned to unveiled and eternal gazing.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Ephesians 2:22
1 Peter 2:5
2 Corinthians 3:18

QUOTES:
Derek Kindner - “They make it a place of springs is a classic statement of the faith which dares to dig blessings out of hardships. But God may choose to send rain, which comes through nobodies enterprise and can bring a whole area to life, for he has more than one way of dealing with our dryness.”

Charles Spurgeon - “To bear burdens and open doors for the Lord’s house is better than the highest position among the godless…God’s doorstep is a happier rest than downy couches within the pavilions of royal sinners, though we might lie there for a lifetime of luxury.”

APPLICATION:
What about you and I? Where and who do we want to be?  

• Where are the highways of my heart leading me? 

• What are you exhausting your heart and flesh for?

• What is so valuable to me that it keeps me from communion with believers, serving in the strength of the Spirit, and worshipping my Savior on Sundays?

Bottom line: Have you grown familiar with Jesus? We grow familiar. Have you grown familiar with Jesus? Have you lost your wonder and awe toward him? To trust in the Lord is to give Him glory. To give Him glory is to long for and be satisfied in His Son Jesus. To be satisfied in Jesus is to be blessed. On this side of the cross, the blazing center of God’s presence and glory is Jesus.

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
God Is For Us
How Rich A Treasure We Possess
Only Jesus
The Father's Love
Christ Our Glory

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Psalm 113

It’s easy to make Psalm 56 about the struggle to have faith in fearful times. Yes, it can be a struggle. Yes, there is a degree of lament in David’s words. But Psalm 56 is not about struggle; it’s about VICTORY, victory that comes through faith in the character and promises of God that belong to us in Christ. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES:  Sermons in the Psalms, Vol 2
TEXT: Psalm 56
TITLE: God Is For Me!
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: Our fear gives way to faith when we focus on the faithfulness of God.

POINTS:
1. The Heart of Fear
2. The Heart of Faith
3. The Heart of God

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”The backdrop of Psalm 56 is 1 Samuel 21-22. I encourage you to read it this week. In a nutshell, David, who was running for his life from King Saul, ran right into the hands of another deadly enemy—the Philistines. When David wrote Psalm 56, he was alone, desperate, and afraid.”

“The occasion for David’s fear is clear in the text. the first two verses, David uses words like trample, oppresses, and attack to describe what was happening to him. In 5-6, he says his enemies injure his cause and stir up strife as they position themselves to kill David. In their quest to kill David, his enemies were unrelenting. Three times, 1, 2, and 5, David says that his enemies have pursued him all day long. David lived every moment of every day, wondering if it was his last. The brave boy who slayed Goliath when everyone else was afraid. David was no stranger to fear.”

“What about you? Are you feeling alone, desperate, or afraid today? What keeps you up at night? What fears tend to grip your heart?”

“David began 3 afraid. By the end of 4, he is not afraid. What happened between When I am afraid and I shall not be afraid? Faith happened. David could face his terrifying trials because he knew where to run when he felt fear beginning to grip him. He put his faith in God.”

“Typically, our response to fear is anxiety, panic, or distress. When we are afraid, it’s easy to turn to self-sufficiency and self-preservation. Those are vain and powerless responses to fear. More than that, they are sin we must confess to, repent of, and embrace full forgiveness in Christ for. Only then will our fears drive us to Jesus instead of away from Jesus. When David was afraid, he turned to the Lord.”

“His example is so instructive for us when we are afraid and fighting for faith. I want you to notice two things about David’s faith: David’s faith is deliberate and David’s faith is theologically informed.”

“David’s faith was an intentional act of the will. In the moment of fear, David makes a decision that that defies the reality of his situation and the power of his emotions. He trusts God. David He didn’t wait for God to give him faith. Is his faith in God a gift? Is it the work of the Spirit in him? Absolutely. But that does not excuse David from exercising his faith in God.”

“In the same way, we are called to put our faith in God. The Bible never says Jesus has faith for us. Trusting God is what God calls us to do. When we do, we realize it is only by grace, so we cannot boast except in Christ.”

“Three times, David says—I trust in God, whose word I praise. The word praise means exclaim. David exclaims, declaring to himself (preaching to himself) what God is like and what He has promised according to God’s Word. His faith is not blind. He is not throwing vague prayers at the wall. His trust in God is informed by the character and promises of God as revealed to him in God’s Word that drown out the voice of fear.”

“Church, how encouraging and compelling David’s example is for us. When David spoke of God’s Word, he had the Pentateuch (Gen-Deut) and maybe Joshua and Judges, but it was enough to know God’s character and promises. We have the entire Bible. God doesn’t speak to us audibly, but He does speak to us clearly, by His Spirit through His Word.”

“God’s Word is God speaking. He is telling us what He is like. He is telling us how He feels about His people. God is telling us how He acts and what He promises to His children. He reveals what we can be sure of regarding our relationship with Him. And what He says to us in the Bible is the foundation of our faith in times of fear.”

“God knows your tossings. He personally keeps record, not of your sin, but of every tear that falls from your eyes. Verse 8 is a memorable and penetrating way of describing God’s tender care for David and us. God hears your cries. God knows your fears. Sees what keeps you tossing at night. He knows, and He is keeping track of your heart, and He will never fail to care, and He will never be indifferent to your trials and struggles.”

“You can take God at His word. God cannot lie (Heb 6:18). God is faithful (1 Cor 1:9). He is trustworthy. And it is through His Word that He faithfully cares for you. So, the degree to which you have confidence in the Word of God is the degree to which you will have confidence in God.”

“This is David’s grand conclusion— What can man do to me? This I know, my God is for me. The danger David was in did not disappear. But his fears did, and for one reason—What David knew (mental ascent) and what he believed (faith) about God. And it all culminated in this—My God is for me.”

“Man can oppress you, hate you, hurt you, slander you, and yes, even kill you. But in the deepest and most ultimate sense, they can do NOTHING to you because NOTHING can separate you from the eternal love and favor of the One whom your life and fellowship are bound up with in Christ—the God of the universe.”

“When your back is against the wall, i.e., you are being trampled on and attacked, you know that the transcendent, all-powerful, all-wise, all-loving, and sovereign Lord of the universe is counting your tossing and keeping track of every tear you cry. The knowledge and conviction of the promise of intimate, tender, and adequate divine care is the basis for silencing the voice of fear when it roars.”

“No one here knows God well enough. That is the Christian’s eternal duty and delight that will never end. But the more you know, the more you grow and the greater joy you will experience. As the final words of the text say—That I may walk before God in the light of life. Translation—JOY IN CHRIST!”

“Whatever gets in the way of giving yourself to this application, tear it up and throw it away because what you need is to KNOW that god is for you today, tomorrow, and forever!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
1 Samuel 21-22
Hebrews 13:5
Romans 8:28
Philippians 4:19
2 Corinthians 12:9
Romans 8:31-32

QUOTES:
James Montgomery Boice - “We have the Bible. It contains all we need to know about spiritual things. Equally important, we have the Holy Spirit to give us understanding of what has been written as well as the ability to apply it to specific areas of our lives.”

J.I. Packer - “God is for me is in truth one of the richest and weightiest utterances that the Bible contains….The knowledge that God is on his side brings a note of triumph into David’s prayer.”

Sinclair Ferguson - “How do you know God is really for you? Where should you look for the proof that God is for you? Does it lie in the fact that your Christian life has been unbroken happiness? Does it lie in the fact that your Christian life has been one of ecstatic joy? There is only one irrefutable answer to these questions. It cannot be found in our circumstances. It lies only in the provision that God has made for us in Jesus Christ.”

APPLICATION:
- Do you doubt God cares for you? God notices, catches, and records every tear you shed. He cares because He loves you with an undying love. Do you believe that?

It’s not simply God’s got this. It’s God is FOR you. God is at work for my good. God will see His work to the end. God is intimately and tenderly involved in my life in every way as my Heavenly Father—God is FOR me!

Do you believe God is FOR you? I’m not asking if you agree with me but if you believe. If you don’t or you have even a smidge of doubt, look past your circumstances and see His only Son hanging on a cross, being crushed by His heavenly Father—FOR YOU!

Do you believe the greatest expression that God is FOR you is in the gospel?
1. Preach to yourself more and listen to yourself less
2. Get to know your Lord and Savior

• Scriptures read earlier

• Knowing God (J.I. Packer)

• Knowing Christ (Mark Jones)

3. Major on the spiritual, minor on the practical

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Christ Our Hope In Life And Death
Come Behold The Wondrous Mystery
The Power Of The Cross
Jesus Paid It All
All Things

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Psalm 84

As individual believers and collectively as a local church, we can never overestimate, and we must never underestimate what it means to be forgiven of our sins by God. That is the message of Psalm 32. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES:  Sermons in the Psalms, Vol 2
TEXT: Psalm 32
TITLE: Better Than We Deserve
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: Being forgiven is everything.

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Years ago, I heard someone respond to the question, How are you doing? in this way—’I’m doing better than I deserve.’ …I am doing better than I deserve. It’s more than a religious slogan. Understood rightly, it’s a declaration and celebration of God’s heart and the power of the gospel. At its core is this eternal truth—My sins are forgiven. I am doing better than I deserve because God has chosen to forgive my sins instead of holding them against me.”

“There is no higher blessing in this life than having your sin forgiven by God in Christ Jesus. If you are forgiven, regardless of anything else going on in your life—you are genuinely doing better than you deserve.”

“The first two verses are the centerpiece of the psalm. They are theology at its finest.”

“It’s easy to underestimate the moment in these verses. If you were with David as he wrote these words, you would perceive a substantive and deep joy pouring from his heart. David knows he is forgiven, and as he considers that reality, he is undone by joy. How do we know this? Look no further than 11. David begins Psalm 32 with a declaration that to be forgiven is to be blessed. And 11 is the exclamation point of what is going on in his heart as he considers that God has forgiven his sins.”

“Now, David uses three different words to refer to sin. In 1, he uses transgression (rebellion or crime) and sin (to fall short or miss the mark like an arrow misses the target). In 2, he chooses iniquity (twisted or crooked). The point of using multiple terms to describe sin is not to draw distinctions or create categories of sin. The comprehensive nature and utter sinfulness of our sin is revealed in these terms.”

“Sin is not simply some trivial wrongdoing or bad moral choice. Sin is a rebellious and perverted offense against God and His authority. David wants us to feel that. He wants us to be sobered by that, not to condemn us, but to compel us to be amazed by grace.”

“The first word to describe what God does with our sin is forgiven—(1) Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven. …The word forgiven literally means our sin has been lifted off. Sin and the guilt and shame that accompany it is a weight upon our souls. But when we confess our sin, God removes it. He takes it away. He lifts it off so that we no longer bear the effects of our sin.”

“Where does our sin go? The innocent shoulders of Jesus Christ, who stood in our place and paid the total debt of our sin on the cross. He is the reason we can be forgiven. God doesn’t overlook our sin. He can’t. He’s a holy God who hates sin and must punish all sin.”

“The second word that describes what God does with our sin is covered—(1) Blessed is the one whose sin is covered. The blood of Jesus covers our sin. He is the sacrificial lamb whose blood shed on the cross covers our sin, hiding it in the sense that it has been resolved and is no longer an issue keeping us alienated from and under the wrath of God. The New Testament word for this covering is propitiation. Jesus is our propitiation, his blood covering our sin so that God’s wrath would be turned away.” 

“Finally, David says in 2—Blessed is the man whom the LORD counts no iniquity. This is amazing! God is the divine bookkeeper. But the one whose sin has been forgiven, God no longer COUNTS it against them. He strikes it from the record book. It’s as if it never happened.”

“Your sin is forgiven, covered, and removed from the divine record book when you repent. There is no record of your sin. Even better, the only thing COUNTED to you, what the divine ledger reads next to your name is not your many sins but the perfect obedience and righteousness of Jesus Christ. That is what God counts toward you. That’s what we call justification.”

“Church, there is no greater blessedness than being forgiven by God. It's true that God’s blessings come in all shapes and sizes. I trust you are acutely aware of God’s blessings in your life. I hope you have been counting them one by one this past week. But here’s the truth: You can have everything—health, wealth, popularity, power, success, friendships, children and grandchildren—but if your sin is not forgiven, you have nothing.”

“I humbly submit that we must redeem our paradigm of what it means to be blessed. Too often, my understanding of a blessed life is too narrow and too earthly. It’s easy for me to connect a blessed life with my current circumstances.”

“Now, in 3-4, David recounts a time when instead of confessing his sin, he was silent and, as it says at the end of 2, his spirit was living in deception. He was unwilling to confess his sin. David describes the effects of his unrepentant heart in physical terms. (3) His bones wasting away reflects an internal conflict that left him (4) weak and parched as a hot summer day with no water or relief leaves one physically. In 4, David says he felt the unrelenting heavy hand of God’s discipline upon him. Not to punish him but as an expression of God’s love for David; divine discipline mercifully moved David toward repentance.”

“Many scholars believe Psalm 32 is a response to Psalm 51, where David repented of adultery with Bathsheba and the orchestrated murder of her husband Uriah. David was carrying the weight of adultery and murder, and it was killing him.”

“David ended his silence. He owned his guilt. He confessed his sin to the Lord. He repented. And the Lord forgave David. Look at the right margin at the end of 5. See the word Selah. It probably means pause and think about what you just read. In 5, Selah follows these words—and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. God’s forgiveness is worthy of our pause and consideration. We should not read and immediately move on. But Selah applies to us, not God. As soon as David confesses, we read the Lord forgives. God doesn’t pause to consider David’s confession—He immediately forgives. God doesn’t make David earn it. God doesn’t make David sweat. David confesses his sin from the heart, and God pardons him immediately!”

“Not because our sin isn’t serious but because God is merciful. God loves to forgive sinners. God is eager to forgive His children over and over again. You don’t have to perform. You don’t have to beg. You don’t have to persuade. You don’t have to prove your case. God doesn’t vet us. God loves to forgive the penitent!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 103:12
Psalm 103:10
1 John 1:9
Isaiah 55:6-7

QUOTES:
James Montgomery Boice - “God is ready and even yearning to forgive and restore us fully —if only we will confess our sin and come to him believing in Jesus Christ, who has made atonement for it. And he will do it right away.”

APPLICATION:
For application I want us to spend time in three passages this week: 

• Psalm 51 (Magna Carta of repentance)

• 1 John 1 (Ongoing repentance as fellowship with God)

• Psalm 103 (God’s heart toward those who repent)

Our text gives us clear and immediate application—

Verse 6 is a call to repentance—TODAY—while God can be found. No one is promised tomorrow, but God promises grace TODAY. Today is a day of grace because God is available to receive your repentance. No one is promised tomorrow.

Freely come to Jesus, believing that his life and death are sufficient for your forgiveness. What you will find is that the Lord will be merciful.

TODAY is the day to run to Jesus in repentance and faith. It doesn’t matter where you’ve been or what you’ve done, the Lord won’t turn you away. He will turn His forgiving eye on you.

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Come Praise And Glorify
It Was Finished Upon That Cross
O My Soul Arise
Judge Of The Secrets
Bless The Lord O My Soul (Psalm 103)

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Psalm 56

Prosperity in this world (wealth, health, family) is a gift from God. Prosperity is also a test. It's a test of the heart meant to prove and renew our trust in and love for God. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES:  Sermons in the Psalms, Vol 2
TEXT: Psalm 30
TITLE: Our Prosperity and God’s Praise
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”King David knew the gift of prosperity, but he failed the test of prosperity. Psalm 30 was sung at the dedication of the Temple. David never saw that day, but his experience was the background. In the same way Moses exhorted the Israelites in Deuteronomy 6—When you live prosperously in the Promise Land, don’t forget it came from the hand of God—in the same way, Psalm 30 would remind God’s people that the Temple in all its wonder and glory, comes from the hands of God.”

“David’s experience is our instruction. Living in America, we all know prosperity. The question isn’t—Am I prosperous? The question is—How do I know if I’m failing the test of prosperity?  For this task, Psalm 30 is a gift to us. Today we will unpack David’s situation, then use his situation to draw three applications for our own praise of God in prosperity.”

“Like a bucket draws water up out of a well—imagery of verb drawn in 1—God drew David up out of the pit of death. And now David praises God from a heart overflowing with gratitude. He doesn’t forget what God did for him. He can’t forget. He won’t forget. So, he praises God.”

“David was a man who had received God’s favor in abundance. The LORD was good to David. The LORD prospered David. He provided richly for David—his kingdom, military might, and personal life. David knew God’s favor as few knew it—(7) By your favor, O LORD, you made my mountain (metaphor for his kingdom and personal life) stand strong.”

“David knew God’s favor. But he forgot God’s favor—(6) As for me in my prosperity, I shall never be moved. This is David’s humble confession that he became proud in his prosperity. He allowed God’s favor to close his eyes to God. He grew numb to the reality that all he had was from God, and his pride swelled as he began to believe his own headlines. David began to think—I got this! I’ve done this!”

“David forgot that his prosperity was a gift from God, and in his forgetfulness, he failed the test of prosperity. And so, God disciplined him. God disciplines the ones He loves (Heb 12). God disciplined for his pride. At the end of 7, God hid His face from David, and David was dismayed. He felt it, and he knew it. David forgot God.”

“Let us beware, indeed. In the words of one Scottish preacher—We are never in greater danger than in the sunshine of prosperity.”

“I can find at least three ways David responds to God in Psalm 30  that three thousand years later compel us to sing God’s praises in our prosperity rather than swell our pride. [See below.]”

“Being merciful and gracious is not merely what God does; it’s who He is. It’s His nature. It’s according to his character or, as 4 says—His holy name. David is not simply observing life here in 4-5. You win some, you lose some. You have to take the bad with the good. Cheer up; things will get better. No, Anger for a moment, favor for a lifetime, weeping in the night, and joy in the morning are spiritual contrasts that communicate what God is like and how He loves to treat His people.”

“Be warned today—God will discipline you for your sin. Be sober-minded about your self-sufficiency, self-reliance, and self-exaltation. Repent. Humble yourself before the Lord in prayer. Run to Jesus and receive forgiveness, knowing the disposition of God’s heart toward you is divine favor, and that outweighs His divine anger.”

“Know that whether it is God’s discipline or suffering in a fallen world, you will have times of weeping in your life, but God’s favor and the joy His favor brings are the final words in your life.”

“Whether it is education, career, health, wealth, or cherished relationships, our prosperity comes from God, and it is for His glory, not ours. Your prosperity is meant to serve God’s eternal designs of glorifying Himself in all things. It’s the reason we exist. Through our salvation in Christ, our lives would not be silent; instead, we would worship and testify to the glory of God.”

“The discipline of the Lord has humbled David. Now he sees he should have thanked God for what he had instead of allowing what he had to swell his pride. And gratitude is the key. It’s hard for pride to grow in a heart filled with gratitude.”

“Truth is, our gratefulness should exceed David’s because Jesus did the unthinkable—he gave up his life so we could be spared from the pit of eternal death. This is truth for all of us, but my heart today is that in particular, those of you who If don’t feel prosperous. God hid his face from His only Son on the cross so He could shine His face down upon you. Jesus died on the cross. For three days, he was dead. But on the third day, God drew him up, not merely from death but over death itself.”

“Are you looking for reasons to sing this morning? Do you need to be compelled to sing? Don’t look to your prosperity; look to what God is like. His anger is but for a moment, but his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry through the night, but joy comes in the morning.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 6:33
John 3:30

QUOTES:
Oswald Sanders - “Not every man can carry a full cup. Sudden elevation frequently leads to pride and a fall. The most exacting test of all is to survive prosperity.”

Charles Spurgeon - “Prosperity had evidently turned the psalmist’s head, or he would not have been so self-confident. He stood by grace, and yet forgot himself, and so met with a fall. Reader, is there not much of the same proud stuff in all our hearts? Let us beware lest the fortunes of intoxicating success get into our brains and make fools of us also.”

James Montgomery Boice - “The point is this: God is indeed displeased with sin and can never be indifferent to it. He judges sin with a holy anger, even in Christians. But for His people God’s judgments and anger are short-lived. They pass quickly. What remains is His favor, which lasts for our lifetime and indeed forever.”

Eric Lane - “God’s anger is like an overnight visitor but His favor is like a permanent resident.”

APPLICATION:
So How do we know if we are failing the test of prosperity? 

• Is your daily communion (Prayer/Word) with Jesus diminishing?

• Is your first impulse I got this or I did this?

• Do forsake the things you know God has called you to (church, Christian fellowship, giving) to pursue the things the world holds out to you (leisure, work, lifestyle, family)?

• Have the unsaved become invisible because all that matters is what you have going on?

• Do you give less to your church's mission because you need more to sustain your lifestyle?

• Do you forget to give God glory in success?

• Are people more aware of your encouragement of them or your stories about you? 

• Are you amazed by God’s grace and power less and less because you are amazed at your abilities and accomplishments more and more?

In his prosperity, David forgot God. Have you forgotten God in your prosperity? Or maybe you haven’t forgotten God but have repositioned him in your life.

1. Remember God’s Heart

2. Embrace Your Purpose

3. Excel in Gratitude

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Sing
Jesus Your Mercy
The Lord Almighty Reigns (Psalm 93)
O Lord My Rock And My Redeemer
10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Psalm 32

Listening to someone pray tells you a lot about them. In our text today, we learn a lot about Israel through their prayers. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES:  Sermons in the Psalms, Vol 2
TEXT: Psalm 20
TITLE: Confidence In Our King
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Psalm 20 is a prayer for victory on the battlefield (Psalm 21 is thanksgiving for the victory). It can be divided into three parts:
1. The first five verses are Israel’s prayer for David’s victory. 
2. In 6-8, we witness the people’s unwavering confidence in God for victory. 
3. Finally, one more appeal for victory in 9.
Interestingly, it’s a prayer written by David to be prayed for David.”

“If you can picture with me the scene, David is about to lead Israel onto the battlefield. That is his day of trouble in 1. Israel’s army was assembled and ready for battle. But before they leave, David orders sacrifices and prayers to be offered. As he stands before the people, they offer blessings and prayers for him, which are laid out for us in the first five verses.”

“So 1-5 is a powerfully theological prayer that reveals the people’s confidence in the character, provision, promises, faithfulness, and blessings of God. They are an outpouring of their love for the LORD, fear of the LORD, and trust in the LORD.”

“As one commentator noted, the repetition of the word May (8x’s in all) communicates their complete confidence in the LORD. This is proved out in 6-8. Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God. These words are the heart of Psalm 20.”

“An armory filled with chariots produced a lot of confidence on the battlefield. But Israel didn’t look to the armory; they looked to the sanctuary in heaven for their help because they believed that their all-powerful, self-existent, unchanging, ever-present, always faithful God, Yahweh himself, would win the war for them.”

“By the way, their discerning eye of faith in an invisible God was not in vain. Psalm 20 is God’s people confidently praying for victory. Psalm 21 is God’s people passionately thanking God for the victory.”

“I believe it’s natural for all of us to find our confidence in ourselves. We all have our personal chariots and horses. Our strength, will, wisdom, money, experience. The more we possess, the more we accomplish, the more we achieve, the more we are confident in ourselves—I’ve been here before; I’ve got this. It’s a vicious cycle.”

“So, facing our misappropriated trust and confidence head-on is critical. Not only is it so often the source of our anxiety, discouragement, and disappointment, but it keeps us from and puts us in opposition to God.  When our minds are filled with self-confidence, we forget God’s sufficiency.”

“When we trust in human wisdom, we get what human wisdom can give. When we trust in institutions and organizations, we get what institutions and organizations can give. When we trust in money, we get what money can give. When we trust in created things instead of the Creator, we get what created things can give us instead of what only God can give us.”

“The writer [of Proverbs 3:5-8] seems pretty clear to me—To know God. To boast in the LORD. To trust in Jesus. That’s where we find healing and refreshment; joy and contentment; peace and satisfaction everlasting. Do you feel the weight of grief? Do you feel weak in faith? Redirect your confidence. Look to Jesus. Trust in Jesus. Oh Lord, in the words of Spurgeon—Let us adore your matchless name, and never dishonor it by distrust or creature-confidence.”

“In Jesus, we have an eternal king of an everlasting kingdom. From the temptations in the wilderness to Gethsemane, where Jesus prayed on his day of trouble, to the cross and the empty grave, Jesus won the ultimate battle for us. David made sacrifices before the battle, but Jesus was the sacrifice that won the battle for our souls.”

“As a believer, your life, purpose, hope, and confidence are tied up in the life of your King. Such is your union with Christ Jesus; therefore, such is your confidence in Christ.”

“Here's the point this morning—The closer we are to Jesus, the more confident we live for him. The more we know him and all he has done for us,  the more we love and trust him.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Proverbs 3:5-8
Romans 8:28-39

QUOTES:
Charles Spurgeon - “Chariots and horses make an imposing show, and with their rattling, and dust, and fine caparisons, make so great a figure that vain man is much taken with them; yet the discerning eye of faith sees more in an invisible God than in all these.”

John Calvin - “It’s impossible for him who promises himself victory by confiding in his own strength to have his eyes turned toward God.”

John Stott - “The cross is the blazing fire at which the flame of our love is kindled, but we have to get near enough to it for its sparks to fall on us.”

APPLICATION:
Q. Where does your confidence come from?
Q. How do we position ourselves for Psalm 20 confidence in Christ? A. We have to stay close to Christ. If we don’t see him, we won’t remember him.

Four simple ways to stay in the cross's “spark zone”: 
1. Memorize and meditate on gospel verses in Scripture
God calls us to renew our minds and allow our perspective to be shaped by His Word. Start with the gospel. Nothing makes sense without it. Here are some specific verses:
2 Corinthians 5:21
Ephesians 1:3-10; 2:1-10
Romans 3:23-26; 5:6-11; 8:29-39
Isaiah 53:3-6
Titus 3:3-7

2. Study the multi-faceted nature of the gospel
Before you try to figure out what can’t be figured out, usually represented by words you can’t pronounce, do you know what propitiation, justification, and atonement are? Study the Bible and start with the gospel. The more you understand, the more you will cherish and trust. 

3. Rehearse often how the gospel changed and is changing your life
People like to say forget the past. Never forget the past. Reflect on your testimony. Remember how God saved you and continues His gospel work in you today. There is no greater way to grow your confidence in Christ.

4. Finally, Make the gospel part of every prayer you pray
Prayer is communion with God. Nothing is more central to our communion with God than what He has done for us in Christ.

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
We Give Thanks (Psalm 107)
My Soul Will Wait (Psalm 62)
All Things
Christ is Mine Forevermore

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Psalm 30

David gives us a compelling example on how we can move towards praise and proclamation in times of trouble. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES:  Sermons in the Psalms, Vol 2
TEXT: Psalm 9
TITLE: Moving Towards Praise and Proclamation in Trouble
PREACHER: Tim Lambros
BIG IDEA: Gospel power moves us to praise and proclamation in times of trouble.

POINTS:
1. God As My Refuge
2. God As My Deliverer

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Four times in the first two verses the Psalmist says “I will.”  The Psalmist is attempting to will himself into a certain action. ‘I will give thanks’… do we only give thanks when things go our way?”

“‘I will recount all of your wonderful deeds.’ Think about how powerful this is – when trouble visits your space – your mind can only hold one thought at a time – the Psalmist fights the temptation to grumble, complain, and put on self-pity but fights it by recounting all God’s wonderful deeds. Praise and proclamation can only happen when God is remembered.”

“IMPORTANT In times of trouble remembering WHO God is and WHAT God has done shapes/influences HOW you will respond.  Otherwise, circumstances will dictate how you respond. So we see the Psalmist has a certain resolve in the midst of his circumstances.  We can all relate to this difficulty. When we face trouble every thought matters.”

“Is the Psalmist talking about his resolve following the challenge or in the midst of the trouble? Has the Psalmist been delivered from his troubles or is he in the midst of his troubles? I think we can make a case that the Psalmist is in the midst of trouble.  I think there are hints in our text that would indicate David is in the midst of trouble while he pens this Psalm. Look ahead to V. 9 & V. 13 – God is a stronghold for the oppressed.  He is the stronghold in times of trouble.  ‘See my affliction’. David is in the midst of trouble.  Yet he praises.  He proclaims truths about God.”

“3 things we see in the text that fill his resolve to fill His mind with praise to God AND proclaim truth about God in the midst of trouble:
1. Praise for God’s prior deliverance (v. 3-6)
2. Proclaiming truth about God’s righteousness (v. 7-8)
3. Proclaiming God as a refuge (v.9-10)”

“Notice what V. 9 says – a stronghold for the oppressed and those in times of trouble. I would imagine just about every one of you today is faced with some aspect of oppression or trouble. Sometimes it’s direct and obvious but other times oppression and trouble simply comes because we live in a fallen world. The Psalmist holds out that the LORD is your stronghold.  He is your protection in times of trouble.”

“He says THE LORD IS A STRONGHOLD… LISTEN CLOSELY – God brings trouble into our lives so we can learn to trust Him in the midst of our trouble.  Why? It’s one thing to know God IS A STRONGHOLD, it’s another thing to know God AS YOUR STRONGHOLD. Same as refuge and same as deliverer.”

“It’s easy to just hear “do you know the Lord” as Christianese yet this is the climax of this Psalm. V.10 “Those who know His name put their trust in Him”.  Those who know Him know He will not forsake you.  David is saying with credibility that I know the LORD – He has delivered me many times in the past and He can be trusted. I DON’T JUST FACTUALLY KNOW GOD IS A STRONGHOLD I KNOW HIM AS A STRONGHOLD.”

“CHURCH … to trust God in the midst of your trouble – to move towards praising and proclaiming in the midst of trouble – you must have times of trouble where you can trust God AS your stronghold.  Knowing and trusting God can’t be a set of facts – it’s so much more – praisers and proclaimers know God will not forsake them.”

“In the midst of [Jesus’] trouble – being unjustly crucified – He did not forsake us.  We have God sending His Son to be forsaken so we could know and trust God that He will not forsake you.  NT believers have the full revelation of God Himself in His Son.  God has chosen to reveal Himself to us and He does this by forsaking His Son that we could KNOW HIM AND TRUST HIM in the midst of our trouble and afflictions.”

“What about when God doesn’t answer our prayer?  What about when it feels like you have been forsaken? David knew what it was like for God TO NOT DELIVER HIS SON. Believers don’t just have a here and now understanding of God as deliverer.  We have a LONG view of God’s deliverance.  It’s one level of trust to move towards praise and proclamation while we are in the midst of trouble and affliction but sometimes God will call you to trust Him for eternal deliverance.  That place where there is no more tears, pain, trouble or affliction.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
2 Samuel 22:1-3
Colossians 3:1–4
Acts 16:25
James 1:3
Hebrews 4:14–16

APPLICATION:
- Have you noticed it’s easier to praise God’s goodness and proclaim truths about God after you have been delivered?  What about in the midst of trouble?  How do you do when you are facing trouble, tempted to doubt God maybe even believe untruths about God like he has left you.  

- Do you know the Lord?  Do you know Him in the middle of your trouble and afflictions?  Does that move you to be a praising and proclaiming, believer?

So how do we move towards praise and proclamation when we are afflicted this week or in the midst of trouble?
1. Recount His deeds! Start by preaching the gospel to yourself daily!  Then add to this all His wonderful deeds He’s done in your life.
2. Pursue grace as a practice  – Study Heb 5:11-14 Here’s a taste from V. 14 “powers of discernment trained by constant practice” You might ask “how do I do that? Pursue grace through God’s means of grace.  Don’t overlook the beauty and blessing of gathering with your Church every Sunday morning.

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Glorious Christ
Behold Our God
It's Your Grace
Rejoice
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Psalm 20

Jesus is the light of God’s face! Come all who put their faith in Him, and you will find that you, too, now live in the goodness of God! Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES:  Sermons in the Psalms, Vol 2
TEXT: Psalm 4
TITLE: Joy That Comes in the Night
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: An unmatched joy is given by God that leads us to trust Him in our time of need.

POINTS:
1. A Joy that comes from God in the darkness of night
2. A Joy that is beyond compare
3. A Joy that leads to a peace-filled trust in God

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Not simply ‘a’ joy, but a joy that is beyond compare and unrivaled, can only come from our all-satisfying God who has shone the light of His face on us!”

“In the darkness of night, we find King David is in distress. His trouble is real, described in vs 1 - His distress is significant enough for him to cry to God for relief! Then in verse 2, we find that the trial that he is facing is suffering under shameful assaults on his honor and lies about his character - likely sowing seeds of dissension in the kingdom. This assault on his honor is coming from ‘men of rank,’ not some lightweight opposition - (not some troll with an internet connection). This is a legit enemy wreaking real havoc! Danger is imminent. War could break out! This distress is not only real and consistent, but non-stop, and lengthy, ‘how long.’”

“THIS is important - this distress/trouble does not go away. It appears to remain! But, amid David’s distress, David is granted the relief he has prayed for in Verse 1, and that relief comes from a JOY that God graciously puts in David’s heart (vs 7). In the midst of this distressing situation that will not relent, a surprising joy from God floods the heart of David, enabling him to peacefully go to bed and fall asleep and be assured that his life is safe!”

“Oh, how we need this! LET THIS SINK INTO YOUR SOUL! ON A VERY BAD DAY - GOD GIVES DAVID JOY! And David leads the Choirmaster, and with the stringed instruments, David sings for us… instructing us as it were… in his prayer!”

“We might be hoping and expecting that as soon as we get to the end Vs. 6, the very thing we should have next is ‘You have vanquished my enemy and removed the trial! The lies and dishonor are gone’ The LORD does the unexpected. Instead of the situation being taken away, the LORD does what we will see is better. In vs 7, The LORD gives Joy!”

“In vs 1-8 there are 7 specific REASONS, found in God’s goodness and favor, for our Joy:

• Vs. 1a Reason #1 for our Joy is found in God giving His righteousness to us.

• Vs. 1b Reason #2 for our Joy is found in God’s past faithness. 

• Vs. 1c Reason #3 for our Joy is found in God being gracious to us. 

• Vs. 3a Reason #4 for our Joy is found in God setting us apart for himself. 

• Vs. 3b Reason #5 for our Joy is found in God's hearing when we call to him.

• Vs. 8a Reason #6 for our Joy is found in God granting us peace. 

• Vs. 8b Reason #7 for our Joy is found in God granting us safety (He will not let you go nor be destroyed).”

“Reason after reason after reason for Joy, and every one of them pointed to the One who makes each possible. The believer in Christ cannot help but see that all of this is ultimately possible in the Cross of Jesus Christ.”

“Jesus, the light of the world, is the expression of the light of God’s face shining forth in salvation! Joy to the world! Jesus is the reason for that JOY!”

“Jesus is the light of God’s face! Come all who put their faith in Him, and you will find that you, too, now live in the goodness of God!”

“…in our time of need, we are tempted to look to this world for relief! Where do you go in the midst of suffering and trial? Where are we going to go to get the answers and relief? Where does David go in the midst of his distress? He goes to His God. There, David finds great relief in his trouble: God’s inexplicable favor in the light of God’s face!”

“Our Choirmaster has gone before us! He has graciously heard our prayer! He has graciously saved us and will keep us safe through the night!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Numbers 6:24-26
Romans 3 and 4
Romans 5:8
Hebrews 1:3

QUOTES:
Ligoneer - “To have the light of God’s face shine upon a person, then, is to have the glory of the Lord shine in a special way… indicating His approval of the person on whom He shines as one who is righteous in His sight. Scripture describes the experience of God’s light as the greatest blessing that any human being can ever enjoy.”

Charles Spurgeon -“He will not forsake you: He will bear you through. There is a promise prepared for your present emergencies; and if you will believe and plead it at the mercy-seat through Jesus Christ, you shall see the hand of the Lord stretched out to help you. Everything else will fail, but His word never will.”

APPLICATION:
CHURCH! Behold reason and after reason to rejoice in your Savior, Jesus!

• Jesus is the righteousness of God given to us (Rom. 3 and 4)

• Jesus’ past faithfulness at the cross is the very means of our salvation!

• Jesus receives the wrath we deserve, and we receive the undeserved grace of God! (Rom. 5:8)

• We are set apart IN Jesus!

• We have direct access in prayer to the throne of grace IN Jesus!

• Jesus speaks, “My peace I give you” 

Who will show us some good? Answer: The light of God’s face shines upon us!
Q. What was on your mind/heart when the sun went down yesterday?
Q. What was on your mind the night before?

The light of the world, Jesus, has come into the darkness of this world. HIS LIGHT WAS   NOT   SNUFFED OUT YESTERDAY AND NEVER WILL! In fact… JESUS WILL SHINE BRIGHTER AS THE DAYS GROW DARKER!

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Praise to the Lord
Only A Holy God
Before The Throne Of God Above
I Have A Shelter
Thy Mercy

Psalm 29 is a poetic retelling of a storm by David. It has one goal—Move us to worship. As one commentator said—Psalm 29 is Pure Praise. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES:  Sermons in the Psalms, Vol 2
TEXT: Psalm 29
TITLE: Christmas in July
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
1. We Were Created for Glory
2. God is Worthy of All Glory

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”These verses call God’s people to give God the glory He is due. Three times, we are commanded to ascribe to God praise and worship due to His matchless name, infinite worth, and glorious character. And not just God’s people, but the angels as well—(1) Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings.”

“Of course, the angels ascribe glory to God naturally. So the thrice command to give praise to God is really for us. And we need it. But why? Why must we be repeatedly commanded to give God the glory due to His name? We are like the angels in that we are hardwired for glory. God created us for glory. But we have a problem the angels don’t—Sin. Sin has caused a glory war in our hearts. Heb 3 says sin is deceitful. One way sin deceives us is by blinding us to the glory of God.”

“But it’s not just that we are blinded to God’s glory; sin creates a craving in our hearts for personal glory. Instead of God’s glory, we pursue our glory. We live for our reputation. We praise our accomplishments. We worship our wisdom. We glory in our personal morals. We glory in our health. We glory in our respectability. We glory in our bank accounts. Our hearts are a theater of glory wars.”

“This is why we get discouraged and depressed. This is the source of our confusion and contentions. This is why some are anxious and angry. Self-glory can never satisfy a person hardwired to feast on God’s glory.”

“In the second stanza, 3-9, David shows us WHY we are to ascribe the LORD glory.”

“After repeatedly exhorting us to ascribe glory to God, in 3-9, David shows us WHY God is worthy of our continuous praise by describing a storm. Whether the storm was real or not, David's imagery and connections provide a powerful and unforgettable object lesson of God’s greatness.”

“LORD appears ten times in the description of the storm. Seven of those occurrences happen in the phrase the voice of the LORD.”

“All this is poetic imagery for the unmatched power and strength of God. His voice stands over all creation. Nothing is too strong for Him. Nothing is as majestic and awe-inspiring as the LORD. The power of the voice of God is found in other places in Scripture.”

“The imagery of a throne and king communicates sovereign power and complete control. The world may be shaken. Our country may be shaken. You may be shaken. But God is never shaken. He sits enthroned as king above it all. That applies to everything we see in the news and whatever trial you are going through today. We all try to make sense of life. We all seek comfort in difficulty. Psalm 29 is meant to help you do both by holding a God whose sovereign power is unmatched.”

“Did you notice David’s trials are nowhere to be found in Psalm 29? It doesn’t matter what he’s going through. It doesn’t matter what we are going through. God is God!”

“In these final verses, the storm has passed. The earth has been shaken, and the forests are destroyed. But God sits calmly above it all. He is in total control. As for His people, they are blessed with spiritual strength and peace.  This is where the voice of the LORD in Psalm 29 points us forward. It reminds us there is a storm of divine judgment coming one day.”

“Infinitely more terrifying is the eternal storm of Judgment Day. Every human being is a sinner under God’s judgment. Humanly speaking, we are powerless to escape God’s righteous and holy judgment that will be void of any peace and continue eternally. But God made a way in His Son Jesus. Psalm 29 is a bit of Christmas in July. It’s bookends of God’s glory, and our peace was sung by the angels in Luke 2—Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those whom he is pleased.”

“With that song, the angels announced the birth of the one who would bring us face-to-face with the merciful voice of the Lord, enduring the storm of all storms, the storm of God’s eternal justice and wrath for our wrongdoing. Jesus bowed his head into that storm for us, paying the price for all our sin, making a way for our forgiveness, and giving us true peace with God, knowing He will never hold our sins against us but only give us grace, mercy, and joy forever.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 46:10
Romans 1:16

QUOTES:
James Montgomery Boice - “Why does David call on the angels? It is because he thinks that his praise and that of other mere human beings is not adequate. David is overwhelmed with the majesty of God revealed in the storm that he has witnessed and is now going to describe. He feels that he needs help to praise God properly. To praise God adequately the entire created order must join in, and even then sufficient praise will be lacking.”

Mark Johnston - “Baal was regarded as the storm god in Canaanite religion, and his worshipers looked to him to bring them through life’s upheavals. But like every false deity, Baal had neither the ability to hear nor the ability to answer this cry for help, and his devotees were left to the mercy of life’s crises. Not so the God of Israel.”

APPLICATION:
- What glory is commanding your heart?

- What’s your modern-day Baal? Self-sufficiency? Protectionism? Psychological therapy? A twelve-step program? Where do you run? Where do you pursue hope? Smash your Baals and trust the voice of the LORD revealed in your Bible. Nothing can happen to you apart from the voice of the LORD. He is always in control of your life. His plans for you are sure.

In the kindness of God, it’s almost monsoon season. We will watch powerful storms roll through our city in the coming weeks. As they do, allow Psalm 29 to fill your mind and move you to praise God for who He is and what He has done for you in Jesus.  

Don’t wait for the monsoons. I began by sharing how we can never exhaust our understanding of the Psalms. Even more, we can never exhaust ascribing glory to our Lord and Savior, not today, tomorrow, not even in eternity. Right now, start with one area of your life where you need to be more intentional

• Conversations

• Priorities

• Thought life

• Perspective

• Eyes

• Accomplishments

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
This is Amazing Grace - Phil Wickam
Sing! (Live) - Sovereign Grace Music
Jesus Your Mercy - Sovereign Grace Music
Christ is Mine Forever More - CityAlight
How Great (Psalm 145) - Sovereign Grace Music