The promise of heaven begins with Advent and its Unexpected Purpose and Message brings hope, joy, and peace to a life filled with the unexpected. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: The Unexpected at Advent
TEXT: Luke 2:14
TITLE: An Unexpected Message
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
1. The Unexpected Purpose of Christmas
2. The Unexpected Promise of Christmas

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Our Advent series has focused on the unexpected: Lowly local shepherds. Gentile magi from afar. A Jewish virgin girl. A blip on the map called Bethlehem. The Unexpected at Advent. The irony is we tend to fear the unexpected. We like our worlds ordered. We find comfort in well-laid plans. No surprises, please. We can even struggle with something good that comes unexpectedly. The Unexpected is unavoidable, and times unimaginably difficult.”

“When the angels celebrate the first Christmas, they don't begin with you and me; they start with God—his glory, not ours. John Piper describes God's glory as—the public display of God's infinite beauty and worth. And that is precisely what the angels are responding to on this first Christmas—the public display of God's endless beauty and worth—IN A MANGER!“

“Above all things, angels were created to continually magnify and declare God's glory. For this, they have a front-row seat in heaven. But they have never seen God's glory displayed in this way. In the Incarnation, God was physically present with man—his grace, love, and power in the flesh. Throughout Scripture, we find angels worshipping, magnifying, and glorifying God. But they never saw His glory like this—Glory in a manger—and they could not contain themselves.”

“We have something in common with the angels: We, too, were created to the praise and glory of God. Our existence is meant to be upward. Our highest motivation in all that we are is God's glory. Our greatest goal in life is God glorified in and through us. Like the angels, we exist for God's glory.”

“But in the Garden, something awful happened—Adam and Eve exchanged the glory of God for the glory of self. Since then, we have been trying to rip glory from God's hands. We tend to forget God's glory. Instead of living upward, we live inward.”

“Peace is the deepest longing of the human spirit. Peace in the home. Peace in my marriage. Peace in our politics. Peace in the world. We long for peace because we were created to live in peace. We tend to think we can fulfill our innate desire for peace. Peace through strength. Peace through tolerance. Peace through pacifism. Peace through understanding. Peace through political revolution. But the peace we were created for is not horizontal; it's vertical.”

“This peace proclaimed by the angels transcends time, human relationships, political hostilities, and life circumstances. This peace is the most basic human need—an inward and eternal peace with God.“

“JUSTIFICATION is the precious doctrine that is at the heart of Christmas. It means God looks upon you just as if you had never sinned but perfectly obeyed. On account of Jesus' righteousness, God declares you righteous in His eyes. That means no sin to judge. Instead, you have eternal peace with God. The death of Jesus has removed the sin that put you in conflict with God, and his righteousness is credited to you, and the result is—Peace with God!“

“This is the Unexpected Promise of Christmas: No matter who you are, where you’ve been, or what you’ve done, in Christ Jesus, all fear of God's holy wrath is gone. This baby boy in a manger is not only the glory of God revealed but the means of the sinner's peace with God accomplished! The good news for lowly shepherds, elite Magi, and US!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Colossians 1:19
Hebrews 1:3
John 1:14
Philippians 4:6-7
Isaiah 26:3

QUOTES:
J.C. Ryle - “Let all true Christians remember that their best things are yet to come. Let us count it no strange thing, if we have sufferings in this present time. It is a season of probation. We are yet at school. We are learning patience, longsuffering, gentleness, and meekness, which we could hardly learn if we had our good things now. But there is an eternal holiday yet to begin. For this let us wait quietly. It will make amends for all.”

Charles Spurgeon - “God is glorified in every dewdrop that twinkles to the morning sun. He is magnified in every flower that blossoms. God is glorified in every bird that warbles on the spray. Do not the fishes in the sea praise him? From the tiny minnow to the huge Leviathan, do not all creatures that swim the water bless and praise his name? Do not the stars exalt him? Do not the lightnings adore him when they flash his brightness in arrows of light piercing the midnight darkness? Do not thunders extol him when they roll like drums in the march of God's armies? Do not all things exalt him, from the least even to the greatest? But sing, sing, oh universe, till thou hast exhausted thyself, thou canst not afford a song so sweet as the song of Incarnation.”

Paul Tripp - “We have a glory problem. All of us are in the midst of a glory war. We all have moments of glory confusion. We all have times when we want the creation more than we want the Creator.”

Raymond Ortlund Jr. - “Why is the world in such a mess? You and I are the problem. Our good intentions are not strong enough to control our evil impulses. We need a Savior to rescue us from ourselves.”

Paul Tripp - If you would for a moment, reflect on your last couple weeks, you will recognize, brothers and sisters, that you and I still have a glory problem. We don't always get glory right. Recognize that we have a peace problem; we don't always care about peace with God. We don't always have peace within. We surely don't always experience peace with one another. And so the work of that grace is as needed by us this morning as it's ever been. The angels announce your hope. The angels announce your redemption. The angels announce to you grace; grace of a life lived, grace of a death offered so that you may live for His glory, and you may experience in all the ways possible, His peace.”

APPLICATION:
As we await our eternal holiday in heaven, may our song be the angel’s song—Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those whom he is pleased!

To my non-Christian friend, Luke wrote these verses and the entire gospel to a man named Theophilus. His reason, according to 1:4: Theophilus would be certain of Jesus. You are here. You have heard the purpose and promise of Christmas. Will you believe? Luke and the rest of the Bible is God's story of saving sinners to himself. And this Christmas, you can become a part of it. Believe in Jesus today.

To my fellow Christian, are you anxious about the future? Are you discouraged about life? Are you angry at God about circumstances? All these sinful attitudes rob you of the full benefit of God’s peace. In their own way, each one is an expression of trying to wrestle God's glory for yourself. The answer: turn your heart back to God and trust Him. 

The Advent of Jesus is the greatest news of all time! A three-message Christmas mini-series may at first seem insufficient to proclaim THE GOOD NEWS of the Advent of the Savior, but it does have the power to grab our attention again and refocus our minds and hearts on truths that have become all too familiar to us. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: The Unexpected at Advent
TEXT: Luke 2:1-12
TITLE: Wise Men From Afar
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: The Good News of the Savior and King, Jesus, has come to the unexpected who are far off.

POINTS:
1. They Were Directed by God
2. They Were Used by an Evil King
3. They Worshipped the Savior

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Because of misinterpretation in religion and culture over 2,000 years, these [wise men] can be misunderstood, and the point of them being invited can be completely missed.”

“The ESV Study Bible notes that [the ‘wise men from the east’, literally ‘Magi’] were ‘...priests and experts in mysteries in Persia and Babylon’. The Magi were well-educated counselors, wise men, and they served kings through their knowledge, interpretations, and 'wisdom, speaking into difficult and everyday matters. …The closest thing we have to these guys in the U.S. would be presidential advisors - cabinet members.”

“The Stars belong to God and this star compelling the Magi to the west was HIS DOING. God was directing every single detail and that includes the heavens above and the earth below. His Star is what moved them!”

“While some have described this star as supernova, a comet, or the aligning of planets, Verses 2 and 9 reveal that something more supernatural is occurring - coupled with no one else mentioning it. …God uses Bethlehem’s star as His unique and gracious invitation to the star-led magi.”

“The Magi would have likely been familiar with some of the Old Testament, (the Prophet Daniel in particular) including the promise of the coming Jewish king (See Vs. 2). “His star” that drew their attention westward toward Israel would likely have driven them from studying this star to studying the Israelite Scriptures as they sought to understand what was happening.”

“All of this - the magi and their entourage, the star, and the message they came proclaiming about the birth of a new king - was deeply troubling to Herod. And if Herod was troubled, then all whom he ruthlessly ruled were troubled.”

“Herod ruled through violence and manipulation. He was known for his bloodthirst. Emperor Augustus was quoted as saying, “It is better to be Herod's pig than his son.” As a Jew, Herod refused to kill pigs but killed three of his sons, along with many others, including one of his wives and a number of her family members. AND, like Pharoh of old, under the threat of being replaced by another king, he sets out to find and kill this newborn king.”

“The Gospel reveals that this is the pattern - the Jewish leaders will reject Christ and seek to kill Him but the Gentiles will believe in Christ and be saved according to God’s word!”

“All of this…is completely unexpected! The very ones whom the Messiah came from and came to, they seek to kill him! But, from these unexpected ones who were far away from Him, Jesus would receive extravagant worship… worship fueled by EXCEEDING rejoicing and with GREAT joy!”

“[These Gentile Magi] are on God’s invite list of the birth announcement of The King of the Jews, Jesus, to make it clear that the Savior has come for SINNERS, and this includes sinners LIKE YOU AND ME!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 8:3
Matthew 2:16-17
Matthew 23:37
Ephesians 2:12-13

QUOTES:
 Daniel M. Doriani - “...God… chooses to speak to stargazers through a star. Stars had significance for these men. God descended to the Magi’s level to communicate with them. Stars got their attention, so God used a star.”

APPLICATION POINTS:
- Everything is God’s doing. What is going on in your life? It is God’s “invisible hand” directing and guiding it all!
-Satan is at work right now deceiving whoever will listen and follow him (Ephesians 6:12, John 15:18)

Unbeliever
Whether or not you are aware, you are lost in this world, but the Savior has been born unto you and me!
Q. Are you a sinner? The Good News is that You are invited! There is no place where the Gospel cannot reach. There is no sinner who is too far off that the Gospel cannot reach. COME, BEHOLD THE CHILD, JESUS, THE SAVIOR!

Looking into the unexpected people and events God uses can help us not just guard verses mindlessly walk through this Christmas season, but deepen our awe and appreciation of these historical and objective gospel events. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: The Unexpected at Advent
TEXT: Luke 2:8-20
TITLE: Shepherds In The Field
PREACHER: Tim Lambros

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Our Christmas series is titled “The Unexpected at Advent.” Advent means “arrival” and typically Christians take a few weeks each year to celebrate and remember afresh the events of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. I think this sentence captures our  approach this year - It’s a time to reflect on the unexpected nature of Jesus’ humble birth.” 

“What makes this story so stunning is all the unexpected people and events that occur. Let’s explore together the unexpected first recipients of this profound birth  announcement.”

“In one of God’s providential movements of people and nations, Caesar Augustus dictates there will be a census, all of Israel is seriously inconvenienced and once again reminded of Roman rule and oppression. Even if you’re 9 months pregnant, you are required to register in your home town. Yet Augustus and the local governor Quirinius are simply unsuspecting tools in God’s hand. God uses these secular leaders to fulfill yet another OT prophecy. Micah 5:2 states 700 years prior to this day that the One who would rule Israel would come out of  Bethlehem. God is directing people and nations. ” 

“Luke states that in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch  over their flock at night. We can be quite confident these shepherds were not prepared for what was about to happen. For us, 2000 years later, to grasp the depth of  shock and surprise, we must know a few things about shepherds in Christ day.”

“These are unnamed shepherds in the field. We have to be careful in a number of places during the Christmas story because we tend to bring our rendition of who the players are and what the culture was like. 

• Shepherds lived in the fields, could not keep the ceremonial law so they were  treated as unclean  

•They were regarded as liars and thieves and their testimony was inadmissible in a  court of law. 

• Shepherds did not enjoy a very good reputation in their day.”

“The most important announcement in all of history, anticipated for centuries and it comes to these  UNNAMED shepherds working their mundane, dirty, boring job are the recipients! Now listen to the content of the announcement – GOOD NEWS, GREAT JOY ….Not just any news but GOOD news. Not just joy but GREAT joy. Not just for some  people but for ALL the people …”  

“Let’s not be romantic about these manger scenes that populate our homes and public places. The Christ came into this world and lay in a feeding trough.. Jesus is born and is laid in a feeding trough for animals in a barn that stinks of animal smells and sounds. Of all the babies born during the census period, the Shepherds would find Jesus in a barn, looking like every other newborn and drawing no attention  to Himself.”

“God is a speaking God. The revelation of Himself in creation speaks. The revelation of Himself in the OT speaks. But they are like whispers compared to the  Incarnation. This is God shouting! This is the highest revelation of Himself. God sent His Son to take on flesh. We can gaze upon the exact imprint of God. We can see the radiance of the glory of God in that manger! To truly grasp Christmas, we must grasp what a monumental moment this truly is!“ 

“The Christmas message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity - hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory - because at the Fathers’ will Jesus Christ became poor and was born in a stable so that thirty years later he would hang on a cross.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Galatians 4:4
Hebrews 1:1–3

QUOTES:
Phillip Ryken - “Shepherds were despised. With the exception of lepers they were the lowest class of  men in Israel.”
”The shepherds would not find the child couched in royal splendor, as they might have expected, but lying in poverty. This was the humiliation of the incarnation, that the Son of God humbled Himself to save us.“

J.I. Packer - “It is here, in the thing that happened at the first Christmas that the profoundest and most unfathomable depths of the Christian revelation lie. The Word became flesh. …The more you think about it, the more staggering it gets. Nothing in fiction is so fantastic as is this truth of the Incarnation.”

APPLICATION:
1. An unexpected event creates a monumental turning point
To truly grasp the real meaning of Christmas, one must be in awe at God working His redemptive plan. Each time we look at a manger scene, it should move us to awe and humility.
QUESTION – What do you see when you look into the manger?

2. An unexpected audience for profoundly good news  
Why did God appear to these unnamed, lowly shepherds? The answer lies in verse 11.
QUESTION – In what ways does the Incarnation of Jesus Christ help you see your need for a Savior?

Our desire today is that we would appropriately understand sin, and in doing so, that our love for Jesus would explode with deeper affections. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

TEXT: Luke 7:36-50
TITLE:  Forgiven Much
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: The deeper we understand what the Word says about our sins, the greater the depth of our love for Jesus.

POINTS:
1. Our sins are many
2. Jesus forgives them all
3. We love Jesus much

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”Most Scholars – without much argument – agree that this woman was very likely a prostitute. Consider the awkwardness of this scene. A woman, a sinner, standing behind the reclining Jesus. Uncontrollable weeping and wetting his feet with her tears - like rainfall. Wiping his feet with her hair. She kissed his feet - the tense of this Greek verb would be that she ‘kissed and kissed and kissed and kissed...’ his feet.”

“The greatness of Jesus' forgiveness meets every last one of her sins! Not a single sin - and the list is long and known only by God - escaped His forgiveness!”

“Verses 47 and 48 use the verb “forgiven” (perfect tense) meaning a forgiving that began in the past, it continues in the present, and points to an eternal forgiving.”

“This is why she loves Jesus much - she sees that her sins are many and that He has forgiven every single one of them. She cannot contain herself!”

“The amazing thing about the grace of God is that it calls us out by His great love, forgives and saves us for THIS purpose: So that we love Him, exalt Him, honor Him!”

“Luther calls her tears ‘heart tears!’ She cannot contain that which floods her heart for Jesus. It does not matter who will see - no fear of man will stop her. Maybe even surprising to herself her forgiven soul propels her toward Jesus.”

“Our affections have been everywhere else, loving this and that, and in the end, really loving ourselves. THE worship center of this world and of our flesh is the need to love yourself. Sin has us convinced that this is the end-all of our existence.”

“What of the Pharisee? Simon has no awareness of the depth and magnitude of his sin - and he adds to those the unforgivable sin of rejecting Christ - vs 30 - rejecting the very purpose of God. He is likely even left out of the parable, not being counted as either of the two debtors who love even to some degree of response. Chapter 8, verse 10 Jesus reveals that the parables themselves expose and create the Pharisees’ spiritual blindness and deafness - what an indictment on their rejection of the Messiah! One commentator wrote, and I agree… ‘Simon seemingly would rather have had Jesus kick her to the side and demand that she leave!’”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Romans 1:28-32
1 John 4:19
2 Timothy 1:1, 2

APPLICATION QUESTIONS:
The gospel reaches out and saves this woman, and the result is a transformed life!

Q. Has your life been transformed by the forgiveness of Jesus?

Q. To what degree are you moved by the forgiveness of Jesus?

Q. Have we forgotten that our sins are many and yet that Christ can forgive and forgive them all!

Q. Why do I NOT FEEL this deeply?

This is no mere birth announcement. In it we discover our true hope and ultimate purpose. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Who Would Have Dreamed?
TEXT: Luke 2:10-14
TITLE: A Cosmic Christmas Announcement
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
1. Our Hope has Arrived
2. Our Purpose is Revealed

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”It’s easy to casually read this angelic proclamation. But this is the first time in Scripture we see such powerful and consequential terms strung together in reference to Jesus: 1. The angels recognize baby Jesus as the Christ: The title Christ means this baby is the anointed one, the promised Messiah, the deliverer of God’s people. 2. Christ the Lord: The title Lord conveys everything that is implied in the OT name of God, Yahweh. This baby is God Incarnate. God in flesh. Immanuel. Mighty God with us! 3. But the angel also describes this baby as Savior reminding us that Jesus is the most relevant person in history, giving us exactly what we need.”

“This is the “good news of great joy” of Christmas—God Himself has become a man to save His people. The one the priests foreshadowed, the prophets predicted, and the people prayed for, was none other than God Himself in human flesh.”

“The prospects for 2023 may be promising. You may feel like you are doing just fine. Christmas reminds us no one is doing fine. Before the Christmas story is good news of great joy it is bad news of great grief. Christmas exists because we need a Savior. We need someone to rescue us. It’s a BIG blow to the ego, but it’s true.”

“Your BIGGEST problem is not your spouse. Health. Circumstance. Boss. Government. Parents. Pastor. It’s you. It’s me. We are sinners. It's not that we are guilty of a few sins, at our very core we are sinners. That’s why we sin. That’s why each one of us are utterly helpless to help our situation. We need someone to do what we cannot do for ourselves—save us. We need a Savior.”

“The angels got it right: Christmas begins with God’s glory not man’s good. John Piper defines God’s glory as the public display of God’s infinite beauty and worth.”

“We see His glory in the smallest flower. We see it in the vastest universe. We see it in the highest mountain. We see it in the imago dei—human beings created in the image of God.   But nothing reveals God’s glory more than the riches of His grace, the depths of His mercy and the boundless nature of His love shown through this baby boy Jesus, whose reconciling life brings eternal spiritual peace to sinners who put their faith in Jesus.”

“This peace the angels proclaim transcends time, human relationships, and national hostilities. It’s not a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine or Republicans and Democrats. It’s not an absence of personal trials or culture wars. The Christmas peace is an eternal inward tranquility that comes from knowing that in this baby boy our dread of death and fear of God’s wrath turns to the praises of angels.”

“It’s in these words our ultimate purpose is revealed. To be redeemed by the blood of this baby and have our existence—our motivations, affections, thoughts, words, and behavior increasingly inclined upward for the praise of another is the highest meaning in life. Nothing glorifies God more than the His Son, our Savior, being brought low so that we could be brought high with praises of His glory!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 1:21

QUOTES:
Raymond Ortlund Jr. - “Why is the world in such a mess? You and I are the problem. Our good intentions are not strong enough to control our evil impulses. We need a Savior to rescue us from ourselves.”

J.C. Ryle - “Let all true Christians remember, that their best things are yet to come. Let us count it no strange thing, if we have sufferings in this present time. It is a season of probation. We are yet at school. We are learning patience, longsuffering, gentleness, and meekness, which we could hardly learn if we had our good things now. But there is an eternal holiday yet to begin. For this let us wait quietly. It will make amends for all.”

APPLICATION:
To my non-Christian friend - This morning you are hearing about Jesus from Luke so you will believe. Luke and the rest of the Bible is God’s story of saving sinners to himself. And this Christmas you can become a part of it. How? Believe in Jesus.

To my fellow Christian, are you weary, discouraged or weak in your faith this Christmas? As you enjoy your Christmas festivities today, allow them to point you to what JC Ryle calls the eternal holiday yet to begin.

How can we worship with joy on Sundays, but keep good news to ourselves the rest of the week? How can we love the gospel as much as we do, but not share it with others? Why is evangelism so difficult for us, but so easy for Jesus? Why is it such a struggle for us, but so natural for Christ? Why is reaching the lost at the center of Savior’s life but so often on the side for us? Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

EVANGELISM WEEKEND
TEXT: Luke 15:1-7
TITLE: What The Savior Sees
PREACHER: Guest Pastor Jim Donohue

POINTS:
1. The Savior Sees the Danger
2. The Savior Sees the Value
3. The Savior Sees the Joy

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”[Saving Baby Jessica] was one of the greatest rescues of all time. It’s a great example perseverance, sacrifice and compassion. And that is what this parable is about.  We see the extraordinary heart of God to rescue lost men and women, who weren’t like Baby Jessica who was innocent and helpless, but sinners rebelling against God. And yet God came after us and rescued us.”

“Sinners were those who didn’t even try to follow the law. The tax collectors were possibly the most despised and rejected in Israel. These people were the farthest from God and yet they are being drawn to the One who is closest to God.”

“Aren’t you glad that sinners can draw near to the Savior? Sinners drew near to Him as love poured out of Him. But something very different was pouring out of the Scribes and Pharisees. They were grumbling and judging, despised and rejected these sinners. This was preposterous to them. Jesus was not only showing compassion to these outcasts, He was receiving them, befriending them and welcoming them. As if they could be part of God’s family! As if they could be included in God’s kingdom. This was not the God that [the pharasies] served. So Jesus tells them this parable to show them that this indeed was the heart of God.”

“The shepherd (who represents Christ) clearly sees the danger. Which is why (in vs. 4) he goes after the lost sheep without a second thought. A lost sheep was a dead sheep.”

“Apart from Christ men and women are pitifully helpless and utterly lost. But we often don’t see the danger when it comes to the lost. With someone like baby Jessica the danger is crystal clear. It’s real and it’s right in front of us.  We can see it, hear it and touch it. But the danger that awaits the lost is far worse than what Jessica faced or anything that we can imagine.”

“This is not easy to talk about. It’s uncomfortable. I wish we didn’t have to talk about people going to hell. But if we love Jesus and we love lost people the way He did. We won’t be afraid to look Hell in the eyes.”

“We wave to our neighbors, interact politely to the waitress, chat kindly with unsaved relatives, and rarely think about the eternal danger that awaits them. They don’t seem like lost sheep or a helpless child stuck in a pipe. But they are. They’re actually far worse.”

“This is the heart of God - to go. To rescue men and women. The Father saw the danger. He saw that we were lost and He took action. He willingly crushed His only Son on our behalf. He exhausted His full wrath on the Savior in our place. This is the heart of God and the heart that He calls us to have.”

“God is going to help us. He loves to help us and to make us more like Christ. God is helping us to see what he sees. All for our good and for His glory.”

“A shepherd would give his entire life to care for the sheep. People, even unbelieving people, have great value to Jesus. That’s why He saved us! The Savior has immense compassion and love for the lost in their desperate plight…. We were enemies of God. Rebellious, defiant, disobedient, ungrateful, insubordinate and arrogant. And despite these things God chose to value us (make us own children). This says much more about God than about us. He doesn’t value us because we deserve it. He values us because of who He is.”

“I can see unbelievers as interruptions, messy, uncomfortable and inconvenient. I can, at times, be self righteous and self focused. When I do this, I fail to value and love people the way Christ does. When we see value in something it moves us to sacrifice and to persevere.”

“Do you realize that God has dropped us right where He wants us? Like Mark and Amy God has put us into the exact homes we are in so that can reach our neighbors. God wants to connect us with people who need the gospel and He wants to reward even small steps with great fruit. We simply need to value the people around us enough to reach out and share the hope of Christ.”

“There is nothing in this world that will bring you more joy than seeing someone rescued from the wrath of God. Yes it can be hard work. Yes it can be scary. Yes it takes time. Yes it takes sacrifice. But there is a joy that awaits. An inexpressible joy.”  

“[Jesus] did what no one has ever done and what no one could ever do. He endured the beating and mocking. Drank every drop of the cup. He was willingly forsaken by the Father. He paid the greatest price imaginable to rescue us. And it was all for joy set before him that He endured the cross, scorning its shame. He sacrificed for joy and He is calling us to do the same. He wants us (you) to share in the joy of proclaiming. The greatest news that has ever been told: the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

QUOTES:
Charles Spurgeon - “We often say of the angels that they rejoice over one sinner that repents. I doubt not that they do, but the Bible does not say so. The Bible says, ‘There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.’ What means the presence of the angels? Why, that the angels see the joy of Christ when sinners repent. Hear them say to one another, ‘Behold, the Father’s face! How he rejoices! Gaze on the countenance of the Son! What a heaven of delight shines in those eyes of his! Jesus wept for these sinners, but now he rejoices over them’”

Charles Spurgeon - “If you are eager for real joy, such as you may think over and sleep upon, I am persuaded that no joy of growing wealthy, no joy of increasing knowledge, no joy of influence over your fellow-creatures, no joy of any other sort, can ever be compared with the rapture of saving a soul from death, and helping to restore our lost brethren to our great Father’s house.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Luke 16:22-24
Revelation 20:15

A risen Jesus is a trustworthy Jesus. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

TEXT: Luke 24:1-12
TITLE: Easter and the Art of Remembering
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: REMEMBERING is a key part of REDEMPTIVE LIVING!

POINTS:
1. God is in Control
2. Jesus can be Trusted

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”This morning is about REMEMBERING, not merely for the sake of remembering, but for joyful, faith-filled, to the praise of God’s glory living.”

“From the Garden to Golgotha, nothing Jesus experienced was an accident—It was the eternal plan of the sovereign God. Sovereign meaning God was in control. He acted in the place of authority. Nothing about the cross happened apart from God’s ordained purposes.”

“The empty tomb is God’s way of standing before the universe applauding His Son and declaring—What has been finished by my Son has been fully accepted by Me, all according to My plan, for the praise of My glory!”

“Jesus was crucified, buried, and RAISED to life on the third day—Just as he said. A risen Jesus is a trustworthy Jesus.”

“Most importantly, because the tomb is empty, we can believe that Christ’s work on the cross is sufficient and sufficiently binds us in an unbreakable union with Christ that we will share together for eternity in the loving and glorious presence of a gracious and merciful God.”

QUOTES:
Martyn Lloyd-Jones - “The death of Christ on the cross was not an accident, ultimately it was not even something achieved by men; it was part of the plan and purpose of God…It was God who contrived the cross. The cruel hands of men actually knocked in the nails, but it was by the predetermined counsel and foreknowledge of God”

Paul Beasley-Murray - “The powers of evil did their worst, but they did not, and never will, have the last word.”

C.S. Lewis - “He would have been deceived or a deceiver. But His most amazing promise has come true, so how can we not depend on and live by all the rest of His promises?”

Phillip Ryken - “We are to believe in the resurrection on the basis of what Jesus said (Bible). The empty tomb is not self-explanatory. There is a word that explains the deed, and this word is the gospel message that Jesus not only died, but also rose again with a glorious and everlasting body that would never die again”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Acts 2:23-24
1 Corinthians 15:14-21
Matthew 11:28-30

APPLICATION:
Go from here, REMEMBERING what Jesus has told you. Tell it to yourself and tell it others knowing the God who raises the dead to life is in control and the Jesus who said I will dies and yet live is trustworthy.

Whether this is the first time you’ve ever read this passage, or you have encountered Christ in the garden many times, our task is to consider what our Savior embraced the night before His death. To go into Friday and Sunday marveling at the wonders of the garden. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

TEXT: Luke 22:39-46
TITLE: Christ’s Agony in the Garden
PREACHER: Brett Overstreet
BIG IDEA: In the garden, Christ embraces our cup so that we might drink of a new cup.

POINTS:
1. An Unfamiliar Scene
2. An Unimaginable Cup

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”Jesus is not simply heading into the other room to pray. What we are about to see unfold is pulling Him away, even bringing Him to the precipice of death – according to His own words.”

“There is a rare medical condition where extreme anguish and physical stress can cause your capillary blood vessels to burst and mix with sweat. There are some accounts recorded in history of this happening to men on the battlefield. But whether you think it is literal or metaphorical, the point that Luke is making cannot be denied: Jesus’ inner struggle, His agony was so great that manifests itself in great physical trauma.”

“Jesus is using the image of a cup in His prayer because this was a familiar image used throughout the Old Testament. It essentially referred to someone’s portion, whether positive or negative but it most commonly referred to the judgement of God.”

“The undeniable reality is that this cup that Jesus stares into is our cup. This cup is reserved for sinners like you and I. Every single drop in this cup of horror and desolation is the just and righteous response of a Holy God to my sin, to your sin.” 

“And over course of the next 24 hours Jesus would be stripped naked, mocked, spit upon, laughed at – he would be denied by Peter, put on trial and falsely accused, beaten nearly to the point of death and then hung on a criminals cross in the most humiliating, painful death we could imagine. And yet, none of the physical suffering would compare to what experienced when He would drink our cup on the cross.” 

”Do you live in the goodness of this reality? Do you live aware, grateful, amazed that the cup you drink is full of God’s love and blessing. Ephesians 1 tells us God has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. Do you live each day, not just aware, but grateful and satisfied in the reality that the cup you deserve to drink is a cup of God’s unmitigated wrath, yet the cup you drink is full of His eternal favor. When we talk about preaching the Gospel to yourself or rehearsing the Gospel… this is what we mean.”

QUOTES:
CJ Mahaney- “When we look at Jesus in the pages of the unfolding Gospels - allowing ourselves to walk closely alongside Him through those three exciting years of ministry - words like authoritative, assured and fearless truly describe Him. He’s unfailingly steady and controlled. But there comes a moment, as we follow Him into “a place called Gethsemane,” when all is radically changed. Suddenly we encounter a Savior we’re unfamiliar with. What we observe is foreign and frightening.”

Charles Spurgeon - “Since it would not be possible for any believer, however experienced, to know for himself all that our Lord endured in… mental suffering and hellish malice, it is clearly far beyond the preacher’s capacity to set it forth to you. Jesus Himself must give you access to the wonders of Gethsemane: as for me, I can but invite you to enter the garden.”

Jonathan Edwards - “[Agony] implies no common degree of sorrow, but such extreme distress that His nature had a most violent conflict with it, as a man that wrestles with all his might with a strong man.”

John Calvin - “…because He had before His eyes the dreadful tribunal of God, and the Judge Himself armed with inconceivable vengeance; it was our sins, the burden of which He had assumed, that pressed Him down with their enormous mass… and tormented Him grievously with fear and anguish.”

Donald Macleod - “The wonder of the love of Christ for His people is not that for their sake He faced death without fear, but that for their sake He faced it, terrified. Terrified by what He knew, and terrified by what He did not know, he took damnation lovingly.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Hebrews 2:17
Isaiah 51:17
Psalm 75:8
Psalm 11:6
Ezekiel 23:33-34
2 Corinthians 5:21
John 3:36

APPLICATION:
As we head into this weekend where we will celebrate Good Friday and Easter Sunday - Consider the Garden. Consider what Christ embraced for you. Consider the unimaginable He drank. Consider the undeserved cup you now drink.

We heard from guest Pastor Mark Alderton, from our Aurora, CO church, about being a Word AND Spirit-led church. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

TEXT: Luke 24:44-49, Acts 1:6-9
TITLE: Becoming A “Word and Spirit” Church
PREACHER: Guest Pastor Mark Alderton
BIG IDEA: God’s word is not enough to transform people…without the Holy Spirit.

POINTS: 
1. We can expect God to be working apart from us   
2. We can expect God to speak to us directly
3. We can expect to be placed in uncomfortable ministry situations that require dependence on the Spirit
4. We can expect God to do amazing things

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”The biblical church is a word and spirit church. It’s not either/or; it’s both/and. It’s a church that is anchored in the clear and careful teaching of God’s word, and that also leaves room for and asks for the Spirit of God to empower that teaching and do things outside of that teaching for the good of the church and the conversion of unbelievers.”

“This story starts with Cornelius, not Peter. God is preparing this man to hear the gospel through a supernatural work, a vision of an angel of God, before Peter even knows of his existence. …Do you expect God to be doing that in our day? Do you think that the Spirit of God might be operating on someone right now, placing in their minds something that makes them suddenly open to the gospel – totally apart from you?”

“…we have a category for this. It’s what we might call the revelatory gifts. I would put prophecy, tongues with interpretation, the utterance of knowledge and the discerning of spirits in that category, all gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12. They are strange, but they are in the Bible. And the Spirit works through them as part of the package of building up the church and advancing the gospel.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Acts 10:1-48
John 16:7-14

APPLICATION:
- What would it look like if we are more intentional about relying on the Holy Spirit in our lives?
- Anything can displace Jesus from the center, especially good things like the Spirit’s broad ministry. But not if we keep the word and the Spirit together.

• God’s written word points to Jesus everywhere as the hero of the redemption story in this fallen world.

• And the Spirit also points us to Jesus