If Christmas brings tidings of hope, joy, and peace, then WHY is life so difficult? Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Who Would Have Dreamed?
TEXT: Revelation 12
TITLE: The Greatest Christmas Story Ever Told
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
Scene 1 - A Defeated Dragon
Scene 2 - A Victorious Boy
Scene 3 - A Protected Woman

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”This woman is symbolic of God’s people from beginning to end. From the Garden to the church, this woman represents the faith-filled community of God.”

“The dragon is easy to figure out. He is the serpent we met in the Garden last week. Satan himself according to verse 9-12. His description in verse 3 reminds us he is destructive, cunning, powerful, and influential, all of which are demonstrated in 4 where he swept away a third of the stars from heaven with his tail.”

“The messianic reference from Psalm 2:9, rule with a rod of iron, makes it clear—the boy is Jesus.”

“Ever since that moment in the Garden, this dragon has been trying to keep Genesis 3:15 from happening. At the first Christmas, he thinks he finally has his chance.”

“Christmas deals the first blow to the dragon. The Messiah is born. The one who would rule the nations with a rod of iron has come. And instead of being devoured by the dragon, he is exalted to the heavens, with God, where He is seated in the place of all power and authority and dominion.”

“This is why Christmas is so central to redemptive history. 

• Christmas is the beginning of the destruction of the dragon

• Christmas is the inauguration of God undoing what happened in the Garden and making all things new and right

• Christmas is a cosmic demonstration of God’s sovereign power and unfailing faithfulness”

“The dragon is defeated by the boy. In Revelation, the boy is the Lamb. He is the Lamb of God that was slain. The One who is worthy to break the seal and open the heavenly scroll that reveals God’s plan of redemption. His blood shed on the cross covers the sinner’s sin. His blood purchases the sinner away from the dragon whom we all once belonged to.”

“Passages like Romans 3&5, Ephesians 2, and Titus 3 teach us that at one time we were all little dragons. We talked and thought and acted like dragons at war with Christ in our hearts.”

“The manger gave way to the cross. At the cross the dragon was decisively defeated because Christ’s death and resurrection nullified our accuser’s accusations because, in a crucified and risen Savior, we are justified—made right—before God! Not because of anything we did or would do but wholly on the basis of Jesus blood and righteousness. And when his substitutionary sacrifice is our faith-filled testimony, we are saved.”

“There is no gift under your tree more satisfying than eternal salvation.”

“And this is the answer to our opening question—WHY, even with Christmas that brings joy, peace, and hope, is life a struggle?  ANSWER: We live in the age of dragon rage.”

“Christians don’t fight the good fight for victory, we fight the good fight out of victory. We have a taste of heaven here, but heaven is not yet here and so the dragon rages on with his lies and deception desperately trying to destroy God’s people. …But God is protecting His church.”

“We live in the now and the not yet. Regardless of your circumstances, this is what makes your Christmas a Merry Christmas.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Genesis 3:15
Ephesians 2:1-3
Revelation 20:10
Revelation 21:1-5

QUOTES:
G.K. Beale - “The death and resurrection of Christ have banished the devil from this privilege [accusing us] formerly granted him by God, because Christ’s death was the penalty that God exacted for the sins of all those who were saved by faith.”

Charles Spurgeon - “The devil is not afraid of a dust-covered Bible.”

Charles Spurgeon - “I know what the devil will say to you. He will say to you, ‘You are a sinner!’ Tell him you know you are, but that for all that you are justified. He will tell you of the greatness of your sin. Tell him of the greatness of Christ’s righteousness. He will tell you of all your mishaps and your backslidings, of your offenses and your wanderings. Tell him, and tell your own conscience, that you know all that, but that Jesus Christ came to save sinners, and that, although your sin be great, Christ is quite able to put it all away.”

Charles Spurgeon - “The preaching of Christ is the whip that flogs the devil. The preaching of Christ is the thunderbolt, the sound of which makes all hell shake.”

APPLICATION:
How do we live out of victory in the wilderness? The text gives us three ways in verse 11:
- Preach the gospel to yourself
We conquer Satan when we cling to Christ. Living by the blood of the Lamb means we stand in the gospel. We process every aspect of life, the good days and the bad days, through our identity in Jesus Christ.
- Tell others about Jesus
The dragon wants us to be silent because our silence is his temporary victory. But we defeat him every time we speak out about Jesus.
- Persevere to the end
We live in the victory of Jesus when we die to self to live for him in every way of life:

• Honesty instead of deceit

• Love instead of hate

• Purity instead of compromise

• Patience instead of anger

Here is something I know for certain—what Christmas is truly about: God graciously pursuing sinners—God condescending to mercifully save hell-deserving sinners. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Who Would Have Dreamed?
TEXT: Genesis 3:1-24
TITLE: The Beginning of Christmas
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
I. A Funeral in a Garden
II. Our Hope in a Manger

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”Genesis 3 records the darkest day in human history. It has been referred to as mankind’s funeral. Ironically, it’s at this funeral that hope springs forth in the first promise of Christmas.”

“The effects of sin and its curse are everywhere and our life experiences affirm it. But there’s an even deeper problem. What we see in verses 14-19 are just symptoms of humanity’s real dilemma—read verses 22-24. Because of their sin and guilt, Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden. Severed from God’s presence. Banished from His Paradise.  Their fellowship with Him was broken and they became spiritually dead.”

“Through Adam we have inherited a sin nature that leads to our personal sin and guilt, making us like Adam, separated from God and spiritually dead and under the wrath of God like the rest of mankind. That’s the great human dilemma that is the dark side of Christmas.”

“I love this picture: The moment Adam and Eve fell into sin, God pursued them with these words: Where are you?  The question does not reveal a lack in God—It reveals the love of God. It demonstrates the wonder of God’s love for and His grace toward sinners. Man runs and hides from God, but God calls and pursues.”

“Verse 15 is known as the Protoevangelium—first announcement of the gospel. In the middle of mankind’s funeral, the hope of life appears!”

“God says to Satan, who has seemingly destroyed God’s perfect creation, I will defeat and destroy you. Think of it as the three C’s of Satan’s demise:

1. Christmas: The first blow to Satan, as we will see in Rev 12 next week, is when Jesus was born into this world to inaugurate God’s promised plan of redemption.  

2. Consummation: The final blow to Satan will be Christ’s return according to Romans 16.

3. Cross: The DECISIVE blow that crushed and defeated Satan was at the cross.”

“The cross removed Satan’s one certain weapon against us—his accusations before the throne of God that we are guilty sinners that deserve to perish along with him—and he’s right. But Christ’s death and resurrection nullified those accusations because in a crucified and risen Savior, we are justified—made right—before God! Not because of anything we did or can do but wholly on the basis of Jesus’ blood and righteousness.”

“Christmas is the beginning of the fulfillment of this glorious promise made in the darkest hour of human history. In the manger lay Jesus, a fully human baby boy, yet still fully God, who came into this world to redeem sinners from the curse by becoming a curse for us. He was born in a manger, grew up in sorrow and grief, and died on a cross to destroy Satan and liberate sinners from his bondage, just as the Christmas angel proclaimed.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Romans 5:12-21
Isaiah 59:2
Ephesians 2:1-3
Romans 16:20
Colossians 2:13-15
Hebrews 2:14
Matthew 1:21
Hebrews 9:22

QUOTES:
John Piper- “It’s a season [Christmas] for cherishing and worshipping this characteristic of God-that he is a searching and saving God, that he is a God on a mission, that he is not aloof or passive or indecisive. He is never in maintenance mode, coasting or drifting. He is sending, pursuing, searching, saving. That’s the meaning of Advent.”

APPLICATION:
UNBELIEVER: This Christmas, in the words of God to Adam and Eve in the Garden—Where are you? Are you hiding from God? Guess what, you don’t have to hide this Christmas. Only BELIEVE:

• BELIEVE, not in the spirit of Christmas, but in the Christ of Christmas. 

• BELIEVE, not in the goodwill of humanity, but in the infinitely good mercy and grace of Christ.

• BELIEVE, not in yourself, but in in the person and work of Jesus that provides righteousness and forgiveness of your sins.

• BELIEVE, not in the power of your believing, but in the promise of God that all who believe in him will be saved.

CHRISTIAN: I ask you the same question this Christmas—Where are you? 

• Are you spiritually parched?

• Are you feasting on secret sin?

• Are you battling besetting sin?

• Are you paralyzed by sinful anxiety?

• Have the distractions of this world left you spiritually apathetic?

Is that where you are? Wherever you are, God mercifully calls you to return to the true JOY and HOPE of Christmas. Irrespective of your circumstances, this is possible if you look to Jesus.

Relish the present - By that I don’t mean you have one life to live so live it to its fullest. I mean in a season characterized by the question—What do you want?, we must remember what we have already been given. There is no greater gift than eternal salvation in Jesus.

Focus on the future - We spend so much time preparing for the future practically. The Christian hope is in Christ’s return, not the prospects of life getting better in 2023. God has promised that the cross will give way to a new heaven and a new earth. One day this child will return as the risen Lamb and make all things new and right! There will be no more broken promises, no more suffering, no more sin. As far as the curse is found, Jesus will bring eternal blessings!

How are you currently magnifying God with your life? How many of us would say—I live life with a thankful heart. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

TEXT: Psalm 69:30-32
TITLE: Magnifying God With Gratitude
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
I. A Call to Magnify God
II. A Heart That Magnifies God

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”My hope for today is that the Spirit would speak to us and work in us in such a way that we could all say, and others would say about us—My life increasingly magnifies my Savior because my life is increasingly characterized by thankfulness to God in everything for everything.”

“David wants to be a telescope that brings God right into the midst of his affliction and pain. David does not magnify his affliction. He does not magnify his pain…that would be to magnify himself. His heart is to magnify His Redeemer.”

“If you have been saved by grace; if you are in union with Jesus by faith; if the Spirit of God lives in you; if by divine mercy you belong to the eternal family of God, then your heart should say with David and Paul—Magnify the Lord oh, my soul!”

“Of course, we are forgetful. We forget WHY we exist, and more importantly, we forget WHO God is. Our feelings, experiences, ambitions, sinful cravings, and deceptions of our own hearts move us to magnify self. We can marvel in the goodness and sufficiency of God one day and be oblivious to it the very next.”

“Paul prays they would have the eyes of their hearts enlightened. These are believers who have already had the eyes of their hearts enlightened. But Paul doesn’t want them to forget. He wants them to be more and more anchored in the hope they have in Christ, the riches of his inheritance, and the immeasurable power of the Spirit at work in them.”

“The desire to magnify self is at the heart of an ungrateful heart. In our pursuit of greatness, we make God small. When we apply this to a God who is infinitely great, we see our utter foolishness and sinfulness.”

“Put on a heart of thankfulness by looking upward as David did in verse 29—to the God of your salvation. This is where true thankfulness begins.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Philippians 1:20
Corinthians 10:31
Ephesians 1:15-20

QUOTES:
John Calvin - “There cannot be a more powerful incitement to thanksgiving than the certain conviction that this religious service is highly pleasing to God.”

APPLICATION:
If you want to grow in gratitude or help someone who lacks gratitude, don’t begin with nice platitudes or common courtesies—begin with a BIG God who redeems and rejoices in His people!

In spite of prophecies depicting a clear and present danger and the pleadings of his friends not to go, Paul was still determined to go to Jerusalem. Why did Paul do what he did? The answer has implications for us today. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Hopeful: The Book of Acts
TEXT: Acts 21:17-26
TITLE: Paul’s Last Visit to Jerusalem
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins

POINTS:
Q. Why did Paul do what he did?
1. Christ is Worth It
2. Christ’s Church is Worth It
3. His Kinsman Are Worth It

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”From the moment of his salvation - Paul did what he did so that that which of ‘first importance’ was declared - the Cross of Christ! - shorthand for ‘Jesus Christ and Him crucified!’”

“Paul revisits in detail each and every single thing ‘that God had done.’ And the desired effect on those gathered - They GLORIFIED GOD!”

“Paul did what he did because he was constrained by the love of Christ! Paul did what he did so Jesus would be glorified! (Vs. 13) ‘For I am ready not only to be imprisoned and but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’”

”Some observations of Vs. 20b-25: In verse 20b we have Jewish believers that were zealous for the law - an issue and reason that Paul would elsewhere refer to them as “weak”, and in 21 we have Jewish believers that were believing slanderous rumors, half-truths, and misrepresentation about Paul. The elder's feared what these zealous people would do once they heard that Paul had come, threatening the health and unity of the Church.”

“Here is where I see one of the dangers of how we respond to misinformation. At times we must let it go, and at times we work to correct it - Study 1 Corinthians and see where Paul will defend himself on some charges and in others he will “let Christ be his judge.” In this passage though, an effort is being proposed to counter the lies with actions that hopefully will speak louder than words - in the end likely a foolish attempt - but Paul submitted himself to these leaders, his conscience clear that there was no ‘additional yoke or burden’.”

“The church [in Jerusalem] was facing a two-fold affliction: zeal for / addiction to the law and defiled by slanderous rumor.”

“They grew up in this water! Here in Jerusalem, the elixir of the formalities, rites, and ceremonies pulled on them daily… they could hear it, see it, smell it… it is ‘who they are’ - though freedom from the Law is declared in Christ!”

“The destructive nature of gossip and slander is more damaging than we can imagine - the very next section of Acts 21 will show that the elder’s efforts will not undo the effects of slander and misrepresentation!”

“This request could possibly advance the mission of the Gospel by removing a distracting barrier. While it was indeed an imperfect effort, and it was not even the best effort in Paul’s mind to address the situation, he so loved Christ’s church that he would do this.”

“Is the church weak at times? - yes it is! Is the church nearsighted at times? - yes it is! Does she need care and help at times? - ALL of the time! Will she stumble at times? - she has two left feet! BUT SHE IS PRECIOUS TO JESUS SO SHE IS PRECIOUS TO ME.”

QUOTES:
”The Image of a Man” by Dallas Holm -
“Why do I do the things I do?”…
”There's a picture in my mind that time can't erase
There's a memory of days gone by that helps me keep my place
It's in the front of my mind, in the back of my mind
To the left and to the right
There's an image of a man on a cross”

Charles Spurgeon - “If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for.”

APPLICATION:
Q. Is Christ worth it to you?
Q. Is Christ Church worth it to you?
Q. Are your lost loved ones, your friends, your neighbors, the stranger at the ballgame, the student in your class… Are your “kinsmen” worth it to you?

Q. What are two things that I can do this week to grow in my love for Christ? 
No. 1: I would submit that an honest, humble return to the foot of the Cross, to the Gospel, to that time in your life when Christ saved you… THIS will revive your affections for Jesus!
No. 2 Honestly and humbly tell someone that same old story of when Christ saved you!

To have Paul’s faith and courage to say, to quote a puritan—Lord, what thou wilt, when thou wilt, where thou wilt—that is my prayer for you and us today. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Hopeful: The Book of Acts
TEXT: Acts 21:1-16
TITLE: Let The Will of The Lord Be Done
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: Following Jesus at any cost, is the cost of following Jesus.

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”Conventional wisdom says, Don’t go to Jerusalem. But as we will see, Paul was guided not by his self-interests and words of man, but the interest of Christ and the words of God.”

“Paul was ready to suffer for the name of Jesus! He was ready to preach the gospel anywhere. He was ready to suffer anything, anytime, even death itself, so long as Christ was made known.”

“The vivid image of a bound Agabus and the heart-wrenching appeals of his dear friends rang in his mind. Yet, he was resolved to follow the will of the Lord for the sake of the glory of Christ. No one could keep Paul out of Jerusalem—Lord, what thou wilt, when thou wilt, where thou wilt.”

“To be a Christian is to live by the grace of God, for the will of God, to the praise of God—at any cost.”

“As we walk in [The Lord’s] strength, our calling is grand and glorious WORSHIP because in it we live as Jesus lived. We walk in his steps. We share in his sufferings. We become like him.”

“Just as Jesus followed the will of His Father at any cost, so we follow Jesus at any cost. AND, as we do, you never know who God has waiting to hear and see Jesus from us.”

“Don’t believe the lie that says—God’s highest aim is MY happiness in this life. Society is awash in self-interest that has crept into the church. ‘God wants me to be happy and carefree. So any suffering and affliction must not be His will for me.’ LIE! The Bible never says that. It says the opposite.”

“Suffering for Christ is a Christian privilege because as I said earlier, it makes us like Christ in every way. That doesn’t mean we go out looking for problems and pain. That’s not godliness, that’s STUPIDITY. But if following the will of God for your life means suffering, embracing it with sobriety and joy to the praise of God, knowing you are being prepared for an eternal weight of glory in our future—that’s godliness!”

“Their hope for what they were called to do was set, not in their ability to shepherd, but in the power and plan of God. Paul’s confidence wasn’t in the Ephesian pastors—it was in God!”

“What freedom to follow the Lord—even when the devils were as many as the tiles on the roof—when we learn to live by faith instead of sight and the strength of the Lord instead of our own so we can say, Lord, what thou wilt, when thou wilt, where thou wilt.”

QUOTES:
Oswald Chambers - “To choose to suffer means that there is something wrong; to choose God’s will even if it means suffering is a very different thing. No healthy saint ever chooses suffering; he chooses God’s will, as Jesus did, whether it means suffering or not.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Philippians 2:8
Hebrews 12:2
Isaiah 53
Philippians 1:29

APPLICATION:
- For the sake of Christ, are you willing to go to Jerusalem, no matter what awaits you?

What do one pastor’s farewell words to other pastors have to do with us? Turns out…everything. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Hopeful: The Book of Acts
TEXT: Acts 20:17-38
TITLE: A Farewell to Remember
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
I. He Testifies to God’s Grace in His Ministry
A. “I served humbly”
B. “I preached diligently”
C. “I sacrificed continually”
II. He Charged Them in Their God-Given Ministry
A. Pay careful attention to yourself
B. Pay close attention to all the flock

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”The church in Ephesus was dear to Paul. He spent over two years there—the longest time spent in any city—preaching the gospel and building the church. So Paul, knowing this would be the last time he sees them, had a burden to personally minister to the pastors in Ephesus. There was no way he was going to let jet lag or the long road ahead to get in the way of encouraging his friends and co-laborers in Christ.”

“Paul served in a way that people wouldn’t say—What a great pastor Paul is!, rather, What a great Savior Paul serves!”

“It didn’t matter where Paul was or who you were—he preached to you.”

“Paul spent himself for the sake of Christ. Whether it was his personal safety or practical needs, Paul let nothing stand in the way of what God was calling him to do. He was unselfish, not wanting to be a burden to anyone, but to everyone a means of gospel grace.”

“He [Paul] didn’t identify himself as a celebrity influencer, but a servant leader being poured out, spent, used up for the sake of others and ultimately Christ.”

“From cleaning the church to preaching in the church, it’s FOR Him! It’s not for our pleasure. It’s not for our sense of worth. It’s not for our personal validation. Wherever, however, and whoever you serve, it’s from God. It’s for God. It’s to God.”

“Paul says—Your God-given role as a pastor doesn’t begin with those you are called to pastor—it begins with you. Keep your lives upright. Keep your lives centered on the gospel. Keep your lives rooted in the Word. In other words, before a man is a pastor, he’s a sheep.”

“When your pastors shed tears over you—and we do—it’s because of this—he obtained you with his own blood. When your pastors carry a burden of concern for you—and we do—it’s because of these words—he obtained you with his own blood. When your pastors labor in the Word and prayer for your sake—and we do—it’s because of these words—he obtained you with his own blood. When your pastors encourage you—and we do—it’s because of these words—he obtained you with his own blood. When your pastors correct you–and we do—it’s because of these words—he obtained you with his own blood.”

“If you are searching for purpose and meaning. If you are looking for a sense of value and worth. If you are longing for validation and acceptance, here you go—the God of the universe obtained you with His own blood. We all long for something new to try—but what we need is something TRUE.”

QUOTES:
Richard Baxter - “If Christ had but committed to my keeping one spoonful of his blood in a fragile glass, how curiously would I preserve it, and how tender would I be of that glass….Every time we look upon our congregations, let us believingly remember that they are the purchase of Christ’s blood, and therefore should be regarded by us with the deepest interest and the most tender affection.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
2 Timothy 4:6-7
1 Timothy 4:16
Colossians 3:1
Hebrews 13:17

APPLICATION:
If God has entrusted you to your pastors, are you allowing your pastors to pastor you? 

• Through trials and relational conflicts

• In big decisions 

• Discerning worldly wisdom from biblical wisdom

• Theological confusion

Don’t go through the Christian life alone. God has designed so many means of grace—His Word, His people, and yes, your pastors! If you want to thrive in your walk with Lord, let His under-shepherds care for your soul.

Everyone is listening intently to Paul as he preaches, God’s people are gathered to receive His truth and celebrate the life and death of Christ – this is a celebration! A celebration interrupted by a tragic incident. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Hopeful: The Book of Acts
TEXT: Acts 20:1-12
TITLE: Eutychus and An Unforgettable Sunday
PREACHER: Guest Preacher, Brett Overstreet

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”…all along the way, Luke tells us that Paul is encouraging the churches as he passes through. Luke doesn’t give much detail other than the fact that Paul was an encourager – we would do well to learn from Paul – may we be quick to encourage our fellow saints.”

“I’m sure there were some amazing stories from Paul’s time traveling back through the churches he helped plant, but Luke doesn’t record any of that. Now, in verses 7 – 12 he slows way down and takes the same amount of verses, 136 words to cover the span of hours. This whole travel report is leading up to this moment in Acts 20. The fact that this is where Luke, under the inspiration of the Spirit, chooses to stop and record should tell us to pay attention to what is being said.”

“What would you do if I told you that I was about to preach a 5-hour sermon? This might be a mind-boggling amount of time for us to consider sitting and listening to a sermon, but it wasn’t that way for these believers. They would have been hungry and eager to hear God’s word preached. They would have longed to spend as much time as possible with Paul on his final night with them. We shouldn’t let our “fast-paced, time is money, on to the next thing” western culture impact how we see this evening. In fact, we could learn this group of believers in Troas. How is it that I can sit down and watch a 4-hour football game, binge-watch a TV show or stare mindlessly at my phone but I struggle to make it through a 90-minute church service with 45 minutes of preaching? I don’t think this group of people minded that Paul went on until midnight, I think they were overjoyed to hear and receive God’s word.”

“Luke actually clues us in on some details with that word in verse 9, sank. In the original Greek tense, that word gives the sense of being gradually overcome by sleep. And so, we can almost imagine him slowly dozing off, maybe at times startling himself back awake until he finally is overcome by the sleep and then he plummets from the third-story window.”

“Some people dispute whether or not Eutychus actually died, but I do not think that Luke, a physician, who was there would be confusing with his words. If the doctor said he was dead, we should take it as meaning that Eutychus fell out the window and died.”

“You might think they would throw a party for Paul and Eutychus but notice what they do: they get right back to church. See nowhere is God or His Spirit mentioned at all in our passage, but we know that this miracle wasn’t really Paul – it was God’s work. Do you remember back in chapter 19? Verse 11 tells us that God is doing extraordinary miracles and He does that here in raising Eutychus to life.”

“As exciting as this story has been to this point, this right here is the drama of the text. The power of God, stronger than death itself! An extraordinary God doing extraordinary things.”

“This text does have to do with sleep, but perhaps not the sleep we think. As we consider its meaning and application, I believe this scripture is here for this reason: To warn us of the dangers of spiritual slumber and remind us that only the gospel can breathe life into our souls.”

“Church this text offers us both a warning and a hope. It warns us about the dangers of our spiritual slumber, but it offers us the hope of the Gospel. My prayer is that we leave here seeing that this humorous story has cosmic implications for us.”

“Ephesians 2:5 says even when we were dead in our trespasses, He made us alive together with Christ! It is GOD who does this work as the Gospel message goes out and encounters dead, miserable souls it gives a wellspring of hope and joy and life to even the darkest and most miserable souls you can find. Our extraordinary God does extraordinary things.”

“Even for the believer, there is a warning here this morning. We believe scripture teaches that you cannot lose your salvation and so nothing I am about to say is a fatal slumber. But I do believe there is a second warning for us to consider this morning – there are those here who are asleep because you have drifted from the Gospel.”

“How often do we do this in our own lives, church? Our attitude toward sin is too often to be nibblers. I’ll nibble a little bit here, a little bit there, but I’ll never feast. But what ends up happening is we slowly drift. Sometimes over weeks, sometimes over months, sometimes over years, we drift into a life of sin that we never thought possible. There is a warning for us about the danger of this spiritual slumber. When we drift toward sin and the world, then necessarily we drift away from Christ and the Gospel. We drift away from the message that we once received with joy and drift into a lazy, spiritual slumber.”

“Church, have you fallen asleep? If so, come back to the cross of Christ. For if we truly behold the spectacle of the cross, if Christ truly fills our gaze, it is impossible for us to sleep. Not because our eyes are strong, not because of our own willpower, but because: Christ is that wonderful. Christ is that satisfying. Christ is the light that has shown into the darkness of our spiritual depravity.”

QUOTES:
C.J. Mahaney - “There is no miracle greater than the miracle of regeneration.”

Charles Spurgeon - “…when we come into God’s house, and we hear the old familiar story of the cross, and it does not charm us, let us mournfully say, “I Sleep.” When others are ready to dance before the Lord with exultation while singing the solemn psalm, if we ourselves feel no devout gratitude, let us cry self complainingly, “I perceive that I sleep,” and when at the table the chosen emblems of the bread and wine do not bring the Master near to us, and we go away as hungry as we came, because we have not fed on His body and blood, then let us say again, “Alas, I sleep, I sleep, for these things would be most sweet and nourishing to me if my spiritual faculties were as they ought to be.” If we fail to enjoy the banquet of our Bridegroom’s love it must be because a deadness is stealing over us, and we are not so thoroughly alive and awake as we were in days gone by, and this is a condition to be deplored as soon as it is perceived.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Ephesians 2:1-3
1 Peter 5:8

APPLICATION:
- Nothing was going to stop these early Christians from being together. Is that our attitude when God’s people gather? First and foremost, on Sunday mornings, but even as we think about community groups, SGU, outreach events… you name it. Are we only interested when it’s convenient for us and fits into our schedule or when it meets our expectations? Do we settle for livestream because COVID has made that easier? Or are you someone who can’t be kept away when God’s people gather together?”

- If you are wondering, how do guard against this – how do I assess my own spiritual slumber? I think one of the most helpful questions we can ask ourselves is, “Have we become familiar with the Gospel?” Have Christ and His cross lost their charm to me? Am I more captivated by what is going on out there – work, sports, even family – than I am by what goes on when God’s people gather together?

- Church as we read the story of Eutychus and that Unforgettable Sunday, as we see an extraordinary God doing extraordinary things, may it draw our eyes away from this world that so easily lulls us to sleep, and may they be fixed on a Savior who is too wonderful for words.

This city firmly in the clutches of the demonic will now hear the Good News of Jesus Christ the risen Lord through the heavenly power of the Holy Spirit and will begin to be set free from its bondage to evil. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Hopeful: The Book of Acts
TEXT: Acts 19:8-41
TITLE: Jesus Exalted In Ephesus
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: Where the Kingdom of God is preached, Jesus is exalted, and evil will NOT prevail.

POINTS:
I. The Kingdom of God is preached in Ephesus
A. The Kingdom of God is preached boldly
B. The Kingdom of God is preached in time and space
C. The Kingdom of God is preached through rigorous effort
II. Jesus is Exalted
A. Jesus is Exalted in “extraordinary miracles”
B. Jesus is Exalted through the Fear of God
C. Jesus is Exalted through remarkable repentance
III. Evil will rise but it will not finally prevail

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”He [Paul] refused to give up even when he was refused. He just kept going, looking for every opportunity, looking for every way to get back to that which he was called - to get back to THAT PLACE and to THOSE PEOPLE making disciples and baptizing them in Jesus!”

“The ‘real-time and real place’ nature of the text clearly helps us see that it is right where we are, and it is right now that we call are called to speak and teach of Jesus.” 

“He humbly but clearly acknowledges that he poured himself rigorously into the labor of the Gospel - AND HE CREDITS IT ALL TO THE GRACE OF GOD ALONE and for the purpose of preaching Jesus!”

“…remember WHO is actually doing the miracles (Vs 11) - GOD is doing the miracles “by the hands of Paul.” - God is the Miracle Worker, Paul is the mediator of God's extraordinary work, and Paul’s handkerchiefs and aprons functioned as “symbols” of the man… symbols that pointed to and validated Paul much like the rod of Moses.”

“These extraordinary miracles juxtaposed with the following hair-raising failed exorcism reveals that the REAL power… the TRUE power belongs to God and His Son Jesus and not to foolish worldly Exorcists!”

“There was a real and evil power that they had no control of and in God’s providence, they witness the demonic manifestation that had a rippling effect seemingly making it everyone in Ephesus! Jesus is exalted in such a way that it is clear that only he has the power and authority over the Darkness… over every demon… over Satan. THE FEAR OF GOD MOVED THEM TO EXTOL/EXALT JESUS!!! And this leads many to a remarkable repentance.”

“…this “Dark Castle” will begin to crumble as person after person is rescued from this darkness and brought into the marvelous Light of Heaven - King Jesus the Lamp of God - King Jesus the LAMB of God who takes away our sins… even these sins!”

“The scriptures reveal that at key moments in the proclamation and advancement of the Gospel, of the Kingdom of God, evil rises up against it.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
1 Corinthians 15:9-11
Ephesians 1:3-23
Matthew 10:28

APPLICATION:
- What do we need to bring to the “burn pile”?

Jonah is a book about a man with bad theology. His theology can be summed up as: “You get what you deserve”. But there’s good news here in Jonah 3. More than anything else, it teaches us about a God whose mercy exceeds your wildest imaginations. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

EVANGELISM SERIES
TEXT: Jonah 3:1-10
PREACHER: Guest Pastor Kyle Houlton
BIG IDEA: Your church exists for more than your Sunday gathering.

POINTS:
I. Go Into Your City
II. Speak To Your City
III. Behold God’s Mercy To Your City

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”In chapter 3, Jonah has confrontations with pagans, just like he did on the ship to Tarshish. And in both instances … he looks worse than the pagans. Both instances show that he doesn't know how to talk to/relate to the unbelievers God’s put into his path.”

“You have to understand. Jonah was a devout Jew. He was a commissioned prophet of God. When he was around his people, he probably lit up. If he lived in modern times, he would be the Sunday preacher, blog for the Gospel Coalition, and had been an even better small group leader than Scott Mcleod. But put him into a context with a bunch of wicked pagans, a bunch of unbelievers, and he was worse than me at a networking event.”

“Friends. If you live in Tucson, you’re here because God has you here. In the city of Tucson. God has purposefully put you in your city. And you might love your church. You’re fine being called to your city because you love your church. But if Jonah is symbolic of us, the local church, then Jonah 3 tells us that your church exists for more than your Sunday gathering.” 

“The rhythms of church life are a tremendous means of grace. Small groups. Fellowship with believing friends. Sunday gatherings. All GOOD things. But sinners have the remarkable ability to twist good things. In other words, we can use fellowship with believers like it’s a ship to Tarshish. As a way to hide from God’s call to the city He’s called us to.”

“But there’s good news here in Jonah 3. More than anything else, it teaches us about a God whose mercy exceeds your wildest imaginations. A God merciful enough to save your neighbors despite your leanings toward Tarshish. And a God merciful enough to use you even if you’ve begun to exist for Sunday mornings alone.” 

“…know what’s happening in the city, attend community events. Volunteer at local nonprofits. Know the needs and meet the needs. Don’t stand on the border. Consider this question: are you standing on the border in Tucson?”

“…when we are actually pouring ourselves out - our time, our money our love, into the lives of the suffering and the poor - oddly enough, that's when they SEE the Gospel embodied. You don't believe like they do, yet they see you pouring yourself for them, using the resources of your faith to help their estate; You're impoverishing yourself in order that they be brought up ... that's when they see the love of Christ!” 

“The sermon he preaches in 3:4 is this, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh will be overthrown!” That’s it. A sermon which in the original Hebrew, is only 5 words. Jonah preached short and Jonah preached judgment. Why Jonah said so few words – it’s not explained. All we know is that Jonah didn’t say much … BUT he spoke. That’s the point. In our cities, God has called us to proclaim His message. The Gospel of Jesus Christ. The point isn’t how good you are at speaking it. The point is that you speak.”

“Now, nothing wrong, as we’ve established, with getting out into our cities and getting our hands dirty. But there is everything wrong with the suggestion that we’ve filled the tank of Gospel proclamation to capacity. If we cease to proclaim the Gospel within and outside of our church, we cease to be the church at all.”

“He was a prophet. He should have known that when God’s judgment is proclaimed, it is invariably followed by His mercy. In fact, in the book of Hosea, God names the daughter of Hosea’s unfaithful wife “No Mercy”, symbolically warning Israel, God’s unfaithful bride, that if they continue in their unfaithfulness, the result will be no mercy … judgment. But that warning is not an announcement of a foregone conclusion. But in itself a stroke of mercy. A severe mercy if you will. Intended to prick their conscience and lead them to repentance.”

“let’s be entirely honest with ourselves. How much do we expect that God will show our neighbors mercy? That’s one of the primary questions the Holy Spirit is asking of us through the book of Jonah. But you say, “yea, but I’ve never seen God move a whole city to repentance. How do I know that this wasn’t just one instance where God just decided to be merciful?” The cross of Christ assures us that being merciful is not just what God does, it’s who He is.” 

QUOTES:
Tim Keller - “When the world only sees us evangelizing those outside the church, they don't see it as the greatest act of love we could possibly do. They just see us being selfish, trying to increase the size of our congregations, and budgets and influence.”

Tim Keller - “Am I saying that loving your neighbor in other ways than evangelism is more important than evangelism? No. But it is an inseparable, though lesser responsibility of the church.”

Colin Smith - “Don’t confuse providence with permission.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
2 Corinthians 8:9
Hosea 2:23
2 Peter 3:9
Romans 9:15
Ephesians 2:4

APPLICATION:

• If your calendar is full of the church calendar, don’t confuse that with permission to retreat from your city; from the messiness of your neighbors

• If you don’t have any unbelieving friends, don’t confuse that with God giving you permission not to move toward the lost with mercy and compassion in your city

• If you live outside far from the neighborhood of the church, don’t confuse that with God giving you permission not to go into your city and extend the love of Christ to those neighbors!

Not calling you to relieve all the suffering in your city. To befriend all your unbelievers. Just go. Just start. When you leave this service today. Determine what it would look like to GO into your city. 

What I am asking you to do is to cast yourself on God’s mercy. Jonah only went into the city to speak to the city once he had experienced God’s unexpected, undeserved mercy. … and then be compelled by that mercy to have a courageous conversation with that unbelieving neighbor. If you don’t know how to interact with your unbelieving neighbors, your merciful God is with you. 

We believe God wants to raise the temperature of evangelism in our Church. How does God to this? Individually in our lives and corporately as a Church community. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

EVANGELISM SERIES
TEXT: Acts 18:9-11
TITLE: Raising the Evangelism Temperature
PREACHER: Tim Lambros
BIG IDEA: We exist to glorify God through the proclamation and demonstration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

POINTS:
I. Don’t Fear But Go
A. Defining Evangelism
B. Evangelism as a Discipline
C. Evangelistic Motivation
II. Don’t Fear But Be Comforted
III. Don’t Fear But Be A Means

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”Today we are going to re-visit that scene from Acts 18 where God visited Paul in his moment of weakness. We learned a few weeks ago in that text how fear had gripped Paul. The question was asked, “what are you afraid of?” The main truth from that section of Scripture is that God is able and faithful! Therefore, we can be hopeful in our evangelism and not give in to fear or believe evangelism is just for the super Christians.”

“So how did God “raise the evangelism temperature in Paul’s life?” The same way God works in our lives, in the life of this Church to raise the evangelism temperature.”

“God uses Paul’s life as an example because Paul’s life is every Christian’s life. Whether you’re Paul or Jim Donohue or the most extraverted or the most “people person” you know – Paul’s example speaks loud and boldly that all of us can and will face fear when it comes to our call to speak the truth about God and the gospel. Paul’s experience now becomes every believer’s experience.”

“Every believer is called to go. There are no super Christians in this plan – the call to go is God’s plan for every one of us. The reality of fear will be part of us going. You may never get a personal visit and word from God, but you will always have Paul’s example to know what to do.”

“Evangelism is proclaiming the truth about Jesus, so people repent and put their faith in Jesus. Relationship building, loving on people, and inviting people to a Bridge Course or over for hospitality are all important but evangelism involves proclaiming the truth about the gospel. That’s the content of evangelism.”

“We believe it’s best to approach evangelism as a spiritual discipline. It’s not a separate ministry just for those who have evangelistic gifts. It’s like Bible reading, prayer, worship, etc. We are all called to grow in these areas and so too we are called to grow in our evangelism.”

“Scripture gives us many ways to be motivated at the heart level. Simple obedience to the call positions us for grace. The reality of hell for family and friends we love should motivate us. The future eternity with Christ is helpful to motivate. But at the deepest level, I think we must meditate on the glory of Christ.”

“Church, I submit to you that the way we overcome our fears is that we so meditate on the glory of Christ that it becomes personal to us. WE FEEL IT WHEN GOD DOESN’T GET THE GLORY HE DESERVES.”

”Doctrine helps in evangelism! Doctrine, what the Bible teaches about any given topic, is meant to function in our ways. In evangelism, it’s meant to comfort us. …Knowing God is at the center of His plan to seek and save the lost helps us overcome our fears. Doctrinal knowledge is meant to FUNCTION in our life - bringing comfort, overcoming fear, and inspiring us to action”

“God uses means. Could God save people in Corinth using another means? Maybe have the gospel message miraculously appear in the sky? Sure, God is capable of doing anything. Part of our Biblical understanding is that God uses normal people like you and me to proclaim the message that Jesus came and died on the Cross so we could be reconciled back to Him.” 

QUOTES:
Tico Rice - “The closer you get to Jesus – the more you read of Him in the Bible and see Him at work in your life – the more glory you will see, and the more you will long for Him to be treated as He deserves.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 28
Acts 1:8
Romans 1:5–6
3 John 7
Isaiah 53
1 Peter  2:24 
Acts 17:16
John 15:18–20

APPLICATION:
Here’s your practical application DON’T FEAR BUT BE COMFORTED. Where is your pain line with this particular person God has put in your life? Get to know when you are tip-toeing up to the pain line. Be honest and confess that I don’t like the idea that this friend or family member or coworker might think I’m a fool if I invite them to a Bridge Course. Let’s honestly begin to evaluate our fear, get familiar with the pain line and allow God’s Word, God’s plan, and God’s character to move us past the pain line. Why? Because we will never find out those who are HUNGRY if we back down the moment we experience the pain line (a little mocking, someone views you as “one of those,” etc.).  

First, embrace your role as a means of grace to those God has brought into your life.
Second, begin to pray that God fills you with the Spirit to push through your pain line.
Third, take small moments of boldness.