There are fewer areas of the Christian life where we tend to throw our hands in the air in surrender more than evangelism, but Sunday’s passage can give us hope! Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Hopeful: The Book of Acts
TEXT: Acts 16:11-15
TITLE: The Rest of the Story
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: Only God opens hearts to the gospel, so don’t give up on giving Jesus to those around you!

POINTS:
I. Paul preached the Gospel
II. Lydia listened to Paul intently
III. The Spirit opened Lydia’s heart

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”Paul did what he always did—gave them Jesus. He could have given them unforgettable stories. He could have given them his amazing testimony. And maybe he did a bit of that. But Paul always had one song to sing, one message to bring to others—the gospel!”

“We should never underestimate our audience. God has you in that place with that person. The Holy Spirit is with you and the gospel message saves—Speak to them about Jesus!”

“Never underestimate the power of LISTENING. In a time too many in the church world rely on bells and candles, video clips and power points, artistic expressions, and group dialogue, LISTENING is seen as outdated and passe. …LISTENING to the gospel is to interact with God Himself. Faith comes through hearing”

“God came to Lydia and opened her heart to listen, meaning, He opened her heart to embrace and believe what she was hearing. The imagery of a door is natural here. This door is different, however. Spiritually speaking, the door of the heart has a handle on the outside, not the inside.” 

“Throughout Acts we encounter hopeful, happy, grateful, strategic, courageous, advance-the-gospel-at-all-costs Christians. But all along, God is the hero because only God can open the closed heart to the good news of Jesus according to His mercy and grace. And He does in His mercy and by His grace!”

“The gospel is the glorious message of salvation. Regeneration is the glorious explanation of how we come to willingly and freely believe it, even though we can’t fully comprehend it.”

QUOTES:
Anthony Hoekema - “Since the heart stands for the inner core of the person, we may assume that the opening of the heart describes regeneration. This led Lydia to respond believingly to what Paul was saying—to accept it, to embrace it, and to act upon it….One can only respond in repentance and faith after God has given new life!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Ephesians 2:1-5
1 Corinthians 2:14
John 3:1-14
Ezekiel 36:26-29

APPLICATION:
- How do you arrange your Saturday night or Sunday morning so that, when you get here, you can LISTEN to the preached Word, LISTEN to the Spirit of God, LISTEN to the encouragement of others? It matters.

- Attend SGU in October! Because the effects of studying the doctrine of Regeneration are greater gratitude, deeper humility, stronger affections for Jesus, and bolder witness.

God is the Great Evangelist and He loves to open hearts to the glory, beauty, majesty, and sufficiency of His Son. So, here’s our application—Don’t give up!

1. Anxious mom and dad—Don’t give up on your unsaved child

2. Weary husband or wife—Don’t give up on your unbelieving spouse

3. Frustrated friend—Don’t give up on your stubborn friend

Sometimes God saves the first time, and sometimes He saves the 1000th time. That’s up to Him!

This past Sunday we saw that even in the midst of deep conflict, re-direct after re-direct, and human barriers, the Gospel of Christ goes forth into new lands and new hearts. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Hopeful: The Book of Acts
TEXT: Acts 15:36 - 16:10
TITLE: Gospel Mission Unobstructed
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: The Gospel mission is unobstructed by human failure and barriers and advances in power.

POINTS:
I. Gospel Mission Unobstructed by Conflict
II. Gospel Mission Unobstructed by Barriers
III. Gospel Mission Redirected by the Holy Spirit

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”The context of the conflict is while on Gospel Mission. The heart of the conflict is serious. The nature of the conflict is stark - sharp disagreement! And the result of the conflict is grievous - separation. YET… as difficult as the conflict was, there is a SURPRISE greater result - the conflict leads to Gospel advance - The Gospel is persistent!”

“I think it’s worth recalling the resolve of these Gospel missionaries - these first-century saints. Church history here in Acts reveals moxie - the determination - of the evangelists. REAL pain in conflict and disappointment and maybe even regret did not stop these men from getting back on mission!”

“At times, “Keeping the Main Thing the Main Thing” calls for various barriers to be removed for the sake of making a way for the Main Thing.”

“The Spirit is at work in power moving, speaking, directing, coordinating, carrying out, silencing them, barring them, and calling them. It is clear… The Holy Spirit is the one that is advancing the mission exactly the way He has determined!”

“Our sin has caused a GRAVE conflict with God! BUT He did not “sail away!” He came through the conflict and innumerable barriers through His son Jesus! He has sent His Son Jesus as your ONLY WAY of salvation. It’s true - Christians have been in deep conflict throughout the ages and their plans have been frustrated and in the wisdom of Christ it was for your benefit! Turn to Christ. Believe in Jesus Christ as God’s Son. Turn away from your sin you will see the glory of heaven.”

QUOTES:
I Heard The Bells on Christmas Day Lyrics-
”I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men.
I thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men.
And in despair I bowed my head:
’There is no peace on earth,’ I said,
For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, goodwill to men.
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,
With peace on earth, goodwill to men."

Kent Hughes - “So the unthinkable happened, and Paul and Barnabas agree to disagree and went their separate ways of ministry for Christ… the relationship between two great men of God had failed… The omission of a harmonious conclusion indicates the unstated but undeniable failure of two greatest souls the church has ever known.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
1 Corinthians 9:19-21
Isaiah 61:1-3

APPLICATION:
As a church…
Q. Do I truly believe that God is powerful enough to strengthen our church in the face of - even in or after -deep conflict? Do I believe that He will turn beauty to ashes in these difficult situations? Am I able to trust God to grant grace and strength for this? Can we be so resolved, have a spine, granted only by God to respond in loyalty and love toward others?

Q. What happens in our actions and our faith, and our conversations when conflict breaks out? Where does conflict take us? Do we lose hope? Are we hindered for too long from believing that God is at work even in this?

Personally…
Q. Are we willing to be honest about our own ability to do just like they did… turn from brothers/sisters and sail away? REMEMBER OUR SAVIOR NEVER TURNED AWAY FROM US IN SIN. Let THAT truth be ground for your remaining.

Q. How quick are we to respond to God’s redirection?

Q. Do we see that interruptions to our plans are God at work redirecting our plans into His perfect will?

The text we are looking at today – the clarity that God brought to His Churches - God has used in a powerful way for generations. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Hopeful: The Book of Acts
TEXT: Acts 15:1-35
TITLE: The Main Thing
PREACHER: Tim Lambros

POINTS:
I. The Threat
II. The Defense
III. The Effect

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”God is helping this small but growing group of Churches get clarity on a most important question – how do people get saved? How do sinners receive forgiveness of their sins? How do sinners get reconciled to God, accepted by God?”

“What’s at stake here is of huge importance. The question – how are people saved?  What does God call us to in order to be forgiven of our sins, reconciled to God, and accepted by Him? One group is teaching it’s Jesus plus the law. Paul and Silas in Gentile regions are teaching you’re saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.”

“Formerly Gentiles would become part of the people of God by being incorporated into the Jewish community, get circumcised and begin practicing the law. NOW, people are getting saved apart from the law – apart from their works of obedience.”

“The main thing here is to keep the main thing the main thing. In other words, Peter is saying VERY CLEARLY we are saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. When it comes to the fundamental question of how we are saved Peter says IT IS NOT Jesus plus the law. It’s not grace/faith/Jesus plus Moses. He’s saying don’t test what God is doing in Gentile regions by putting this yoke around their necks. It’s very clear that God is saving people apart from the law.”

“Why do you think there’s this inherent desire for mankind to want to somehow change the gospel of grace to the gospel of grace plus the law?”

“Christ didn’t die on the Cross to improve our good works so they’d be acceptable to God. Christ didn’t endure a horrific death because God’s holiness standard is kind of a high bar and grace means Jesus lifts us up so we can reach the bar! NO! Emphatically NO!”

QUOTES:
C.J. Mahaney - “Legalism is seeking to achieve forgiveness from God and acceptance by God through obedience to God.”

William Plumer - “Justification is an act. It is not a work, or a series of acts. It is not progressive. The weakest believer and the strongest saint are alike equally justified. Justification admits no degrees. A man is either wholly justified or wholly condemned in the sight of God.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Galatians 1
Genesis 17:9-14

APPLICATION:
2 ways to keep the main thing the main thing:  

1. Grow – Don’t assume. You must work at keeping the main thing the main thing.  You and I must grow in our understanding, appreciation, and passion for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Suggestion – build yourself a top 10 list of single verses that preach the gospel (i.e. 2 Corinthians 5:21). Then build a list of your favorite paragraphs. Then build a list of your favorite gospel narratives. Don’t think you are immune from gospel drift!

2. Guard – Guard your heart from the inner legalist that lives in you. If you quietly  live with low-grade guilt in your Christian walk … if you lack joy in your Christian life…you might have what I call “morphed legalism.” Morphed legalism is when you confess that your position and standing with God is by grace through faith in  Christ alone but your daily practice of Christianity is filled with language like “I should be …” A morphed legalist isn’t clear on the difference between justification and sanctification. If that’s you immediately drop everything you’re doing in your  Christian life until you study and get clarity.

Sunday’s passage encouraged us to share Jesus through thick and thin, and to be Hopeful in our witness, come what may. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Hopeful: The Book of Acts
TEXT: Acts 14
TITLE: Through Thick and Thin
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
I. The Gospel that Saves Divides
II. The Gospel that Saves Clashes with the Culture
III. The Gospel that Saves Puts You at Risk

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”People turn to many things to cure what ails them, but only the gospel meets people right where they are, speaking to their deepest need in a powerful and transforming way.”

“God saves people through evangelism. He is the GREAT Evangelist. Though we don’t know WHO He will save, we know HOW He saves—through hearing the good news of the gospel. So, we tell others about Jesus.”

“The gospel divides because there is no neutrality when it comes to Jesus. You either believe in him or you don’t. And to not believe in Jesus is to reject him as the only mediator between sinful man and a holy God.”

“Amid serious division and opposition, they kept preaching Christ boldly. How convinced was Paul that Christ was everything and the gospel was the only message of salvation?!”

“It is important to note that these men are not running scared. Their life mission is telling others about Jesus and planting local churches. They are filled with the Spirit and armed with the gospel. Paul and Barnabas are not retreating; they are advancing the gospel mission. “

“They didn’t know the Jewish Scriptures that taught them about the eternal God who created all things. So, Paul and Barnabas used their world to help them understand. They confronted and connected their culture and their ideas and stories and perceptions and philosophies and worldview—to the existence of a living God. That’s where the gospel begins— The existence of a holy God who created all things, so all things are accountable to Him.”

“We do mission in a confused culture today, don’t we? Our gods might not be called Zeus and Hermes, but they are there:

• Sexual and gender identity

• Leisure and pleasure

• Freedom of choice at the cost of human life

• Individualism

• Relativism”

“The Gospel will clash with our culture. But as the gospel was effective in the confused culture of Lystra, it is effective today as we claim it boldly, clearly, and in the power of the Spirit into our confused culture.”

“Paul’s resolve and courage in Christ were astounding. He knew Christ sacrificed his life for him, so there was no sacrifice too great that he could make for Christ. Eternity was at stake. Cities were filled with sinners and he had just what they needed—A Savior.”

“Imagine with me for a moment, if each one of us embraced God’s way, trusted in His faithfulness, and shared Jesus with just one person this week; imagine the stories we could tell!”

APPLICATION:
- How convinced are you that Christ is everything and the gospel is the only message of salvation?

Two realities surface that fueled Paul and Barnabas’ courageous witness through the Thick and Thin of their mission. I want to point them out by way of application:

1. Embrace God’s Way—read verses 21-22, Don’t be surprised by division, opposition, or cultural clashing. Living for Jesus and telling others about Jesus will ALWAYS bring a measure of opposition and persecution. But it’s God’s way so embrace it and share.

2. Trust God’s Faithfulness—read verses 24-27, We are reluctant ambassadors, but God is the Great Evangelist. Trust His faithfulness to build His church through your imperfect witness.

As believers, when we see how grievous our sins really were… and in our sin, we did scoff at and revile Jesus… NOW finding our sins have been forgiven, then our Savior, Jesus, becomes all the more precious to us! He bore our sins on his body and died and rose again! We are forgiven. We are Free! And now we see the beauty of the Lamb of God - Jesus!

SERIES: Hopeful: The Book of Acts
TEXT: Acts 13:13-52
TITLE: Jesus - The Savior Just as God Promised
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: We have been longing for only what Jesus can provide and God has sent Him to us just as he promised!

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”Do you know your history? Are you aware that all of it points to Christ? Your history is God’s history. It belongs to Him and He has ordained it to point to Jesus just as He Promised.”

“The sorrow, the disappointments, the valleys of death, the heights of exhilaration, the celebrations, the gravesides, the weddings, the weakness, the panic, the happiness, the community groups, the parenting, our childhood, the hurt, the healing, the singing, the sobbing, the church picnic, the baptisms, the communion, the nights of darkness, the joys in the morning, the friendships, the job, when we were young, now we are aged, yesterday, today, and tomorrow… ALL OF IT… is God’s history right now and will one day culminate in the exaltation of Jesus.”

“Paul declares beginning with “Brothers, sons of the family of Abraham… to us has been sent the message of the salvation” - He calls the content of his sermon “the message of salvation.”… And Church, this is what WE have been given and sent by God - THE MESSAGE OF SALVATION. ”

“THEY KILLED GOD’S PROMISED ONE, BUT “GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD! From the tomb, God raises Jesus! Jesus’ death and resurrection is the glorious fulfillment of God’s promise. Jesus’ death and resurrection is the very means by which we are forgiven. Jesus’ death and resurrection is how we are now freed!”

QUOTES:
Stuart Townend, "How Deep the Father’s Love for Us” -

“Behold the man upon a cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Revelation 5:13-14

APPLICATION:
1. Do we have such a high view of Jesus and the word of God about Him that we are willing to finally make it clear that they are facing God’s judgment and we WILL NOT be part of their rejection?
2. Have we reviled Jesus?

The Lord stands up to the blitz on your soul and He will never, never, never give you up! Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Hopeful: The Book of Acts
TEXT: Acts 12:24-25
TITLE: God’s Unyielding Work
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: The unyielding work of God is the salvation of His people and our exaltation of Jesus through the Local Church… and nothing is going to stop it!

POINTS:
I. God’s Work through the Local Church
II. God’s Work Opposed
III. God’s Work Unyielding

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”There are three things revealed in verses 1-3 about the nature and character of this Church at Antioch: they were dependent on God, obedient to God, they were sent by God to proclaim the word of God.”

“God disposes of the opposition to His Work and He MOVES IN POWER against Satan and representatives. In a divine sense - God raises His voice and declares: NEVER, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER!”

“God blinds the false prophet in utter darkness - and what is shocking is that in God’s judgment, MERCY is present! He is blinded “FOR A TIME” and he is left alive. [possibly blinded so that LATER he might see!] This is NOTHING BUT UNDERSERVED GRACE! The opposition might one day believe in Jesus!”

“God’s work in salvation is not delayed. It is not deterred. It is not put on hold. It is perfectly timed. There is no divine anxiety, no slowing down, no speeding up. It will not be rescheduled. His work of salvation is delivered faithfully on the sinner being saved. There is no hiccup, no bump in the road, no skid marks, and no back peddling. There is no rethinking nor going back to the drawing board. God does not have a Plan B! God’s unyielding work of salvation is the only plan and it is divinely carried out in absolute perfection!”

QUOTES:
Winston Churchill - “But for everyone, surely, what we have gone through in this… period of ten months this is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never - in nothing, great or small, large or petty - never give in except to convictions of honor and good sense.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Romans 8:31-37

APPLICATION:
1. Do you see God’s work?
2. Are we willing to do God’s work when he calls us?
3. Do we truly believe that the Local Church is God’s foundational means of carrying out His Gospel Work in the world? Do we value the local church to the extent that it is also primary in our plans… in our future decisions?
4. What keeps assaulting your faith?

We are kicking off this new era in Acts with a look at our own missiology, which you will find in the coming weeks, comes from what we see right here in Acts—planting local churches. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

TEXT: Matthew 28:16-20
TITLE: The Great Commission And The Local Church
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: When God invades the world with the glory of Christ, He begins and ends with the local church.

POINTS:
I. Our Mission
II. Our Strategy for the Mission
III. Our Confidence in the Mission

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”A disciple is someone who is sold out for another person, someone who is committed to following the words and ways of someone else. In true discipleship, there is no room for a half-hearted, take it or leave it kind of attitude. A disciple is ALL in!”

“Our mission as a church is to make disciples of Jesus Christ. HOW are disciples made? There are three verbs in the text that describe the HOW of our mission: GO, BAPTIZE, and TEACH.”

“Every believer here is called to GO to the lost. The mission is not—Be ready when the lost comes to you. The mission is GO to the lost around you and tell them the good news of Jesus. The sense of GO in context is not—Get out of dodge and begin something new. It’s primarily—Where you already GO, GO with Jesus”

“For some GOING takes them away into foreign lands. But, for most of us, the GOING is everywhere God has us every day already. In the coming months, we are going to bring a greater focus to this aspect of our mission together.”

“This baptism doesn’t save anyone. That said, it is a public expression of one’s salvation that marks and celebrates their new life as a disciple of Christ.”

“Someone asked one time—What does discipleship look like around here? A GOOD question. Each of the contexts I just mentioned, beginning with Sunday morning preaching, are expressions of discipleship meant to teach us how to love and live for Jesus in joy and obedience.”

“The Great Commission NECESSITATES the centrality of the local church. And it’s the local church that is at the heart of our Strategy for Mission.”

“I submit a Fully Orbed Mission, according to the word looks like this: The Gospel + The Believer + The Local Church = Missions”

“The Great Commission demands the local church, which is at the heart of the mission, to go, baptize, and teach. When we remove the local church from the equation, it’s like an ambassador without an Embassy.”

“In the call to mission, [Jesus] promises to be with us in ALL authority. He is with us in power and purpose. That promise guarantees the success of our gospel mission. Not our size. Not our prospects. Not our affiliations. Not our creativity. Not our missional resolve. It’s the unwavering resolve of Christ to transform sinners into disciples, build his church, and return for his bride—with all authority—ensuring our gospel mission is unstoppable.”

QUOTES:
George Peters - “The primary historical significance of the Great Commission lies in the fact that it gives to the church the pattern and purpose of missions. It defines and delineates the missionary task. We have in the Great Commission a compass, a charter, and a plan”

Dave Harvey - “Church planting is the New Testament method for proclaiming and applying the gospel. Armed with the good news, the disciples would penetrate new regions with a goal of both communicating God’s word and creating God’s community. In contrast to traditional missionary enterprises which often centers primarily upon proclamation, church planting establishes a mission base for proclamation, integration and expansion”

APPLICATION:
We are part of something much bigger than ourselves, but it all begins with local churches planting local churches. Maybe you are not feeling like you are part of something bigger:

• If you give to this church—You are!

• If you are praying God will use our church beyond these four walls—You are!

• If you are committed to your local church with your gifts, giving, and presence—You are!

• If you are wondering about joining a SG church plant—Perhaps you will be in a very unique way! I encourage you to speak with one of your pastors.

Do you get BORED with what God is doing in here - your church? If so, you may need to evaluate your understanding of what God wants to do out there.

We all GO every day. The question is, How much of my GOING is for Jesus? 

The Great Commission begins and ends with the local church. Begin with your commitment HERE, and if God is leading you to something OUT THERE, talk with a pastor so he can faithfully shepherd your soul.

In Acts, the church kept preaching the gospel and teaching God’s Word—come what may—and as they did, the word increased and multiplied in the form of growing, maturing believers. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Hopeful: The Book of Acts
TEXT: Acts 12:24
TITLE: A Sure Strategy
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: Our greatest weapon for our glorious mission is words - the very words of God given to us in the Holy Word of God.

POINTS:
I. The Word of God Increases and Multiplies Because It is Preached
II. The Word of God Increases and Multiplies Because It is Profitable
III. The Word of God Increases and Multiplies Because It Protects

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”…if you are a Christian, your life, your marriage, your family, your job, your money, your dreams, your purpose, is entirely wrapped up in God’s mission to build His church for His glory. So, what a powerful encouragement from the Spirit these eight words are, that remind us the imperishable Word of God in the hands of the Spirit and the hearts of God’s people, will accomplish God’s purposes.”

“…the difference between heaven and hell is not believing God exists and He is powerful (demons believe that in James 2), it’s personally believing His Son Jesus, the Eternal Living Word, alone can save. And this saving message is found in one place—Bible.”

“God is a holy and just God. We are born sinful. Therefore, we are deservedly under the wrath of God and are absolutely unable to do anything about it. But in the mercy and wisdom of God, Jesus made himself our propitiation, that is, he willingly gave Himself as a sacrifice on a cross that turns God’s wrath away from all who have faith in him so they now know only God’s unfailing love, grace, and pleasure—That’s the gospel—What Scripture itself calls ‘of first importance!’”

“In Acts, the church kept preaching the gospel—come what may—and as they did, the word increased and multiplied in the form of sinners saved.”

“God’s Word not only leads us to salvation, but it also equips us and makes us fruitful as individual believers and collectively as the church.”

“Most [worldly stories, messages, and philosophies] have no real bearing on our lives, and the fact we can’t even remember most of them is evidence that they are, for the most part, USELESS INFORMATION.”

“In other words, pastor Timothy, whatever happens to and in the church, above all things, Preach the Word! Preach Christ! Teach truth! Fulfill your ministry and PROTECT your church by preaching the Word of God—no matter what!”

QUOTES:
Scott Hubbard - “At every stage of the kingdom’s advance from Jesus to his apostles to the church—the lie of the garden dies by the truth of the gospel. Teaching wins back the world… So, in the church’s global mission against the gates of hell, words are our greatest weapons”

Jerry Bridges - “The gospel is not only the most important message in all of history, it is the only essential message in all of history”

James Montgomery Boice - “We need to be taught, and it [God’s Word] teaches us—about God, ourselves, and the way of salvation. We need to be rebuked, and it rebukes us—about our sin and unrighteousness. We need to be corrected, and it corrects us—showing us the way we should go, the way of blessing. We need to be trained in righteousness, and it trains us—through daily application of its teachings”

Derek Thomas - “But the Word of God increased and multiplies.” So identified were these people with what they did—spending time in God’s Word—that Luke equates the growth of the church with the growth of the Word. It is not friendship, or buildings, or discipleship groups first and foremost, but the centrality of the Word. This is church growth, New Testament style! They had no demographic research, no statistical analysis of the most likely elements of society to respond to the gospel, no evangelism training, no extensive campaigns of any kind; and yet, under the blessing of God, and in the midst of persecution that had seen the execution of one of their most prized leaders, they grew!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
God is Revealed in Nature - Romans 1:20, Psalm 19:1-2, Acts 14:17
Salvation is Found in the Word - 2 Timothy 3:14-15
Gospel Passages in Scripture - Isaiah 53:4-6, Romans 3:21-26, Romans 4:4-5, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 3:13-14, Ephesians 2:1-10, Philippians 2:6-8, Colossians 1:19-20, Colossians 2:13-14, Titus 3:4-7, Hebrews 2:14-17, 1 Peter 2:22-25
The Word Equips Us - 2 Timothy 3:16-17
The Power of God’s Word - Isaiah 55:11
The Power for Growth - Hebrews 4:12
Preaching the Word - 1 Timothy 4:11,13, 1 Timothy 6:2, 2 Timothy 2:1-2, 2 Timothy 4:1-2
The Word Protects - Philippians 4:6-7, Romans 12:2, Ephesians 2:1-10, The Book of Psalms

APPLICATION:
-We all have areas we are not growing spiritually. The first question shouldn’t be—Why isn’t God growing me? The first question should be—Am I allowing God’s Word to inform and have authority in this area of my life?

In our mission to advance God’s kingdom, words are our greatest weapons -
1. Jesus, the Living Word, is the life-giving heart of the written Word—When you read the Bible, look for him on every page.
2. The Word will be fruitless in you if the Spirit is not with you. Before you approach the Word, ask for the Spirit’s fresh filling for your spiritual understanding.
3. Preaching is God’s preferred weapon—Hold high, not the preacher, but the preached Word in your church.
4. When you share Jesus, show them Jesus—with your Bible

In the power of the Spirit, don’t allow the anxiety of the unknown, the tyranny of what’s seen, or temporary suffering to derail your faith. We know how this ends—Christ is victorious! Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Hopeful: The Book of Acts
TEXT: Acts 12:18-25
TITLE: Getting Reacquainted With The King Of Glory, Part 2
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: God is always in control, always for our good.

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”Herod stood before the people as though he was God, paraphrasing John Calvin—Plucking God out of His seat. And God struck him down.”

“Plucking God out of His seat comes naturally to us. Learning to give glory to God, in ALL things at ALL times, is a discipline we must all be intentional about. Money, possessions, talents, health, position, favor, wisdom, and achievements. From spiritual salvation to earthly successes, it all comes from God.”

“how do we stay humble? Above all things, I submit we cultivate God-honoring humility to the degree we live with an awareness that God is holy, I am a wretched sinner, and Jesus alone can bridge the gap. Staying close to the cross cultivates humility in the heart.”

“Did persecution and hardship cease? No, just keep reading. And it won’t until the imminent return of Christ. But God’s Spirit-empowered gospel mission through His church always triumphs.”

“If you are new around here, we are careful about how the news intrudes this pulpit. We avoid over-contextualizing the gospel for the sake of perceived cultural relevance. We preach biblical truth, not American politics. Our hope is in the goodness and wisdom of a sovereign God and the power of a risen Christ—and nothing else!”

“That’s exactly what Peter’s rest on death row, the church’s prayers in a dark hour, and Herod’s gruesome death REACQUAINT us with—the unchanging truth that God is always in control as He brings about His UNSTOPPABLE purposes for His ETERNAL glory and HIGHEST good for His redeemed people. That’s why we should be HOPEFUL in our Christ-centered, Spirit-empowered mission—God is UNSTOPPABLE!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Daniel 4
Pride: Romans 12:3, Galatians 6:3, Proverbs 26:12
Humility: Isaiah 66:2, James 4:6
Psalm 46
Where our hope rests: Romans 3:25-26, Colossians 2:13-15, 1 John 4:4, Romans 8:28, Revelation 22:12, Psalm 73:17-19, Matthew 16:18

APPLICATION:
STAY ON MISSION:

• Keep praying

• Keep resting

• Keep gathering

• Keep evangelizing

• Keep fellowshipping

• Keep obeying

• Keep serving

• Keep giving

• Keep enduring

• Keep persevering

• Keep showing mercy

On Sunday we learned that SAME power that miraculously rescued Peter from prison is the same power that gave strength to Peter for REST and the church to PRAY despite Herod’s might and means. Let us reacquaint ourselves with this POWER. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Hopeful: The Book of Acts
TEXT: Acts 12:1-17
TITLE: Getting Reacquainted With The King Of Glory
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: God is always in control, always for our good.

POINTS:
I. People’s Prayer
II. Peter’s Sleep

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”James is dead. Peter is locked down on death row. A tremendous BLOW personally and corporately for the church. The mission has been on cruise control in Antioch. One can imagine the anxiety, fear, hopelessness, and sense of senselessness that must have come over the believers. …Have you been there? Are you there now? The early believers were there.”

“In a situation where most people would panic in powerlessness, Luke reacquaints us with true reality by showing us how the power of God gives strength to His people in two particular ways.”

“On the one hand, Herod is carrying out his seemingly unstoppable wicked assault on the church, while on the other hand, Luke wants us to see there are two forces here—God’s people are praying their hearts out for the power of God.”

“Peter knows his friend’s fate is soon to be his own. The last thing one would think Peter could do was sleep. And he is SOUND asleep. Like, snoring sleep. In 7, not even the light of an angel woke him and the angel had to strike him and say, Get up! Peter is at complete peace in the Lord.”

“Christians have been set free, made heirs with Jesus so we can follow him wherever he leads, and trust him in whatever he brings, knowing that at the end of the day we will be with him forever. How much more will he not care for you every moment until then?”

“It’s so easy for us to lose sight of the MAGNITUDE and GREATNESS of the God we belong to. In times of trial, suffering, and uncertainty, we are prone to MINIMIZE His greatness and power by MAGNIFYING our trial. The result is instead of running to an All-powerful God, we run from an all-powerful God. Prayer gives way to panic. Rest gives way to anxiety. But God’s desire for us, and He gives grace for this, is to trust Him in our trials.”

“We are jars of clay. We are fickle in nature. We are prone to unbelief. But take heart, God is supremely faithful, even when your faith is severely lacking.”

QUOTES:
John Stott- “What could the little community of Jesus in its powerlessness do against the armed might of Rome. Here then were two communities, the world and the church, arrayed against one another each wielding a weapon, the church turned to prayer which is the only power the powerless possess.”

Charles Wesley’s Hymn “And Can It Be” -
Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray;
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free;
I rose, went forth, and followed thee

Eckhard Schnabel - “Trust in God implies the confidence that God will give strength to endure suffering, courage to endure persecution, and boldness to be a witness of God’s power and grace right to the end…Believers express their faith, they formulate their hopes and wishes in prayers, they acknowledge God’s sovereignty to do as he sees fit, and they leave their fate in his hands”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
1 Peter 5:7
Hebrews 12:3-4

APPLICATION:
-Is that your view of prayer—The power of the powerless? We live in a society that increasingly views prayer as a sign of impotence and weakness. Prayer is the power of God’s people to tap into the power of their God who is infinitely greater than any power in this world. Do you need to REACQUAINT yourself with prayer?

- Peter didn’t PANIC, he RESTED in the providence and sovereign power of God. Perhaps Peter remembered that transforming moment not too long ago when he watched Jesus sleep in the boat as the storm raged. Perhaps it was this moment in Acts 12 that led Peter to write some 20 years later to a group of beleaguered churches in 1 Peter 5:7—Cast all your cares on Him, because HE cares for YOU. Do you need to REACQUAINT yourself with gospel rest today?

- In light of this text, what do you need to do right now? In your circumstance, what is wisdom right now for you? 

• Panic less and PRAY more?

• Take your anxious thoughts captive and REST in Christ’s righteousness and forgiveness?

• Stop compromising your faith to appease your oppressor out of fear and stand firm, speaking the truth with humble courage in faith?

• Put off doubt and put on praise to God for His unwavering faithfulness?

Tucson is Antioch! And we are here now - Let’s go! Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Hopeful: The Book of Acts
TEXT: Acts 11:19-30
TITLE: Grace in Antioch
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: God's grace saves, strengthens, and marks the Church.

POINTS:
I. The Grace of God to Antioch through His Word Proclaimed
II. The Grace of God to Antioch through Grace-gifted men
III. The Grace of God to Antioch through Christians

SERMON EXCERPTS:

“What has been your private reaction to the news? - Multiply that out by God’s incalculable divine reaction! And now you and I can begin to understand, even to a small degree, God’s revulsion to Antioch’s depravity.”

“How is it possible for US citizens of Tucson to be forgiven by a Holy and just God? How is it possible that the Lord in His just wrath would not cause Mount Lemmon to give way and fall on top of us?! The answer is the same - MERCY. MERCY IS THE ONLY ANSWER!”

“Important note on the providence of God - God’s grace is revealed in that it was Saul that led out in the violent persecution of the church. The church was scattered. And in the scattering, some saints land in Antioch and preach Jesus! And NOW Saul, of all people, will be coming in loving, caring for, and teaching this church! This can only be the amazing grace of God! Barnabas gets Saul to help, and it changes world history!”

“I should be looking for evidences of God’s grace in the church - where do I see Jesus preached faithfully? Where do I see “the hand of Lord” that is at work in the church?”

“The character and lives of these growing Gentile saints were so changed and shaped by the Grace of God through the means of discipleship and instruction that even the non-believers took notice. The change was so stark and real that they lived totally differently… now living out their new life in Jesus Christ”

“God has now made a third kind (race) of people. Not Jews… not Gentiles… Jesus people - ‘Christians.’”

QUOTES:
Martin Luther- “If the Word is spoken, all things are possible!”

Derek Thomas - “What emerged in Antioch, a pagan, Roman city, was a community in which Christian values and zeal were so palpable that the unbelievers could see it, even if they derided them for it… Such an environment sifted the wheat from the chaff. Only true Christianity could survive in such an environment. Sooner or later, nominal Christianity will accommodate itself to the pagan culture; it will adopt its values and conform to its levels of acceptability… What showed itself in Antioch was something entirely countercultural. In such an environment, there is no mistaking the true church. When its members are truly committed to Christ, the result is something that shines brightly. It may prove costly to shine for Jesus in a godless society, but in doing so we become the beacons of hope for a dying world. Nor should we underestimate the way such a light can be a draw for those whose lives are engulfed by darkness.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Romans 5:13-15, 17
Hebrews 8:12
Galatians 5:16, 19-24
Mark 5:18-20

APPLICATION:
-Do I see my pastors' and brother/sister’s love and care for me in their words of encouragement and exhortation?

- Are we so changed by the Holy Spirit that we are known for being ‘other’ than the world? Is there any marked difference in our nature and character that would be evident even to those outside of the Church - that we would be “Christian?” In today’s culture, to be Christian is not an endearing label anymore. YET they need this GRACE… they need the Grace of God revealed in true Christians that are beacons of hope shining light into the darkness. 

-Christian, do you see the Mercy of God to Tucson in the fact that He has called you, saved you, is changing you? He is with you in the power of the Holy Spirit - do you see this as the GRACE of God to our city? Do you see that the MERCY of God has come to Tucson by holding back his wrath and instead planting this Church in this city? We are HIS means of grace to this desperate city!

We may not be arguing the importance of Jewish heritage or circumcision, but the truths of this passage are still pertinent today! Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Hopeful: The Book of Acts
TEXT: Acts 11:1-18
TITLE: A Gospel-Centered Response To A Gospel-Centered Work
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: In the Church, people don’t have to become like us to be one of us. They know Jesus, and that makes them one of us.

POINTS:
I. A Fallacious Accusation
II. A Godward Argument
III. An Appropriate Acceptance

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”This morning is not about evangelism. It’s about life in the local church. And though the issues in our text aren’t really relevant to us today, the heart of the matter and the message is extremely relevant for us today.”

“…the gospel changes everything. Cornelius and his family didn’t come to God through Israel by becoming Jewish. They weren’t part of the church because they embraced the rituals and traditions of Judaism. Cornelius was baptized, not circumcised. These Gentiles came to God through faith in Jesus alone.”

“God saves people as they are. They didn’t need Jesus PLUS Judaism. They didn’t need to become a Jew to be a child of God—they had Jesus and Jesus was enough.”

“When they heard what the Lord had done, they fell silent. Criticism ceased. Objections dropped. Accusations halted. Praises began. Gentiles in the church. It wasn’t what they expected. It wasn’t what they preferred. But God did this.” 

“…when we treat [secondary and tertiary doctrines, all of them good] like the gospel, we in effect, communicate to others they have abandoned the gospel and are being unfaithful to God, when they haven’t. That’s legalism. It leads to condemnation. And God hates it!”

“You will probably never say—If you want to be a Christian you’ve got to be circumcised. But we are all vulnerable to subtly turning the gospel of grace into the gospel of assimilation by making our personal convictions and preferences the essence of the gospel. Confessionally —No. Functionally—Yes.”

QUOTES:
James Montgomery Boice - “We do not have this exact problem today, but we do have something like it. We are glad to have other people join us as long as they become like us.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Galatians 6:14-15

APPLICATION:
-What Christian perspectives, convictions or preferences do I allow to refuse, limit, or part company with a fellow believer because they don’t share them?

-That’s what it means to be a Christian—boast in the cross of Christ and nothing else. A word of application: 

1. Non-Christian friend: Jesus is all you need!

2. Visitors: One thing defines SGC—The gospel!

3. Fellow believer:

   1. Be sensitive to the Spirit’s work of conviction in your heart

   2. Pursue company with those who are different than you

   3. Discern when to fall silent

   4. Be most passionate about the gospel

This past Sunday was a special Sunday in the life of our church: we had the privilege of ordaining Tom Wilkins. If you are unfamiliar with the term ordination, it simply means to publicly set apart or appoint. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

TEXT: 1 Peter 5:1-4
TITLE: Peter, Pastors, and Barbecue: A Special Sunday in the Life of SGC
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
I. A Pastor’s Charge
II. A Pastor’s Heart
III. A Pastor’s Motivation

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”These four verses have ENORMOUS implications for pastors. But what it powerfully preaches to pastors, has TREMENDOUS implications and applications for YOU because in focusing on the pastors, Peter is equipping the churches.”

“The NT uses pastor, elder, and overseer as interchangeable terms—three terms, one office. We see the interchangeable nature of these terms in Titus 1, 1 Timothy 3, Acts 20, Philippians 1, Ephesians 4, and right here in 1 Peter 4.”

“Scripture teaches the KEY to the Christian life is KEEPING your eyes on Jesus—namely his sacrifice and his return. And that begins with pastors in their own lives and in their pastoring. A pastor has one message to proclaim, one song to sing, one motivating force—Jesus Christ!”

“These are the sacred tasks of governing—feeding, caring, protecting, leading.”

“A pastor is called to sacrifice himself to the will of God, the gospel of Christ, and the mission of the church because he is convinced in his heart God has called him to just that.”

“Should pastors be paid? According to 1 Corinthians 9 and 1 Timothy 5, if at all possible, YES! But when money becomes the motive, temptations and partiality hinders the gospel mission, reviles the Word of God, and slanders the name of Christ.”

“…pastoral authority is God’s design. We know that because it is patterned in the Trinity, enabled through the gospel, and clearly prescribed in the Scriptures through commands, imagery, and implication.”

“It's paramount pastors remember they are shepherds. Peter doesn’t call pastors ranchers. Ranchers rawhide cattle into corrals. Pastors are shepherds, gently feeding, caring, protecting and leading sheep toward the Great Shepherd, as we ourselves pursue the Great Shepherd.”

“The reason I will wear the unfading crown of glory before God is because the Chief Shepherd wore a crown of thorns for me.”

QUOTES:
John Stott- “The best sermons we ever preach to others are those we have first preached to ourselves.”

Alexander Strauch - “Shepherding is the figurative expression for governance, while overseeing is the literal term”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Acts 13:2
Acts 14:23
2 Timothy 4:1-2
Hebrews 13:17
Acts 20:28-30
Acts 6:1-6
2 Timothy 2:2
Ephesians 4:11-16

The cross of Jesus has leveled the playing field. Without exception, all have sinned, and all need a Savior, and Jesus is calling all men everywhere without distinction to repent and be saved, and “everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins through His name!” Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

TEXT: Acts 10:1-48
TITLE: Cornelius the Centurion is Saved
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins

POINTS:
Day 1 - Caesarea – God prepares the sinner for the Gospel
Day 2 – God prepares the evangelist by the Gospel
Day 3 – ANYONE who believes in Jesus will be saved

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”In the Gospels, Jesus goes where no good Jew would go. Time and time again he would break through social barriers. He went to the outcasts, the prostitutes, and tax collectors. He goes to the demon-possessed, touches lepers, and into Samaria to an adulterer. He advanced the Kingdom to God in the hearts of men and women no matter who they were or where they were from.”

“Luke slows the narrative down for the next two chapters allowing for the details needed to understand this ever-important moment in the history of the Church.”

“Here we have a pagan Gentile hear what will be the beginning of his unstoppable salvation - God is on His gracious move in this sinners life - ‘Cornelius!’ Though he was far off, he is now being ‘brought near.’”

“Redemptive History is unfolding a major turning point!”

“The “dividing wall of hostility” between the Jew and Gentile has been broken down. The cross of Jesus has “killed the hostility.” There are Gentiles about to rock the Apostle’s world and knock on his door, and without the needed paradigm shift in his heart, Peter will leave the door closed on the Gospel advance to the Gentiles.”

“We are clean in Christ!… and this should shock us when we just begin to understand how repulsive we really are! When God – who is Holy – looks down on the whole compass -“four corners”- of the earth, our sinfulness is indescribable filth - justified abject divine repulsion. And yet He has set his affection and love on repulsive sinners like me and made me clean!” 

QUOTES:
Kent Hughes - “We write off whole churches simply by what we have heard about them. We shut out whole ethnic groups because of a bad experience with one person or family. We mentally excommunicate those who do not agree with us on one secondary issue or another. Our sheets easily fill with educational, racial, cultural, and spiritual rejects, and we cry, ‘By no means, Lord - they are not my type!’”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Ephesians 2:12
Ephesians 2:14
Revelation 7:9-12

APPLICATION:
- Who would fill your “sheet”?
- Who has become repulsive to you?
Sovereign Grace Church, you are sent: to speak the Good News to all men and women both near and far!

For 22 years this month, we have attempted to faithfully work out our mission of building a Church that proclaims and demonstrates the power of the gospel. We have helped a lot of people who transferred into this Church to benefit from a robust gospel-centered approach to preaching and ministries. We believe God is calling us to be more involved with the lost. We believe over the next few years God wants to SEND us into the lives of more and more lost people. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

TEXT: Acts 9:32-35
TITLE: The Power in a Powerful Gospel
PREACHER: Tim Lambros
BIG IDEA: The advancing gospel displays the power of God.

POINTS:
1. The Healing of Aeneas
2. The Resurrection of Tabitha

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”It doesn’t matter if it’s Peter in Jerusalem, Stephen getting stoned or Phillip or Saul the point is all the same – the power of God is in the gospel and it’s advancing and powerfully transforming people and adding people to the Church.”

“Gospel advance allows us to participate in something amazing. Way bigger than anything individual we could do. God uses the unnamed saints in that town, Peter as an apostle, and Aeneas as the recipient of God’s healing power. The gospel advances through people.”

“Death has reared its ugly head on the earth since the garden and because Jesus was raised up from death on the Cross, NOW in an instant, the power of the gospel is on display overcoming death.“ 

“God is not just about some evangelistic outcome. No, He works in our hearts along the way.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Luke 5:17-26 & Mark 2:1-12
Romans 1:16
1 Corinthians 15:56–57
Ephesians 1:15-23

APPLICATION:
Church, God is positioning us for more evangelism. It’s time for a gut check.
- Do you really believe there’s power in the gospel to arrest people right where they are at and transform them into disciples of Jesus Christ? 
- Do you confess a powerful gospel but functionally live like its powerless to really transform and change people?

Paul’s conversion, as unique as it was, reminds us of a universal truth for every conversion— the moment you are saved, you are a new person with a new purpose. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

TEXT: Acts 9:10-31
TITLE: The Glorious Consequences of Conversion
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: When the Savior of glory takes hold of you, there will necessarily be glorious changes in you.

POINTS:
1. A New Purpose
2. A New Family

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”It’s tempting for us to think of the Christian life as a makeover or remodel. It’s not—It’s a redo. Conversion isn’t an addition or improvement to your life. It’s a replacement of your old life that comes with an entirely new purpose.” 

“What gets us up in the morning is no longer fickle and fleeting pursuits, but the glory and praise of God as we bear the name of Christ in all we do and say.”

“The very ones [Saul] once hunted down like dogs fellowshipped with him. Protected him. Defended him. Labored in the gospel with him. Embraced him as a brother in Christ. Such is the power of the gospel that reconciles us to God AND one another. Such is the wisdom of God in His plan of salvation.”

“Thank God for Ananias and Barnabas who embraced Saul and welcomed him into the church, his new family. They are as someone once said—Forgotten heroes of the Christian Church.  Just imagine how different church history would be if they had not. And what will our church history be like if we don’t follow in their footsteps.”

“Paul’s conversion is a reminder that God can save anyone at any time. And If God can save anyone at any time, like Ananias and Barnabas, we must be ready to receive anyone he saves at any time.”

QUOTES:
William Cowper - “God moves in mysterious ways His wonders to perform”

John Stott - “There is an urgent need for Ananiases and Barnabases who overcome their scruples and hesitations, and take the initiative to befriend newcomers.”

Derek Thomas - “Praise God for the willingness of Ananias to go and see Saul of Tarsus! He truly is one of the forgotten heroes of the Christian Church. It took courage for Ananias to show kindness to Saul, and it is not difficult to imagine that some may have been critical to the gesture. Are you, like Ananias, ready to give your hand of welcome to those whom the Lord has converted, no matter what their past may include?”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
2 Corinthians 11:22-33
2 Corinthians 5:17
Galatians 1:17-18
Ephesians 2:1-10

APPLICATION:
- Is there someone in this church you are hesitating to embrace because of their past or their current lifestyle?

- What do you see most in your fellow believer?

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.

A converted heart will be evidenced by a converted wallet. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

APRIL OFFERING 2022
TEXT: 2 Corinthians 9:6-11
TITLE: True New Testament Giving
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: A converted heart will be evidenced by a converted wallet.

POINTS:
1. Two Types of Givers
2. One Generous God

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”Whether it’s regular tithe, Fifth Sunday or the April offering, we know generous giving is never about a budget goal—It’s about grateful hearts for the gospel and a passionate desire to see the gospel mission advanced through the local church.”

“If you want to know what God expects from His people as it relates to giving, look no further than 2 Corinthians 8 & 9. At the heart of Paul’s instruction isn’t a percentage or amount but an attitude, an attitude of GENEROSITY.”

“Generosity is the fruit of faith in God, that He is able to sufficiently supply for one’s needs and contentment in how He supplies for those needs. Generous, cheerful, faith-filled giving. That’s the NT focus and if that’s you today, thank God today by saying: I get the joy of giving…God gets all the glory in the giving!”

“If God never gave you another good thing in this life, salvation in Jesus would still be enough to be the basis and motivation for every penny you give in grateful worship for what He has done for you in Christ.”

“God generously gives to us, not so we can live our best lives now, but so we can generously give to His mission.”

QUOTES:
John Piper - “To give sparingly is to give from a heart that deep inside wants to hold back. There are enough external constraints and pressures to make us give something. But the real feeling of our heart is not to think how much can we give, but how much can we keep”

ESV Study Bible - “God will provide for the Corinthian's needs so that they can continue generously meeting others' needs and giving resources to advance the gospel”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Luke 21:1-4
Acts 8:1-15
Psalm 37:25
Philippians 4:19

APPLICATION:
The point is not to Give all your money to the April offering because it’s sinful to spend money on yourself. The point is God wants us to view His generosity toward us not primarily for our sole benefit and enjoyment, but for His redemptive purposes.

In light of 2 Corinthians 9:6-11, from the poorest to the wealthiest in the room, would you prayerfully consider how God is calling you to give on the last Sunday of April from a generous, cheerful, faith-filled heart for the sake of our gospel mission together and the pleasure and glory of God.

For the last couple of weeks, we’ve had a front-row seat to the salvation of UNLIKELY candidates. Such is the mercy of God and the power of the gospel! Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Hopeful: The Book of Acts
TEXT: Acts 9:1-10
TITLE: An Unlikely Candidate
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
Now that Jesus has Saul’s attention, he does three things-
1. Questions Saul
2. Reveals Himself to Saul
3. Commissions Saul

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”Remember what Jesus taught his disciples—If they receive you, they receive me. If they reject you, they reject me. Such is the union between Christ and his people—What you do to Jesus’ people you do to Jesus.”

“Jesus knew Saul before Saul knew Jesus. Same with you—Before you knew Jesus, He knew you. Before you had affections for Christ, He set his affections on you.”

“If you’re not a Christian, whatever you think you need—you need Jesus more right now. If you are a Christian, allow amazing grace to amaze you once again.”

”HUMANELY speaking, none of us are LIKELY candidates to live for and be used by God. But God is infinite in wisdom and sovereign in salvation. He has supreme power and authority in the work of saving people from their sin.”

QUOTES:
John Calvin - “Saul was an untamed beast who was a rabid, blood-thirsty enemy of the church.”

Justin Holcomb - “Just as Paul had shattered the lives of many of God’s people, God shattered Paul’s pride and self-sufficiency, forcing him to seek as a blind supplicant the mercy of the people he hated”

John Piper - “God’s mercy and power are not limited to people who have been set up for Christianity by a good family or a church association or a clean moral track record. The chief of sinners was converted. And that means hope in evangelism and in your own faltering walk with the Lord”

Derek Thomas - “Paul was arrested in midflight, breathing murderous thoughts! This should give us cause for great hope about those who appear to be utterly indifferent, hostile toward the gospel. There is no telling what God can do, in an instant”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Deuteronomy 21:23
Galatians 3:13
Isaiah 6
Colossians 1:21
Titus 3:3
Ephesians 2:1-3
Romans 5:8,10
2 Corinthians 5:21

APPLICATION:
Who is the UNLIKELY candidate God has put in your life? Is there someone you aren’t sharing the gospel with, not because of fear, but for one reason - you don’t think they would ever believe on account of their:

• Lifestyle and sexual choices

• Politics

• Past conversations—values and philosophies of life

• Religious upbringing