Archive for October 2007

Be Keepers of the Light

October 28, 2007 by admin.

Play now Be Keepers of the Light, Dr. Jeffery Bell, President of Faith School of Theology, Sunday 10-28-2007

Text: Matthew 5:14-16
Theme: Step up and choose to be responsible.

 

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Keep Running

October 21, 2007 by PastorMark.

Play now #291, Keep Running, Sunday, 10-21-2007, Pastor Mark Boucher

Text: Hebrews 12:1-3, 2 Peter 1:5-8
Theme: Becoming like Jesus takes perseverance.

INTRODUCTION:

  1. The Bible compares a Christian’s live to running in a race.
    1. Question: Have any of you jogged, run cross country or a marathon?
    2. Question: What is the most important trait or quality of a runner?
    3. Text 1: Hebrews 12:1-3
  2. Perseverance (hypomeno) staying power, patience, the ability to remain and not give up.
    1. Peter was giving a list of character qualities of Jesus. Perseverance follows self-control.
    2. Text 2: 2 Peter 1:5-8
    3. These character qualities are “to be added to your faith.” (v5 – “make every effort to add”)
  3. Spiritual formation doesn’t “just happen” without us.
    1. I’ve been running for years, it wasn’t easy or automatic.
    2. I could think about it, read about it, watch others … but to benefit I had to put the sneakers on.

Becoming like Jesus takes perseverance.
What are the most important practices of perseverance in my own life?

  1. Persevere in the Word of God. (Keep running with God’s Word)
    1. Question: How do you and I persevere in the will of God?
    2. See the value of the Word of God.
    3. This Book is filled with prophecy.
    4. This Book is proven accurate by archeology.
    5. This Book has the onslaught of antagonists. The mountain attacked by ants still stands. Critics come and critics go, the Word lives forever.
    6. This Book has the power to change a life.
    7. We are saved after hearing the Word.
    8. We are enabled “to participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world.” 2 Peter 1:4
    9. Persevere in hearing the Word.
    10. “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ.” Romans 10:17
    11. Motivate yourself to hear and listen.
    12. Jesus said, Be careful how you hear.
    13. Hebrews tells us, “we must pat more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” Hebrews 2:1
    14. Perseverance 101 … be found with God’s people.
    15. Persevere in reading the Word.
    16. “It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God and follow carefully all the words of the law …” Deuteronomy 18:19
    17. Read every day. (Keep a record in your Bible)
    18. Daily reading is like daily washing or a shower.
    19. “to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the Word.” Ephesians 5:26
    20. Persevere in keeping God’s Work.
    21. “Because thou has kept the Word of my patience, I also will keep thee …” – Revelations 3:10
    22. We don’t have to be ashamed of God and His Word in this immoral nation.
  2. Persevere in prayer.
    1. “Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” Luke 18:1
    2. The Word of God without prayer is not enough.
    3. People with the Word can be cruel, unkind, cold.
    4. Prayer enables us to experience “knowledge on fire.”
    5. Why is it hard to persevere in prayer?
    6. God is unseen; prayer requires faith.
    7. Prayer is hard on our ego.
    8. How do we persevere in prayer?
    9. Schedule an appointment with God everyday.
    10. “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:6
    11. Pray as you walk through life.
    12. Adam and Eve walked with God until they sinned.
    13. Jesus, by His blood, bought back what Adam took.
    14. Pray with others …
    15. “When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer.” Acts 4:24

CONCLUSION:

The best part of running – the end.
Finish well.

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Your Strength

October 14, 2007 by PastorDave.

Play now Your Strength, Sunday, 10-14-2007, Pastor David McIntosh

Text: Nehemiah 8:5-12

INTRODUCTION

  1. One of the most exciting things for me is to read a passage of O.T. scripture and make a direct relationship to my life. “This is exactly what happened to me!”
  2. Even greater joy comes when the Holy Spirit brings a clear understanding of what I need to do in order for God’s blessing and presence to grow in my life!
  3. This morning I would like to share with you, from the O.T. a story I believe that with the help of the Holy Spirit, could change your Christianity forever!

SETTING THE STAGE

  1. Image if beginning today, someone came and took 90% of everyone in our church away to a foreign land to live. (including all leadership)
  2. And took all our bibles, Christian music & literature away as well.
  3. Those 10% that are left will begin to live life here at the church the best they can and try to serve God and do what’s right. (no communication with those who were take)
  4. Now, this remains the same for 70 years. It is now, 2077 and the people return, with the bible and their families to settle back in Leominster Assembly of God.
  5. The people are excited to see long lost relatives and friends; hear of how loved ones have gone to be with the Lord and to meet a whole new generation of family that has been born and are come back. THE CELEBRATION WOULD BE FABULOUS!
  6. There are some problems however, the church is pretty much in ruins, there wasn’t any means to up keep it and it is really destroyed. Any time anyone tried the city officials rushed in and put a stop to it!
  7. However, God is working, He has prepared certain leaders to lead and He has been working on the hearts of city officials and things are happening and the people are all working together and it is a time of unity and accomplishment, together!
  8. The time comes quickly when the church is rebuild and the property is restored and everything is getting back to how it should be!!
  9. But there is one final piece to the puzzle, if the blessing, provision, power, and grace of God is going to remain with people…
  10. It is the last and most important step…without this in place, nothing will prosper!

Nehemiah 8:5-12 (This is exactly where the people of God are in Neh. 8

  1. 70 yrs. earlier they were taken to a far away country, but have returned and God has blessed them and they have rebuilt the Temple and the wall, and the city of Jerusalem and it is so exciting…. There is one thing left in which everything they have done will rest upon… IT IS THE SAME FOR US TODAY!
  2. We live our lives with a mixture of our own ideas, world’s ideas and God’s ideas. Using this formula we come up with our “Way of Life” and we think it’s OK.
  3. We even get connect with a church that relates closely to what our way of life is.
  4. In Nehemiah chapter 8, we watch that final piece unfold right before our eyes.

INTRODUCED OR RE-INTRODUCED TO “THE WAYS OF THE LORD” (READ V. 1, 2)

  1. Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly! (v.2)
  2. All the people and towns were settled, they were ready to begin everyday life again.
  3. So God has the leaders bring all the men, women and anyone able to understand to the town square to hear the Word of the Lord!

EZRA OPENED THE BOOK (LOOK AT THE FIRST FOUR WORDS OF VERSE 5)

  1. V.5 – “Ezra opened the book.” Now this is where it gets scary!
  2. I loved that God has brought His people back and we are really getting church back in shape and the memories and relationships I have made in the process are incredible!
  3. But now, I’m about to be faced with God’s Ideas for my life vs. my own ideas that I have been living by all along. What is going to happen?
  4. Think about your life for a minute:
    1. Relationships in Life
    2. Responsibilities in Life
    3. Response to Life itself
    4. Money (GOD WANTS ME TO EXCHANGE MY IDEAS FOR HIS)
  5. Let’s see what happens… (READ V. 5-12)
  6. Before Ezra read, he praised God and the people lifted up their hands and praised God and said Amen, Amen and then they bowed down and worshiped the Lord! (PRAISE)
  7. They read God’s Law with instruction, making it clear and giving it meaning so that the people understood what was being read. (TEACHING, DISCIPLESHIP)
  8. The people, on hearing and understanding began to mourn & weep at God’s ideas! (UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY DIDN’T DO “LIFE” THAT WAY COMBINED WITH CONVICTION THAT GOD’S WAY WAS RIGHT)
  9. The day all this happened was declared a sacred day to the Lord God, a holy day, and there was to be no mourning or weeping or grieving BECAUSE THE JOY OF THE LORD IS OUR STRENGTH! (GOD’S DESIRE FOR SETTING UP THIS WHOLE DAY AND REVEALING TO HIS PEOPLE HOW THERE IDEAS WERE WAY OFF AND THEY WERE NOT LIVING RIGHT… WAS TO BRING JOY AND CELEBRATION)
  10. The people celebrated with great joy because they understood the Words of the Lord (GOD WANTS US TO CELEBRATE HIS WORD, EVEN IF WE STRUGGLE TO KNOW OR DO IT ALL…HE IS LOOKING FOR US TO SUBMIT OUR LIVES TO IT, NOT REJECT IT, IGNORE IT OR DELUDE IT)

OUR STRENGTH

  1. God wants us to celebrate His ways, but we believe the lie that if I just follow the Bible life will be boring or the idea that God just wants to limit me in life.
  2. But it is the joy of the Lord that is our strength and our JOY is fueled by our submission to His Ways!
  3. You see we can fix up the church, grow the numbers, we can take the land, we can build buildings, we can run ministries but here is the million dollar question:
  4. WILL WE EXCHANGE OUR IDEAS ABOUT LIFE FOR HIS IDEAS ABOUT LIFE?
  5. God knows once you truly seek to understand His ways that there may be some mourning or weeping because:
    1. It’s not the way you want to live
    2. You already have a plan
    3. You don’t see how God’s way is going to work
  6. But if you will put your faith in His Word there will be great joy and celebration in your life because you will understand and then experience the lasting rewards of submitting your life to God’s Ideas (His Word)

EXAMPLE (Luke 5:3-5)

  1. Peter had the nets ready & boats prepared. Then Jesus told Peter his idea “Put out into deep water and let down the nets.”
  2. It is so important to hear Peter’s response “We’ve worked hard all night, and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.”
  3. Peter didn’t think like Jesus, he didn’t feel like it (tired), and he already was fishing and there is no reason to go back… “BUT BECAUSE YOU SAY SO!! I WILL

ALTAR

Is there anyone that would like to publicly join me at the altar to simply declare that it is your hearts desire to say, Lord Because you say so! I will…

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Get a Grip

October 7, 2007 by PastorMark.

Play now #289, Get a Grip, Sunday 10-07-2007, Pastor Mark Boucher

Text: 2 Peter 1:3-11

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