SERMON NOTES

February 20, 2000

February 27, 2000

March 5, 2000

March 12, 2000

Introduction: "To be or not to be" is not the question. The question is, "what does it mean to be?" We live physical lives in a physical world and, in some peoples' perception, that is all there is to it. Many believe that when life is over, everything is over; that there is nothing beyond the earthly realm. Because of that belief, many people live their lives accordingly; to them, any notion of spirituality is foolishness.

Those who are Christians know different; they know that a spiritual realm exists and they know that, while we live on earth, we co-exist in both the physical and spiritual realm. However, the mere knowledge of something does not always effect our behavior. Many Christians, although they acknowledge spirituality and claim to pursue it, fail to develop a spiritual perception toward every aspect of their lives. As human beings, we tend to rely too much on our senses and, because of that, it is easy to become confused about what is shadow and what is reality. We also tend to adjust our priorities according to our physical desires. God desires those "born of the Spirit" to live as spiritual beings, as strangers to this world (although we are in it). In order to do this, we must learn to distinguish between shadow and reality; we must learn to "look" beyond the physical realm. Thankfully, the good news is that we have God's Word and His Spirit to guide us toward a greater sense of spiritual discernment.

I. Is It A Shadow Or Reality?

A. Some things are mere shadows (Co 2:1-8, 16-17; He 10:1-4)

B. What is "real" is unseen (2 Ki 6:15-17; Jn 1:18; 1 Pe 1:8-9)

II. Beyond The Physical Realm

A. Our struggle is spiritual (1 Co 2:12-14; Ep 6:10-12)

B. Our eternal existence is spiritual (2 Co 4:6-7, 16-18)

III. How Do We Develop Spiritual Perception?

A. By exercising our faith (2 Co 5:7; He 11:1-3; Ro 10:17)

B. By concentrating on spiritual things (Mk 8:13-21; Co 3:1-3; He 12:2)

Conclusion: If we are honest with ourselves, we will admit that it is not easy to "rise above" the earthly realm. Every day, our senses continually communicate with the physical world in which we live; we need that to survive. But, in order to survive, spiritually, we need to develop our spiritual perception. Through our faith, which comes from God, we are able to learn what is a mere shadow and what is "real." Through our faith, we learn that the true struggles of "life and death" take place in the spiritual realm and that, whether our physical bodies live or die, our spirits exist for eternity. Let us do our best to use the help God gives us to develop spiritual perception and let us praise God for giving us eternal life, in glory, long after the shadows are gone!

    Back to beginning of Sermon notes

    Back to home page

A Wonderful Savior

Introduction: There are multitudes of people on earth whose lives are in despair; their souls are lifeless; they have not experienced God's mercy and grace in salvation. Many, if not most, of them are skeptical about Christianity. They might ask questions like, "What is so great about the Bible?" or "What is so special about going to church?" or "What is so wonderful about Jesus?" It is likely that most of their doubt has risen from bad experiences, inaccurate information or, simply, from the heart-hardening environment of sin they have lived in.

In truth, if we could answer the latter question, "What is so wonderful about Jesus?" the answers to the rest would become clear. So, do we understand how important it is to share Jesus with others? Do we understand how important it is to remind ourselves that Jesus is wonderful? Indeed, we serve a Wonderful Savior! What need exists that He cannot fulfill? He gives us refuge from the troubles of this life; He gives us strength to rise above sin and to face adversity with courage; He gives us blessings too numerous to count and hope for eternal life in glory! If we would remember these things, what could contain our joy? Let us refresh our memory today!

I. He Gives Us Refuge

A. A Wonderful Savior (Isa 43:11; 1 John 4:14; Acts 4:12)

B. He hideth my soul (Psa 18:2; 27:4-5; 5:11-12; Col 3:3)

II. He Gives Us Strength

A. He taketh my burden away (Rom 3:10-12, 21-24; 8:1-2; Psa 103:11-12)

B. He giveth me strength (Phil 4:13; Rom 8:37-39)

III. He Gives Us Blessings And Hope

A. With numberless blessings (Phil 4:19; John 1:16)

B. When clothed in His brightness (1 Thes 4:16-18; 1 John 3:2-3)

Conclusion: God has said it Himself, there is no other salvation than in Him, through Jesus Christ. Jesus is not only a Wonderful Savior, He is the Wonderful Savior! The world needs to know Him! Let the message be proclaimed! To those who suffer under the constant onslaught of sin and temptation, Jesus provides refuge; to those who collapse in human weakness, Jesus provides strength; to those who need provisions for life and godliness, to those who desire eternal peace and rest, Jesus provides blessings and hope. Yes, Jesus provides everything we need! Without Him, we would have nothing. Let us remind ourselves just how much of a Wonderful Savior Jesus is and let the resulting joy pour out of our hearts as we share the Good News. There are people around us who might be thinking to themselves, "What is so wonderful about Jesus?" Let's not wait for them to ask us but, rather, freely tell them!

    Back to beginning of Sermon notes

    Back to home page

Introduction: Can you remember ,when you were a child, being told by someone to "grow up?" Usually, that statement went along with "act your age" and, while it may be given to subjective interpretation, we understood what it meant. In most cases, it meant that we were behaving in a manner much too immature for our age. It is likely that, at the time, we thought "growing up" was a burden; it wasn't as pleasant to have greater responsibilities as we might have once thought.

In our spiritual lives, we start out in "infancy" much like we do in our physical lives. Over time, we grow in spiritual maturity--at least, we should. Sadly, many Christians do not seem to want to "grow up" spiritually; they consider it a burden: "More dedication, more commitment, more sacrifices, more service, more of myself to give to God." Such people would rather remain as babes and could do without the added responsibility. But God desires our spiritual growth! In fact, if we are not growing, we are dying! God gives us all we need to grow and He helps us every step of the way. As we grow, we realize how much brighter the path becomes as we move ahead (Proverbs 4:18). So, let us ask ourselves, throughout this lesson, "Do we want to 'grow up'?" I believe we do!

I. God Desires Our Spiritual Growth

A. He gives us spiritual life (John 14:6; 1 John 5:11-13)

B. He provides spiritual nourishment (2 Pet 1:3-8)

C. He expects us to yield spiritual fruit (John 15:1-8)

II. How Do We Grow Spiritually?

A. Allow God to work in us (Col 1:9-12; Phil 1:6, 9-11)

B. Strengthen our own desire (1 Pet 2:1-3)

C. Keep moving forward (Phil 3:12-16; cf. 2 Cor 5:21)

Conclusion: Do we want to "grow up?" In order to please God and preserve our spiritual life, we have no other choice. God has blessed us so much by offering His own Son as a sacrifice for our sins--that enables us to have spiritual life. God never fails to provide us with the spiritual nourishment we need. If we are in Christ, the true Vine, and we are taking in the nourishment God gives us, we will continue to grow and we will bear fruit. If we refuse to grow, we will not bear fruit and we will be cut off the Vine!

The good news is that God does not expect us to have the ability to manage spiritual growth on our own; He knows we cannot do it alone. God is willing and able to work in us to make us what we ought to be. Our goal should be to cooperate with God, to strengthen our own desire to grow and, despite the added responsibilities and hardships ahead, to keep moving forward. We need to "grow up!"

    Back to beginning of Sermon notes

    Back to home page

A Healthy Heart

Introduction: In the past couple of decades, we have developed into a very "heart conscious" society. There is abundant education concerning what is good and bad for the heart and medical science has surpassed many milestones in treating cardiac diseases. We clearly understand the vital importance of maintaining a healthy heart! Still, many people resist the lifestyle changes necessary for that health.

Human beings also have a "spiritual heart." When the Bible speaks of the "heart," it is not talking about the physical muscle in our bodies. While there is still much to be learned about the health of our physical hearts, we have all the knowledge we need, concerning our spiritual hearts, available to us. God's Word teaches us what is good and bad for our spiritual hearts and we needn't wait around for further research to know how to cure its diseases. However, unlike with our physical bodies, one cannot open a person's chest and repair the spiritual heart; it is hidden within the soul. One may appear to be healthy on the outside while a dead or dying heart lies within.

The good news is that God knows the heart and He is the Great Physician! God can operate on our spiritual hearts, bringing life and health to our souls. We must learn to recognize our illnesses; to examine ourselves; and allow God to do His work. Let us focus our minds on spiritual things as we desire a healthy heart.

I. Consider What Is Hidden

A. Outward appearances can mislead (Matt 23:25-28; Rev 3:1-3)

B. The "inside story" tells all (Rom 2:28-29; 9:6-8; Matt 7:15-23)

II. God Knows The Heart

A. Acknowledge God's ability (Heb 4:13; Psa 139:23-24)

B. Seek God's approval (Gal 1:10)

III. How Can We Maintain A Healthy Heart?

A. Self-examination (2 Cor 13:5; 1 Cor 11:28-32)

B. Remember the spiritual perspective (2 Cor 4:6; Eph 3:14-19)

Conclusion: Physically speaking, if a person has heart trouble, we can usually tell. A diseased heart effects the overall health of the entire body. In a similar way, our spiritual health is jeopardized by diseases of the spiritual heart. But we cannot necessarily "see" that by looking at a person. With our human limitations, we are not able to know what is going on within a person's soul; we can easily be misled by outward appearances. God knows! He can see and only He has the ability to truly heal! If we desire a healthy heart, we must learn to be honest with ourselves in self-examination, we must allow God to operate on us, and we must remember to treat our hearts properly as the dwelling place of Christ. Such a heart will beat for eternity!

    Back to beginning of Sermon notes

    Back to home page