How To Be Up When Things Go
Down
Cliff Bowman
December 28, 2008
Philippians 1:12-21
Four Secrets
to Experience Joy Anytime
1.
The
right perspective.
It isn’t whether or not we have problems, the key factor is
how we look at them.
vv.12-14 Paul’s problem and
perspective
Two insights:
1) A “God sighting” changes everything!
2) A godly perspective is catchy.
2.
The
right priority.
A possible distraction:
vv.15-17
Paul’s priority:
v18a
What matters most is Jesus and
what’s going to last for eternity. Everything else is secondary.
Matthew 6:33
(NIV)
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be
given to you as well.
3. The right
power
source.
vv. 18b-20
Philippians. 1:1b8-19
(NLT)
And I will continue to rejoice. [19] For I know that as you pray for me and as
the Spirit of Jesus Christ helps me, this will all turn out for my deliverance.
Two things Paul counted on:
1) Prayer
2) God’s Spirit
4. The right purpose
in life.
The one thing Paul hadn’t lost and couldn’t lose:
Philip. 1:21
(NIV)
For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
“For me to live is ___________________.”
Three things people live for:
1) “For me to live is possessions.”
2) “For me to live is pleasure.”
3) “For me to live is power and position.
To have these things as the purpose of your life is to be a
guaranteed loser.
Luke 9:25
(Msg)
What good would it do to get everything you want and lose you, the real you?
Getting it right in 2009:
Jesus Live for Him
Others
Love and serve them.
Yourself Self awareness – yes
Self-centeredness – no
What Makes Christmas,
Christmas
December 21, 2008
No Notes
Glow In The Dark
Cameron Akrami
December 14, 2008
Notes Not Available
Lord, This Isn’t What I Expected
Cliff Bowman
December 7, 2008
Bad News:
Matthew 1:18-19
A Change of Plans:
Matthew 1:20-23
Proverbs 16:9
(NIV)
In his heart a man plans his course,
but the Lord determines his steps.
Proverbs 19:21
(MsgB)
We humans keep brainstorming options and plans,
but God's
purpose prevails.
What’s the center of
my life?
My plans, my dreams, my
desires or God’s?
Jesus:
Mark 14:36
(NLT)
"Abba, Father," he said, "everything is possible for you. Please take this cup
of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine."
Joseph’s Response:
Matthew 1:24-25
When you follow the Lord…
Luke 2:1-7
What to do when you can’t
see the Shepherd:
1.
Choose to trust
the Lord to take care of you and do what needs to be done in His time.
2 Corinthians 5:7
(NIV)
for we walk by faith, not by sight—
1 Peter 5:6
(NASB)
Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt
you at the proper time,
2.
In the mean time trust
the directions God has made clear and wait on Him for the rest.
Proverbs 20:22b
(NASB)
Wait for the Lord, and He will save you.
Luke 2:8-20
Good Guys Finish First
Cliff Bowman
November 30, 2008
Selected Proverbs
Proverbs 16:8
(TLB)
A little gained honestly is better than great wealth gotten by dishonest means.
Why not lie and cheat at
work?
Proverbs 20:17
(NIV)
Food gained by fraud tastes sweet to a man,
but he ends up with a mouth full of
gravel.
Proverbs 14:32
(TEV)
Wicked people bring about their own downfall by their evil deeds, but good
people are protected by their integrity.
Proverbs 10:9
(NIV)
The man of integrity walks securely,
but he who takes crooked paths will
be found out.
Proverbs 11:18
(NIV)
The wicked man earns deceptive wages,
but he who sows righteousness reaps a
sure reward.
Two Guarantees:
Guarantee #1:
Dishonesty will cost more than it pays.
Proverbs 11:18a
(NIV)
The wicked man earns deceptive wages…
How people pay for their
dishonesty:
1)
They get caught.
Luke 8:17
(NIV)
For there is nothing hidden that will not be
disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the
open.
2)
More stress.
The most exhausting thing in life is being insincere.
Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Psalm 32:3-4
(TLB)
When I refused to confess my sin,
I was weak
and miserable,
and I groaned
all day long.
[4] Day and night your hand of
discipline was heavy on me.
My strength evaporated like water in the
summer heat.
3)
They influence
others.
Luke 17:1-2
(NIV)
Jesus said to his disciples: "Things that cause people to sin are bound to come,
but woe to that person through whom they come. [2] It would be better for him to
be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around his neck than for him to
cause one of these little ones to sin.
Guarantee #2:
Honesty will be worth it.
It may cost us.
But:
Proverbs
11:18b
(NIV)
…he who sows righteousness reaps a sure reward.
Solution:
Proverbs 28:13
(TEV)
You will never succeed in life if you try to hide your sins. Confess them and
give them up; then God will show mercy to you.
We need to confess to God.
We need to make it right
with those we’ve wronged.
Luke 19:8
(NIV)
But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord! Here and now I give
half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of
anything, I will pay back four times the amount."
Wisdom At Work Pt. 2
Cliff Bowman
November 23, 2008
Selected Proverbs
What can I do to succeed in my work life?
1.
Fine tune your
motivation to work.
(See 11/16 message)
2.
Work Hard
(be diligent, go for it)
Proverbs 10:4
Lazy hands bring poverty,
but hard-working hands bring
riches.
Proverbs 12:24
Work hard and become a
leader; be lazy and become a slave.
There is no substitute for giving a job your full effort.
Proverbs 13:11 (New Living Testament)
Wealth from
get-rich-quick schemes quickly disappears; wealth from hard work grows.
Proverbs 12:11 (The Message)
The one who stays on
the job has food on the table;
the witless chase whims and fancies.
Executives from 200 of the
nations largest companies were asked, "Of the successful people you have met
over the years, which of the following is the main reason for their success: a)
contacts b) determination
c) hard work d) knowledge, or
e) luck?" In response, 40% of
these high-powered executives indicated success was due to hard work and 38%
said determination. 78% of these who
have succeeded in their professions, said people achieve success through hard
work and determination.
(The Pryor Report, May 1993,
p.2)
Proverbs 14:23 (NIV)
All hard work brings a
profit,
but mere talk leads only to poverty.
3.
Be Teachable.
Proverbs 19:20 [NLT]
Get all the advice and
instruction you can, and be wise the rest of your life.
Proverbs 19:27 [TEV]
My child, when you stop
learning, you will soon neglect what you already know.
Wise people are willing to learn from someone else.
Wise people are willing to be corrected.
Proverbs 12:1
To learn, you must love
discipline; it is stupid to hate correction.
Proverbs 13:18
If you ignore
criticism, you will end in poverty and disgrace; if you accept criticism, you
will be honored.
Proverbs 17:10
A single rebuke does
more for a person of understanding than a hundred lashes on the back of a fool.
Proverbs 29:1
Whoever stubbornly
refuses to accept criticism will suddenly be broken beyond repair.
Proverbs 25:12
Like an earring of gold
or an ornament of fine gold
is a wise man's rebuke to a listening ear.
Proverbs 15:31
He who listens to a
life-giving rebuke
will be at home among the wise.
Being teachable means being willing to listen to correction, to rebuke, to
criticism from imperfect people.
Ø
People who speak the
truth but do it rudely.
Ø
People who say what’s
right, but add stuff that’s wrong.
Ø
People who are younger
and/or less intelligent.
Who are you willing to let God use to teach and correct you?
The destiny of
teachable and unteachable people:
Proverbs 13:18 [TEV]
Someone who will not
learn will be poor and disgraced. Anyone who listens to correction is respected.
Proverbs 15:32 [NLT]
If you reject
criticism, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in
understanding.
Proverbs 10:17
People who accept
correction are on the pathway to life, but those who ignore it will lead others
astray.
Which path do you choose?
Wisdom At Work
Pt. 1
Cliff Bowman
November 16, 2008
Selected Proverbs
If you want you want God’s best in your career, fine-tune your motives.
Why work?
Proverbs 16:26
(Living)
Hunger is good--if it makes you work to satisfy it!
Lack of Motivation:
In Proverbs, people who
avoid work are called sluggards.
Proverbs 20:4
(NIV)
A sluggard does not plow in season; so at harvest time he looks but finds
nothing.
Proverbs 26:14
(NIV)
As a door turns on its hinges, so a sluggard turns on his bed.
Early church:
2 Thessalonians 3:10
(NIV)
For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work,
he shall not eat."
Wrong Motivation
Proverbs 23:4
(NIV)
Do not wear yourself out to get rich; have the wisdom to show restraint.
Problem: not wealth but
wrong priorities.
Two reasons centering life
on working for wealth/status is unwise:
1. We will sacrifice
more valuable things.
Things people sacrifice
while working for wealth:
1)
Integrity
2)
Family
3)
Soul
Luke 12:16-21
(NIV)
And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good
crop. [17] He thought to himself, 'What
shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' [18]
"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger
ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.
[19] And I'll say to myself, "You have
plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be
merry." [20] "But God said to him, 'You
fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get
what you have prepared for yourself?' [21]
"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not
rich toward God."
Mark 8:36
What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet
forfeit his soul?
2. No guarantee we will either get or hold on to what we’ve sacrificed so much for.
Matthew
6:19-20
(NIV)
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth,
where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
[20] But store up for yourselves
treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do
not break in and steal.
The Best Motivation
Proverbs 16:3
(NIV)
Commit your work to the Lord, and then your plans will succeed.
“commit” literally = “roll”
Meaning:
Recognize that your work, like your life, doesn’t belong to
you. You’re not working for you, you’re working for God.
Paul’s instructions:
Colossians 3:22-24
(NIV)
Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their
eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and
reverence for the Lord. [23] Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart,
as working for the Lord, not for men, [24] since you know that you will
receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you
are serving.
The difference that will make:
1)
We’ll know God is always watching.
2)
We will always be rewarded.
Matthew 6:19-20
(NIV)
"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy,
and where thieves break in and steal. [20] But store up for yourselves treasures
in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in
and steal.
“Lord, I’m Yours. Today I choose to work for You. Lord, guide me and use
me as You see fit. I trust you to protect me and provide for me. I set my heart
on honoring You and serving You today.”
In My Room
Cliff Bowman
November 9, 2008
2 Kings
6:8-23
(p.264)
We need a Room — where we turn when things get scary.
Resond
to God's plans for your life with trust and obedience.
Ephesians. 2:10
(NLT)
For we
are God's
masterpiece. He has created us anew
in Christ Jesus, so that we can do the good things He planned for us
long ago.
God doesn't tell us all his plans for us, but He does tell us enough for us to follow Him.
Are you choosing to trust and obey God's agenda
that you know
about?
The safest place to be on the face of this earth is to be trusting and obeying what you know God wants from you.
Elisha: vv.8-10
King of Aram's agenda vs. God's agenda.
In the final analysis, God's agenda always trumps others.
Observe the presence of God.
2 Kings 6:11-17
Matthew 28:20b
(NLT)
And be sure of this: I am
with you always,
even to the end of the age. "
When we know that we have God here with us, it changes everything
Operate with the provision of God.
2 Kings 6:18
2 Corinthians
10:3-5 (NLT)
We are human, but we don't wage war with human plans and methods. (4] We use
God's mighty weapons, not mere worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil's
strongholds. [5] With these weapons we break down every proud argument that
keeps people from knowing God. With these weapons we conquer their
rebellious ideas, and we teach them to obey Christ.
1 John 5:14-15
(NLT)
And we can be confident that He will listen to us whenever we ask Him for
anything in line with His will, [15] And if we know He is listening when we
make our requests, we can be sure that He will give us what we ask for.
Model the role of peacemaker.
Kings 6:19-23
Romans 12:18-21
(NLT)
Do your part to live in peace with everyone, as much as possible.
[19] Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God. For it is
written,
"I will take vengeance; I will repay those who deserve it," says the Lord.
[20] Instead, do what the Scriptures say:
"If your enemies are hungry, feed them .If they are thirsty, give them
something to drink, and they will be ashamed of what they have done to you."
[21] Don't let evil get the best of you, but conquer evil by doing good.
Rejected
November 2, 2008
1 Peter 4:12-19
re·ject ( r¹-jµkt“) v. tr.
re·ject·ed re·ject·ing re·jects.
3. To refuse to recognize or give
affection to (a person).
FIRST: Make sure
you’re not being rejected because of your own
sin.
1 Peter 4:15
(NIV)
If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of
criminal, or even as a meddler.
The best way to avoid a
nosebleed is to keep out of other people's business.
--anonymous
To avoid needless
rejection, learn to THINK:
T
– Is it true?
H – Is it helpful?
I – Is it inspiring?
N – Is it necessary?
K – Is it kind?
SECOND: If you’re following Jesus don’t be surprised if you’re rejected, expect it.
1 Peter 4:12
(NIV)
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as
though something strange were happening to you.
Luke 21:12,17
(NIV)
"… they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to
synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before kings and governors,
and all on account of my name…[17] All men will hate you because of me.
John 15:18-19
(NIV)
"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. [19] If
you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do
not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is
why the world hates you.
THIRD:
When you’re rejected because of Jesus, rejoice!
1 Peter 4:13a
(NIV)
But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ…
Why? Three reasons:
1.
If the world rejects you because of Jesus, you must be doing
something right! You must be reflection Jesus.
1
Peter 4:16
(NIV)
However, if you suffer as a
Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.
If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be
enough evidence to convict you?
2.
If
we share in Jesus suffering now, we can count on escaping worse
suffering later and on sharing Jesus’ reward.
1 Peter 4:17-18
(NIV)
For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it
begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the
gospel of God? [18] And, "If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what
will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"
1 Peter 4:13
But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ,
so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.
3.
People who share Jesus rejection , also experience Jesus comfort.
1 Peter 4:14
(NIV)
If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the
Spirit of glory and of God rests on you.
Stephen:
Acts 7:59-60
(NIV)
While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my
spirit." [60] Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold
this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.
What to do when rejected because of Jesus:
1 Peter 4:19
(NIV)
So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves
to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.
Two things were called
to do:
1. Commit
ourselves to our “faithful
Creator”.
Matthew 10:17-22
(MSG)
"Don't be naive. Some people will impugn your motives, others will smear
your reputation—just because you believe in me. [18] Don't be upset when
they haul you before the civil authorities. Without knowing it, they've done
you—and me—a favor, given you a platform for preaching the kingdom news!
[19] And don't worry about what you'll say or how you'll say it. The right
words will be there; [20] the Spirit of your Father will supply the words.
[21] "When people realize it is the living God you are presenting and not
some idol that makes them feel good, they are going to turn on you, even
people in your own family. [22] There is a great irony here: proclaiming so
much love, experiencing so much hate! But don't quit. Don't cave in. It is
all well worth it in the end.
Psalm 46:1
(NIV)
God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
2. Stay the
course – keep following Jesus
Morals On The Rock
October 26, 2008
Luke 6:46-49
(NLT)
"So why do you call me 'Lord,' when you won't obey me? [47] I will show you
what it's like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then
obeys me. [48] It is like a person who builds a house on a strong foundation
laid upon the underlying rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against
the house, it stands firm because it is well built. [49] But anyone who
listens and doesn't obey is like a person who builds a house without a
foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will crumble
into a heap of ruins."
The key to standing in
the storm: The foundation
Three Principles For
Standing In The Moral Storm
Principle #1:
Building the right moral foundation is all about protection not
restriction.
In many peoples minds,
morals = restriction.
One of the oldest lies:
Genesis 3:1-5
“God
just wants to hold you down.”
The truth: God calls for
moral and ethical boundaries in order to protect us, and to enable us
to become all we’re meant to be.
Example:
Exodus 20:14
(NIV)
"You shall not commit adultery.
Jesus motive vs.
Satan’s
John 10:10
(NLT)
The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give
life in all its fullness.
Principle #2:
Building the right moral foundation is about trusting God’s opinion
more than man’s.
opinion n.
2. A judgment based on special
knowledge and given by an expert: a medical opinion.
Sometimes, human
expert’s opinions are wrong.
God’s opinion is
never wrong.
Psalm 33:4
(NLT)
For the word of the Lord holds true, and everything he does is worthy of our
trust.
Sexual morality, this
world vs God.
World:
1) Sexual intercourse
between two people does not need to be limited to marriage partners.
2) Sexual intercourse has no more impact than shaking hands.
3) Pornography is harmless victimless entertainment.
4) Homosexual behavior is a legitimate lifestyle.
God:
1)
Exodus 20:14
(NIV)
"You shall not commit adultery.
2)
1 Cor. 6:16
(Msg)
There's more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery
as physical fact. As written in Scripture, "The two become one."
3)
Matthew 5:28
(NLT)
But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust in his eye has already
committed adultery with her in his heart.
4)
1 Cor. 6:9-10b
(NLT)
Don't you know that those who do wrong will have no share in the Kingdom of
God? Don't fool yourselves. Those who indulge in sexual sin, who are idol
worshipers, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, [10] …—none of these
will have a share in the Kingdom of God.
The Bible is not man’s
opinion:
2 Peter 1:20-21
(Msg)
The main thing to keep in mind here is that no prophecy of Scripture is a
matter of private opinion. [21] And why? Because it's not something
concocted in the human heart. Prophecy resulted when the Holy Spirit
prompted men and women to speak God's Word.
Principle #3:
Building the right moral foundation means pleasing Jesus over
pleasing myself.
“God wants me to do
whatever I need to do to be happy.”
_____________
Luke 9:23-25
(NLT)
Then he said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must
put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me.
[24] If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you
give up your life for me, you will find true life. [25] And how do you
benefit if you gain the whole world but lose or forfeit your own soul in the
process?
If you make yourself,
your happiness & fulfillment your #1 priority, you will lose.
The only way to “save
our life” is to give it all to Jesus.
John 15:10-11
(NLT)
When you obey me, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father and remain
in his love. [11] I have told you this so that you will be filled with my
joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!
What/who do your choose
to pursue?
What’s Safe?
Cliff Bowman
October 19, 2008
Psalm 4:8
(NLT)
I will lie down in peace and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.
The
Christian, who is following Jesus, is safe.
The Christian,
who is following Jesus, is safe.
What’s a Christian?
Jesus came to us as not only
to die for us, but also to be our Shepherd.
John 1:10-13
(NLT)
But although the world was made through him, the world didn't recognize him when
he came. [11] Even in his own land and among his own people, he was not
accepted. [12] But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right
to become children of God. [13] They are reborn! This is not a physical birth
resulting from human passion or plan—this rebirth comes from God.
A Christian is someone who personally responds to Jesus by turns away from their independent life (repentance) and follows (trusting and obeying) Jesus.
The Christian, who is
following Jesus, is safe.
Jesus is the Good
Shepherd, not the Good Genie.
Psalm 119:1-3 (The
Message)
You're blessed when you stay on course, walking steadily on the road revealed by
God. [2] You're blessed when you follow his directions, doing your best to find
him. [3] That's right—you don't go off on your own; you walk straight along the
road he set.
The Christian, who is
following Jesus, is safe.
From God’s
point of view, being safe means two things:
1. God will fulfill
His eternal purposes in my life.
“Man’s chief and highest
end is to glorify God, and fully to enjoy Him forever.
We glorify God by living for
Him, reflecting Him, representing Him in a unique way.
God’s guarantee: If we will
live for Him, He’ll accomplish all that we are made for.
Psalm 91:9-11
(NIV)
If you make the Most High your dwelling -- even the Lord, who is my refuge --
[10] then no harm will befall you, no disaster will come near your tent. [11]
For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways;
But don’t
misunderstand! God’s guaranteed safety
- doesn’t
mean I can do anything I want & God will protect me.
- doesn’t guarantee
safety for our property.
·
Philippians 4:19
(NIV)
And my God will meet all your needs according to his
glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
-
doesn’t mean we
will never suffer.
·
John 16:33b
(NLT)
I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you
will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the
world."
·
Romans 8:28 ((NLT)
And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those
who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
-
doesn’t guarantee
us a long life on this earth.
2. The Christian will ultimately be at home with the Lord forever.
Psalm 23:6
(NLT)
Surely your goodness and unfailing love will pursue me all the days of my life,
and I will live in the house of the Lord forever.
Good reason for confidence:
Romans 8:35-39
(NLT)
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or
persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? [36] As it is written:
"For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be
slaughtered." [37] No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through
him who loved us. [38] For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither
angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, [39]
neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to
separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Are you safe?
Luke 9:23-25
(NLT)
Then he
said to the crowd, "If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside
your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily, and follow me. [24] If you try
to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life
for me, you will find true life. [25] And how do you benefit if you gain the
whole world but lose or forfeit your own soul in the process?
A model prayer
“Lord Jesus, I need You.
Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and
receive You as Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me
eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person
You want me to be.”
Be Perfect? I'm Not Even Good
Paul Hodi
October 12, 2008
Notes Not Available
The King Is Coming
Dave Rogstad
October 5, 2008
The King is Coming!
Thinking About Future Things
Agreement in the Essentials
•Many think because there are sharp differences between various Christian group
and denominations, that this means that Christianity cannot be true. It is
too divided!
• Yet the truth of the matter is that conservative Christians share common
teachings on the most essential, or core, beliefs
• To the casual observer “differences” seems to dominate
• However, on closer inspection, there is a common unity in the key areas
of our historic Faith (C. S. Lewis –“Mere Christianity”)
• An important example of this underlying unity is illustrated in “Christian
eschatology” –the study of last things, or future things.
• While Christians of various traditions hold differences in the details, in
the core truths, there is unity.
• In the next few minutes, I would like to go through five different key
doctrines regarding “future things” where Christians agree.
I. The Second Coming of Christ
• All historic Christian traditions affirm a literal, bodily return of Jesus
Christ to the Earth at His Second Advent
• 31“But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him,
then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32“All the nations will be gathered
before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd
separates the sheep from the goats;… Matt. 25:31-32
• 10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold,
two men in white clothing stood beside them. 11They also said, “Men of Galilee,
why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from
you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into
heaven.” Acts 1:10-1
• 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice
of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise
first. 17Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them
in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the
Lord. I Thes. 4:16-17
• 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,
12instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly,
righteously and godly in the present age, 13looking for the blessed hope and the
appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, Titus 2:11-13
• This personal coming (or advent) is not merely spiritual, but is physical
in such a way as to affect the entire universe, and will end human history as we
now know it.
• The entire New Testament anticipates this event.
• But no one knows the time of His coming:
• 36“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor
the Son, but the Father alone. Matt. 24:36
• But its anticipation should encourage us to live lives of faithful gratitude to
God
II. The General Resurrection of the Dead
• All historic Christians affirm that after Christ’s Second Coming, God will
resurrect the physical bodies of all human beings who have ever lived on
planet Earth
• 28“Do not marvel at this; for an hour is coming, in which all who are in the
tombs will hear His voice, 29 and will come forth; those who did the good deeds
to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection
of judgment. John 5:28-29
• 15 having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall
certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. Acts 24:14-15
• 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be
changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for
the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be
changed. I Cor. 15:51-52
• This general resurrection will involve a form of physical existence.
Between now and the time of Christ’s coming, those is Christ will be in an
intermediate state with Him:
• 6 Therefore, being always of good courage, and knowing that while we are at
home in the body we are absent from the Lord—7for we walk by faith, not by
sight—8we are of good courage, I say, and prefer rather to be absent from the
body and to be at home with the Lord. II Cor. 5:6-8
• 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. 22 But if I am to live on
in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to
choose. 23… having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very
much better; 24yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake.
Phil. 1:21-24
• The non-believers are held in divine judgment:
• 9 then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from temptation, and to keep the
unrighteous under punishment for the day of judgment, II Pet. 2:9
• After the general resurrection and final judgment, all people (both believers
and non-believers) will enter the eternal state still in a physical type
condition.
III. The Final Judgment of Humankind
• The different Christian traditions may differ over exact timing, but all
believe that after Christ raises humanity from the dead, He will then proceed
to judge human beings:
• 32“All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from
one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;” Matt. 25:32
• 47“If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I
did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. 48He who rejects Me and
does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what
will judge him at the last day.” John 12:47-48
• 30“Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to
men that all people everywhere should repent, 31because He has fixed a day in
which He will judge the world in righteousness …” Acts 17:30-31
• Non-believers will face a conscious eternity separated from God because
of their rebellious sinful actions:
• 46”These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal
life.” Matt. 25:46
• Believers will undergo a judgment of their works in terms of obedience
(rewards), but not in terms of their destiny
• 10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one
may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done,
whether good or bad. II Cor. 5:10
• Jesus Christ has already rescued his people by paying for their sins:
• 10For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of
His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Rom.
5:10
• 24and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die
to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. I Pet. 2:24
IV. The Eternal State
• The general position held by historic Christians is that following bodily
resurrection and final judgment is the unfolding of the eternal state.
Non-believers go away to eternal misery, while believers partake of
eternal blessedness.
• 6… when the Lord Jesus will be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in
flaming fire, 8dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those
who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9These will pay the penalty of
eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of
His power, II Thes. 1:6-9
• Because of their refusal to honor Christ, non-believers are eternally
excluded from the presence of God.
• And cast away into what the bible terrifyingly describes as the Lake of Fire:
• 15And if anyone’s name was not
found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. Rev.
20:15
• Believers in Christ, having been given glorified human bodies, experience the
final step of redemption –glorification into the moral and spiritual
presence of their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
• 28And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who
love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. 29For those whom He
foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so
that He would be the firstborn among many brethren; 30and these whom He
predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and
these whom He justified, He also glorified. Rom. 8:28-30
V. The New Creation
• After the incredible events described above, God will then destroy this present
universe:
• 7But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire,
kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. 10But the day of
the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar
and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its
works will be burned up. 12looking for and hastening the coming of the day of
God, because of which the heavens will be destroyed by burning, and the elements
will melt with intense heat! II Pet. 3:7, 10, 12
• And bring forth a new heavens and a new earth:
• 13But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth,
in which righteousness dwells. II Pet. 3:13
• 1Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first
earth passed away, … 5And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making
all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”
Rev. 21:1,5
• A new and glorious realm of existence without sin, pain sorrow and death
will be made by the almighty power and infinite wisdom of God.
• Believers will live in the new creation, clothed in their glorified ,
resurrected bodies, and enjoying the intimate loving presence of God.
• God’s redeemed people will love, worship, and serve the Lord in a righteous and
just kingdom that will never end.
• These five points of essential agreement mark the common ground historic
Christians share even in an area that is marked by much controversy.
• The key for us who believe is that we are making
ourselves ready for His Return! Are you ready?
..we must take it or leave it..
Why is God landing in this enemy-occupied world in disguise and starting a sort
of secret society to undermine the devil?
Why is He not landing in force, invading it? Is it that He is not strong enough?
Well, Christians think He is going to land in force; we do not know when. But we
can guess why He is delaying. He wants to give us the chance of joining His side
freely. I do not suppose you and I would have thought much of a Frenchman who
waited till the Allies were marching into Germany and then announced he was on
our side.
God will invade. But I wonder whether people who ask God to interfere openly and
directly in our world quite realize what it will be like when He does. When that
happens, it is the end of the world. When the author walks on to the stage the
play is over.
God is going to invade, all right: but what is the good of saying you are on His
side then, when you see the whole natural universe melting away like a dream and
something else—something it never entered your head to conceive—comes crashing
in; something so beautiful to some of us and so terrible to others that none of
us will have any choice left?
For this time it will be God without disguise; something so overwhelming that it
will strike either irresistible love or irresistible horror into every creature.
It will be too late then to choose your side. There is no use saying you choose
to lie down when it has become impossible to stand up. That will not be the time
for choosing: it will be the time when we discover which side we really have
chosen, whether we realized it before or not.
Now, today, this moment, is our chance to choose the right side. God is holding
back to give us that chance. It will not last forever.
We must take it or
leave it.
Staying Alert
Pastor Cliff Bowman
September 28, 2008
Ephesians 6:18
(NASB)
With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this
in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all
the saints,
be on the alert
be on the alert = awake, watchful – the requirement of a soldier on sentry
duty.
Important for
Spiritual Warfare
1 Thessalonians
5:1-8
(NLT)
…5 For you are all children of
the light and of the day; we don’t belong to darkness and night.
6 So be on your guard, not asleep
like the others. Stay alert and be clearheaded.
7 Night is the time when people sleep
and drinkers get drunk. 8 But
let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith
and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation.
A conspiracy to make us
complacent.
The tragedy of no one
staying alert to pray:
Ezekiel 22:29-31
(NASB)
29 "The people of the land have
practiced oppression and committed robbery, and they have wronged the poor
and needy and have oppressed the sojourner without justice.
30 "I searched for a man among
them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the
land, so that I would not destroy it; but I found no one.
31 "Thus I have poured out My
indignation on them; I have consumed them with the fire of My wrath; their
way I have brought upon their heads," declares the Lord God.
All of us have the same
amount of time to pray for others, 7 days in a week, 24 hours in a day.
It’s all a matter of what we do with it.
Three opportunities
to be a prayer warrior at Glendora Alliance Church:
1.
Blue
Card Prayer
During the week and
Saturdays, 8am, Youth Bldg.
See bulletin insert.
2.
Prayer
Chain
See bulletin insert.
3.
Prayer
Partners
See bulletin insert.
with all perseverance
perseverance = to give constant attention and care to something Ex. -
gardening
If God is all
knowing, and remembers everything, aren’t we nagging when we repeat requests
to Him?
Two parables that
Jesus told that call for perseverance and persistence in prayer.
1.
Luke 11:5-13
2.
Luke 18:1-8
Three things these
parables teach us:
1.
God
doesn’t promise His children instant answers. There will be times we
pray and have not answer…yet.
One reason for delayed
answer: spiritual opposition.
Ex.:
Daniel 10:1-14
2.
The
Lord wants us to learn bold persistence in prayer.
Importunity
= bold persistence
Luke 11:8
(NLT)
But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep
knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because
of your shameless persistence.
Luke 18:1
(NIV)
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should
always pray and not give up.
3.
The
real question isn’t whether the Lord will answer but whether we will be
faithful.
Luke 18:6-8
(MSG)
Then the
Master said, "Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying?
7 So what makes you think God won't
step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for
help? Won't he stick up for them? 8
I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet.
But how much of that kind of persistent faith
will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?"
Pray In The Spirit
Pastor Cliff Bowman
September 21, 2008
Ephesians 6:18
(NASB)
With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and
with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for
all the saints,
What does it mean to
pray in the Spirit?
Romans 8:26-27
(NASB)
In the same
way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we
should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for
words; 27 and He who searches
the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for
the saints according to the will of God.
Problem:
“we do not know how to pray as we should”.
One key to effective
prayer: to pray for what God
wants (according to God’s
will).
1 John 5:14-15
(NIV)
14 This is the confidence we
have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will,
he hears us. 15 And if we know
that he hears us--whatever we ask--we know that we have what we asked of
him.
Isaiah 55:8
(NIV)
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,"
declares the Lord.
Jesus disciples:
Luke 9:51-56
The Lord’s answer to
this problem is the Holy Spirit.
John 14:26
(NIV)
But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,
will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to
you.
All
Chistians have the Holy Spirit. To not have the Holy Spirit is to not be a
Christian.
Romans 8:9
(NLT)
But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the
Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those
who do not have the Spirit of Christ
The ministry of the Holy
Spirit when we pray: Romans 8:26-27
The Holy Spirit is our
Prayer Guide and Empower.
So, Paul says:
Ephesians 6:18a
(NASB)
With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit
To pray in the Spirit
means to pray as a surrendered child of the King who is directed and
empowered by the Holy Spirit.
Is this automatic?
_______ Not any more than it is automatic for us to
walk by the Spirit (Galations
5:16)
We have to deliberately
choose to meet the conditions of receiving the Holy Spirit’s guidance
and empowering for prayer.
Three things to do to
receive the Holy Spirit’s help in prayer (pray in the Spirit):
1.
Make
sure you’re a Christian.
This isn’t the
same as feeling like it.
1 John 5:11-12
(NLT)
11 And this is what God has
testified: He has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
12 Whoever has the Son has life;
whoever does not have God’s Son does not have life.
A
model Prayer for becoming a Christian:
“Lord
Jesus, I need You. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the
door of my heart and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for
forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. I give You control of my life
to make me the kind of person You want me to be.”
2.
Be
filled with the Spirit.
Ephesians 5:18
(NLT)
Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be
filled with the Holy Spirit,
Paul compares getting
filled with wine and getting filled with the Spirit.
What the Holy Spirit has
in common with alcohol:
1)
He doesn’t
turn us into puppets. We still make choices.
2)
He
overcomes inhibitions so that we can speak up and do things we would
never do otherwise.
How the Holy Spirit is
different from alcohol:
1)
He doesn’t
open the door to our our sinful nature, but brings out our new nature that
reflects Jesus.
Galatians 5:22-23a
(NLT)
22 But the Holy Spirit produces
this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, 23
gentleness, and self-control.
2)
His effect on
our life is just the opposite of ruin: He brings life.
"Be constantly being filled with the Spirit."
How? Spiritual
Breathing:
Exhale: confess
and turn away from sin (repent).
Inhale: Ask
the Lord to fill you with His Spirit.
This involves
a)
Surrendering our life to the Lord.
b)
Seeking His
power and strength to follow Him.
3.
Learn to
listen to the Spirit.
Ask God
Pastor Cliff Bowman
September 14, 2008
Ephesians 6:18
(NASB)
With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the
Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all
perseverance and petition for all the saints,
To petition means to
make specific requests.
Paul is saying that we need
to regulary, constantly, ask the Lord for things.
Who are we to ask God
for anything? What makes us think the Lord will listen to us, let alone answer
us, when we do?
Ephesians 1:19-2:7
Paul is saying: To know who
I am, I need to turn away from me and look at Jesus
Us B.C.:
Ephesians 2:1-3
But:
Ephes. 2:4-6
(NLT)
But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so very much,
5 that even while we were dead because of
our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by
God's special favor that you have been saved!) 6
For he raised us from the dead along with Christ, and we are seated
with him in the heavenly realms—all because we are united with Christ Jesus.
An example of the
implications of this for spiritual warfare:
Acts 19:11-20
Our key to success for
spiritual warfare isn’t saying the right things. It’s our position in
Christ.
What does the fact
that we are in Christ have to do with petitionin God for things?
John 16:23-24
(Phillips NT)
"I assure you that whatever you ask the Father he will give you in my name. Up
to now you have asked nothing in my name; ask now, and you will receive, that
your joy may be overflowing.
“Some (Christians) have Satan-inspired misgivings about spending time in the
ministry of prayer, because they do not understand why God works only through
prayer. His object in originating His prayer program was to give us training
for overcoming in preparation for rulership. He is using it as an
apprenticeship. He did not devise prayer as merely His unique way of getting
things done. In His plan, prayer has only one purpose – to give us exercise in
overcoming.
God has the power to accomplish all His other purposes without our cooperation
in prayer except our need for training and education. He has no other way of
training us for rulership except by our cooperation in prayer. For this reason
He does nothing in the realm of human redemption except through prayer. He
has tied all of His activity and accomplishment to prayer. All that He does
in this field is limited to the prayers of His people.”
Paul Billhiemer, “Destined to Overcome”, pp.35-36
James 4:2
(NIV)
You want something but don't get it. You kill and covet, but you cannot have
what you want. You quarrel and fight. You do not have, because you do not ask
God.
We are at war. The Christian
who doesn’t petition the Lord is like an artillery spotter who never calls in an
artillery strike. The Christian who petitions the Lord has all the power of
Heaven behind him.
What do you choose?
Pray!
Pastor Cliff Bowman
September 7, 2008
Ephesians 6:18
(NIV)
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
The only spiritual weapon
not compared to Roman armor & weapons. Why?
1)
No Roman weapon
was advanced enough to compare with prayer.
A Christian praying is like a soldier calling in heavy artillery fire on
the enemy.
2)
Prayer is basic
for putting on and taking up all the other pieces of armor and weapons.
Ephesians 6:18
(NASB)
With
all
prayer and petition
pray at
all
times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with
all
perseverance and petition for
all
the saints,
Pray with all kinds of
prayer, all the time.
“With all prayer and petition pray at all times…”
Norm of religion:
prayer to done a certain way at certain times.
The Bible shows people
praying in every way and every time you can think of.
“prayer” is talking to
God.
What Paul is saying:
The most important issue concerning prayer isn’t how or when we do it, it’s that
we do it!
The biggest problem of
Christians isn’t ignorance about prayer, it’s that we don’t pray enough.
John 15:4-5
(NASB)
4 "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the
branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can
you unless you abide in Me. 5 "I am
the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much
fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.
Message: the most crucial
issue of our life is staying connected to Jesus, staying intimate with
Him.
Prayer is vital for
staying connected to Jesus.
Brother Lawrence –
“Practicing the Presence of God”
Church In The Park
August 31, 2008
Notes: Not Available
The Fall Feasts Of Israel
August 24, 2008
What- Me Worry?
Pastor Cliff Bowman
1 Peter 5:6-7
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand,
that he may lift you up in due time. [7] Cast all your anxiety on him because he
cares for you.
What is anxiety?
Anxiety is being scared about the
future.
Three Steps of Typical Anxiety
1. You become aware of something bad that could happen.
2. You fantasize disaster.
3. You feel scared and have a hard time focusing on other things.
"Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday."
What does God want us to do when were worried?
1 Peter 5:7a
Cast all your anxiety on him….
Steps To Take
When I’m Anxious
1.
Remember who my life belongs to.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is
in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; [20] you were
bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.
2 Corinthians 5:15
And he died for all, that those who live should no longer
live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
2.
Remember God cares about me.
1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.
Luke 12:6-7
"What is the price of five sparrows? A couple of pennies? Not
much more than that. Yet God does not forget a single one of them. [7] And he
knows the number of hairs on your head! Never fear, you are far more valuable to
him than a whole flock of sparrows.
3.
Humble myself before God and
admit I can’t handle things alone.
1 Peter 5:6
Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty
hand…
Proclamation from Abraham Lincoln, 1863:
Our Resource in time of trouble:
Psalm 46:1
God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
4.
Commit it all, myself, my problem, and the
outcome to the Lord.
5. Expect that I will need to take these steps
repeatedly.
What we feed, grows,
Focus on the world and be
distressed.
The result of us humbling ourselves and casting our anxieties on the Lord:
1 Peter 5:5b-6
Two things God does for us:
Psalm 9:10
But remember, God works in His time, not ours.
Return to Index
Youth Service
August 10, 2008
Notes: Not Available
To Speak Or Not To Speak The power of our mouth:
Proverbs 10:11
(NIV)
Proverbs 11:11-12
(NIV)
Proverbs 18:21
(NIV) Principal #1: Much
trouble in life can be avoided by being slow to speak.
Proverbs 10:19
(Living)
Ø
Just because
you know something doesn’t mean you need to say it.
Proverbs 11:13
(Living)
Proverbs 26:22
(NLT)
Proverbs 12:23
(NLT)
“As you go through life you are going to have many opportunities to keep your
mouth shut.
Ø
You don’t have
to say everything you think.
Proverbs 11:12
(NLT)
Proverbs 17:27
(NIV)
Proverbs 17:28
(NLT)
Principal #2: There are times when it is important to
speak up.
Proverbs 15:23
(NLT)
Proverbs 31:8-9
(NIV)
First, they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a
socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not
speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one
left to speak for me. 1. Listen
before you speak.
Proverbs 18:13
(MSG)
2. Think
before you speak.
Proverbs 16:23
(TEV) 3. Pray
before you speak.
Proverbs 15:29
(Msg)
Staying Free Financially Financial Slavery -
too entangled in money matters to be free to experience God’s best. First two steps
to freedom:
1.
Acknowledge God’s ownership of you and all you have.
2.
Spend
money according to God’s principals. Step Three:
Minimize borrowing.
Romans 13:8
(NASB) Two common results
of borrowing to buy:
1.
The item
goes down in value. (It would anyway, but)
2.
The cost
goes up. Scripture does not
condemn all borrowing, but two truths certainly discourage it:
1.
James 4:13-15 God has not promised
or guaranteed that. 2.
Proverbs 22:7
(NASB) Every time we
borrow, we give up some freedom. Dangerous item:
credit card
Matthew 26:41
(GW) Suggestion: Give God a
chance to provide. Step Four:
Maximize Savings.
Proverbs 6:6-8
(Msg)
Proverbs 21:20
(Living) Three things to save
for:
1.
Expensive items we would
otherwise have to borrow
money to purchase,
2.
Emergencies
3.
Retirement Step Five:
Develop a budget and live in it. A budget is: 1. A financial
plan for how you are going to manage God’s money.
Proverbs 21:5
(TEV) 2. A way to
keep track of where the money is going.
Proverbs 27:23-24
(NIV)
[24]
for riches do not endure forever, For more help:
Ø
The Total Money Makeover -- by Dave Ramsey
Getting Free Financially
Luke 16:13
(NLT) One of the biggest
robbers of freedom today: Financial Slavery Financial slavery
occurs when people are so entangled in money, both mentally &
physically, that they are not free to be, to do, and to have what
God has for them. Symptoms of
Financial Slavery: 1) Overdue
bills HOW TO GET FREE
AND STAY FREE The typical solution
sought by people who are in financial slavery: more money. BUT For most, more
income is not the solution that will work for them. WHY? Because, as their
income goes up, their spending goes even higher. The solution, for
most of us, isn’t more money. It’s learning how to manage the
money God has already entrusted to us. Step One Acknowledge God’s
ownership of you and all you have.
Job 41:11b
(NIV) Step Two Change the way you
spend God’s money,
Luke 14:28-29
(NIV) Principle #1:
Don’t buy more than you can afford to pay. Learn the difference
between – Needs
- The necessities of life. Ex:
food, clothing, shelter, medical help, tools for earning. Wants
- Our choices about the quality of goods.
Ex: eat at home or go out. Desires
- Luxuries that can only be afforded out of surplus.
Ex: Jacque’s vs. Jacque in Ze
Box. Advertisers are
experts at getting us to think that our wants and desires are our
needs. A product becomes a
status symbol. The most dangerous
season of the year: Christmas Psalm
10:2
(NIV) Principle #2:
Don’t buy on an impulse.
Proverbs 21:5
(NIV)
Before
major purchases, take time to:
1)
Pray
about it.
2)
If married,
talk it over, don’t buy until you agree.
3)
Evaluate how much
you can afford.
4)
Evaluate the
value of the product. Compare. The secret of having
more money:
Live below your means.
Return to Index
Why I’m a Christian
Pastor Cliff Bowman
August 3, 2008
Selected Proverbs
The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life,
but violence overwhelms the mouth of
the wicked.
Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
but by the mouth of the wicked it is
destroyed.
The tongue has the power of life and death,
and those who love it will eat its
fruit.
Proverbs 10:19
(NIV)
When words are many, sin is not absent,
but he who holds his tongue is wise.
Don't talk so much. You keep putting your foot in your mouth. Be sensible and
turn off the flow!
A gossip goes around spreading rumors, while a trustworthy man tries to quiet
them.
What dainty morsels rumors are—but they sink deep into one's heart.
The wise don’t make a show of their knowledge, but fools broadcast their
foolishness.
Take advantage of all of them.”
Anonymous
It is foolish to belittle a neighbor; a person with good sense remains silent.
A man of knowledge uses words with restraint,
and a man of understanding is
even-tempered.
Even fools are thought to be wise when they keep silent; when they keep their
mouths shut, they seem intelligent.
Everyone enjoys a fitting reply;
it is wonderful to say the right thing at the right time!
"Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves,
for the rights of all who are destitute.
[9] Speak up and judge fairly;
defend the rights of the poor and
needy."
Martin
NiemoellerHow to
know when to speak and what to say:
Answering before listening
is both stupid and rude.
Intelligent people think before they speak;
what they say is then more persuasive.
If a man loudly blesses his neighbor early in the
morning,
it will be taken as a curse.
God keeps his distance from the wicked;
he closely attends to the prayers of God-loyal people.
Pastor Cliff Bowman
July 27, 2008
Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another…
When we borrow, we make an
assumption about the future: that we will be able to
repay.
The rich rules over the poor,
And the borrower becomes the lender's
slave.
Stay awake, and pray that you won't be tempted. You want to do what's
right, but you're weak."
You lazy fool, look at an ant.
Watch it closely; let it teach you a
thing or two.
[7] Nobody has to tell it what to do.
[8] All summer it stores up food;
at harvest it stockpiles provisions.
The wise man saves for the future, but the foolish man spends whatever
he gets.
Plan carefully and you will have plenty; if you act too quickly, you
will never have enough.
Be sure you know the condition of your flocks,
give careful attention to your herds;
and a crown is not secure for all
generations.
The Total Money Makeover Workbook – by Dave
Ramsey
Pastor Cliff Bowman
July 20, 2008
"No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other,
or be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God
and money."
2) Mind preoccupied with financial matters
3) Family neglect
4) Marital conflict
5) Not available to serve God
Everything under heaven belongs to me.
"Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Will he not first sit down
and estimate the cost to see if he has enough money to complete it? [29]
For if he lays the foundation and is not able to finish it, everyone who
sees it will ridicule him…
In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in
the schemes he devises.
The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to
poverty.
1 Corinthians 15:12-19
Chris Robbins
June 29, 2008
1 John 3:19-20
(NIV)
This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our
hearts at rest in his presence [20] whenever our hearts condemn us. For God
is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
Five Steps Toward
Forgiving and Accepting Yourself:
1.
Face
up to your guilt and anger.
Psalm 139:23-24
(NLT)
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and
know my thoughts.
[24] Point out anything in me that
offends you,
and lead me
along the path of everlasting life.
1 John 1:9
(NLT)
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us
and to cleanse us from every wrong.
2.
Acknowledge Jesus’ payment on the cross.
Col. 2:13b-14
(NLT)
He forgave all our sins. [14] He canceled the record that contained the
charges against us. He took it and destroyed it by nailing it to Christ's cross.
Has Jesus paid for all your
sin on the cross? ___________
Does that include the wrongs
you have a hard time forgiving yourself for? _______________
3. Acknowledge
God’s ownership of you. Thus you have no right to condemn yourself
when God forgives.
Romans 14:7-8
(NLT)
For we are not our own masters when we live or when we die. [8] While we live,
we live to please the Lord. And when we die, we go to be with the Lord.
So in life and in death, we belong to the Lord.
1 Cor. 4:2-4
(NLT)
Now, a person who is put in charge as a manager must be faithful. [3] What about
me? Have I been faithful? Well, it matters very little what you or anyone else
thinks. I don't even trust my own judgment on this point. [4] My
conscience is clear, but that isn't what matters. It is the Lord himself who
will examine me and decide.
Since we don’t belong to
ourselves, we have no right to condemn ourselves, to refuse to forgive
ourselves, when God, our owner, has declared us forgiven.
1 John 1:9
(NLT)
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to
cleanse us from every wrong.
4.
Choose to forgive yourself and accept yourself by faith.
Lord,
because You have forgiven me and washed away my guilt, in the name of Jesus, I
forgive myself for ___________ and I choose to accept myself as a forgiven child
of God whose life is worthwhile.
What if I don’t feel very
forgiving?
Forgiveness is not based on
feelings, but on trust and obedience.
Why is it so important to
accept myself?
Because Jesus does.
Because I have no right to reject anyone that he forgives and accepts, including
myself.
But remember: forgiveness is
not just a choice, it’s also a process.
5.
Do good.
2 Corinthians 9:8
(NIV)
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all
times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
Why is doing good a step
in forgiving ourselves?
This is not
in order to be forgiven.
The only basis of forgiveness
is the Jesus work on the cross.
The only solid basis for
accepting ourselves is the fact that God does.
Two reasons doing good is a
helpful step in forgiving and accepting ourselves:
1)
Because doing
good helps us face forward rather than back.
Ephesians 2:10
(CEV)
God planned for us to do good things and to live as he has always wanted us to
live. That's why he sent Christ to make us what we are.
2)
Because
doing God’s work helps us accept ourselves.
When I trust and obey and get involved in serving God, I experience a life that’s worthwhile.
Most
Important Key to Victorious Christian Living
•
“Walk in the Spirit and you will not fulfill the
desires of the flesh” Gal.5:16
•
Often
confusion about what this really means
•
“The goal of our instruction is love out of a pure
heart, a clear conscience and a genuine faith.”
I Tim.1:5
•
Not a
run or a crawl, but a walk – we not meant to stop walking
•
Walking
means taking steps, some of which are presented below
•
This is
first step in the Christian life (salvation)
•
Taken
every time we humbly act in repentance
•
A most
important mark of faith -
“shield of faith”
•
“God
resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble”
•
Temptation is a “red light” to indicate need to submit
•
Provides
protection against destructive temptations
•
“He who covers his sins will not prosper, but he who
confesses and forsakes them will find mercy” Prov.28:13
•
Practical application : parents -> church; employers; government
2. Get
into God’s Word on a daily basis
•
“Transformed by the renewing of your mind”
Rom.12:2
•
“Works in us as we receive it as God’s word”
IThes.2:13
•
Food for
spiritual life - cannot live by bread alone
•
We all
have an appetite, but can satisfy it on “donuts”
•
“As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word..”
•
“Let the word of Christ dwell in your heart..”
Col.3:16
•
For
teaching; reproving; correcting; instructing
•
Key to
prosperity and success - Psalms 1
•
Many are
asleep or groggy! - dead vs. asleep
•
Walking
in darkness vs. walking in the light
•
Some
walk with “spiritual eyes” that are shut
•
“He that
has ears to hear, let him hear” - pay attention!
•
Don’t argue with
the Spirit when you hear His voice
•
Parallel
between spiritual senses and
physical senses
–
conscience
hearing
–
intuition
feeling
–
wisdom
smelling
–
obedience
tasting
•
“These six things doth the Lord hate, yea, seven are an
abomination unto Him:
–
A proud look,
–
a lying tongue, and
–
hands that shed innocent blood,
–
An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations,
–
feet that be swift in running to mischief,
–
A false witness that speaketh lies, and
–
he that soweth discord among brethren.”
Prov.6:16-..
•
“The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and
arrogance and the evil way, and the perverted mouth I hate”
Prov.8:13
•
Three
stages of testimony:
–
Fear
(little children),
–
Joy
(young men),
–
Grieve
(fathers)
•
Need to
have eyes opened to see destructiveness of sin
–
sin will find you out
–
wages of sin is death
–
makes you its slave
–
decreases your capacity
•
We
tolerate too much evil in our lives and our homes
•
Consequence is dulling of our appetite for God, sensitivity to the Spirit
•
Need to
cleanse our homes: books; videos; music - “torch ‘em”
•
Dedicate
your home to the Lord; don’t defile it
•
Cleanse
our hearts; “Where your treasure is,
there will your heart be also.”
•
We have
battlefields on several fronts:
thoughts,
actions, habits
6. Seek
the Lord with Whole Heart
•
“Be ye
filled with the Spirit..”
•
Friends;
Thoughts; Activities;
Words; Money
•
“Give me your whole heart, my son, and let your eyes
delight in my ways” Prov.23:26
•
satan
cannot indwell believer’s spirit, but he can influence their souls and destroy
their bodies
•
Must
take steps more than once
•
Discernment
seeing
•
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the
Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a
future.” Jer.29:11
When Opportunity Knocks
June 22, 2008
Mark 10:46-52
How to
make a fresh START with God.
1.
Seize
the Moment
(vv.46-47)
The
biggest enemy of opportunity: procrastination
Luke 9:62 (Msg)
Jesus said, "No procrastination. No backward looks. You can't put God's kingdom
off till tomorrow. Seize the day."
2.
Tame
Your Fear
Question to ask yourself:
How much
do I want God’s best?
Mark 10:48
(NIV)
Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, "Son of
David, have mercy on me!"
3.
Announce
Your Faith
(vv.49-51)
"What do you want me to do for you?"
Two reasons for Jesus asking
Bart (and us) that question:
1)
He wants us to
exercise enough faith to specifically say what we want.
James 4:2b
(NIV)
You do not have, because you do not ask God.
2)
He wants us to
exercise enough faith to be open about the fresh start we’re seeking from
the Lord.
Matthew
18:19
(NIV)
"Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree
about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.
4.
Receive
God’s Grace
Mark 10:52a
(NIV)
"Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his
sight…
The most important things
that happen in a Christian’s life are on the inside and we must trust God
that we’ve received them.
Examples:
Salvation
Revelation 3:20a
(NLT)
"Look! Here I stand at the door and knock. If you hear me
calling and open the door, I will come in…
Forgiveness
1 John 1:9 (NLT)
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and
just to forgive us and to cleanse us from every wrong.
5.
Take
the Next Step!
What’s yours?
The Difference:
Mark 10:46
(NIV)
As Jesus and his
disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man,
Bartimaeus, was sitting by the roadside begging.
Mark 10:52
(NIV)
"Go," said Jesus, "your faith has healed you." Immediately he received his
sight and followed Jesus along the road.
The Father Heart Of God
June 15, 2008
Psalm 103
Three
characteristics that David points us to which describe God’s Father
Heart for us:
1. He’s
generous to His kids.
Psalms 103:5a
(NLT)
He fills my life with good things.
Think of the good
things God has brought you.
·
How many
of them did He owe you? ______________
We have a tendancy
to gloss over the good things in our life.
Sometimes we call good things bad.
2. He’s very patient with
our weaknesses.
Psalms 103:8
(NLT)
The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
slow to get angry
and filled with unfailing love.
Psalms 103:13-14
(NIV)
13 As a father has
compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear
Him; 14 for He knows how
we are formed, He remembers that we are dust.
This doesn’t mean He
never calls us to take hard roads we can’t handle on our own. He does.
But He never calls us to take them alone.
Philippians 4:13
(NLT)
For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
3. His
unfailing love for us.
Psalms 103:8-17 (NLT)
8 The Lord is compassionate
and merciful, slow to get angry and
filled with unfailing love.
9 He will not constantly
accuse us, nor remain angry forever.
10 He does not punish us for
all our sins; He does not deal harshly with us, as we deserve.
11 For His unfailing love
toward those who fear Him is as great as the height of the heavens above
the earth.
12 He has removed our
sins as far from us as the east is from the west..
15 Our days on earth are
like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die.
16 The wind blows, and we are
gone— as though we had never been here.
17 But the love of the
Lord remains forever with those who fear him. His salvation extends
to the children’s children
Hebrew word “chesed”
= lovingkindess, devotion, faithfulness, mercy, steadfast
Our love can “fail”
like an overloaded bridge can “fail”.
But God’s love
doesn’t fail.
Don’t misunderstand.
It isn’t that he doesn’t see our sin. He does. But He has paid
for it and removed it.
Psalms 103:12
(NASB)
As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our
transgressions from us.
Don’t misunderstand.
It’s never OK with Him if we hold on to sin. But in His unfailing love,
He calls upon us to turn away from it.
1 Corinthians 10:13
(NLT)
The temptations in your life are no different from what others
experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be
more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way
out so that you can endure.
Three appropriate
responses to our Father:
1.
Thanks
Him.
2.
Count
on Him.
3.
Ask Him to
work in us until we reflect Him.
Family First
June 8, 2008
1 Timothy 5:3-8
1 Timothy 5:4
(NIV)
But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn
first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for their own
family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing
to God.
Five
Ingredients for a Healthy Family
1. Be there!
No matter how many material things you give your family, the most important thing you can provide is you.
What about church
activities? – v.8
2. Our Time.
3. Our Attention.
4. Guidance
1 Samuel 3:11-13
(NLT)
Then the Lord said to Samuel, “I am about to do a shocking thing in
Israel. 12 I am going to carry out
all my threats against Eli and his family, from beginning to end.
13 I have warned him that judgment is
coming upon his family forever, because his sons are blaspheming God and he
hasn’t disciplined them.
5.
Today
Hebrews 4:7b
(NASB)
"Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts."
God’s Way Of Meeting My Needs
June 1, 2008
2 Corinthians 9:6-8
Philippians 4:19
And my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in
glory in Christ Jesus.
Why don’t more Christians
see this promise fulfilled in their lives? Because they don’t fulfill the
conditions God has set for Him fulfilling it.
THE PRINCIPAL: If you have a need, plant a
seed.
2
Corinthians 9:6 (NIV)
Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows
generously will also reap generously.
Luke 6:38 (Msg)
Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not
merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is
the way. Generosity begets generosity."
THE PROCEDURE:
Give with the right attitude
2 Corinthians 9:7
(NIV)
Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to
give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
God doesn’t need
your money.
What God wants is your
heart.
Two attitudes of giving that
are important to God:
1. We are to give
thoughtfully
”… what he has decided in
his heart to give.”
What God say’s He wants: a
tithe of our income.
Malachi 3:10a (NIV)
Bring the
whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house.
What’s a tithe? It’s 10%.
God wants the first 10% of our income.
Exodus 23:19a (NIV)
“Bring the best of the first fruits of your soil to
the house of the Lord your God.
2. We are to give cheerfully.
“…not reluctantly or under
compulsion for God loves a cheerful giver.”
Greek word translated
cheerful: hilarias
THE PROMISE: God will
meet all my needs.
2 Corinthians 9:8 (NIV)
And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so
that in all things at all times, having all that you need,
you will abound in every good work.
Galatians 5:22-23a (NIV)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness and self-control.
Malachi 3:10 (NIV)
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food
in my house. Test me in this," says the LORD Almighty, "and see if I will
not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you
will not have room enough for it.
Do you trust God enough to
take Him up on His test? _______
Developing Eyes Of Faith
Joshua 1:1-11
Pastor Cliff Bowman
May 25, 2008
Joshua 1:1-11
1 Corinthians 2:9b
"No eye has seen, no ear has heard,
and no mind
has imagined
what God has prepared
for those who love him."
Ephesians 3:20
Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we
ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
Note:
1. God’s creative work isn’t
done
2. His plans tend to be
beyond our experience or imagination.
2 Corinthians 5:7
We live by faith, not by sight.
Joshua – called to lead
God’s People to conquer the Promised Land.
Three Steps to
Developing Eyes of Faith
1.
Take notice
of God’s promises to you.
Biblical faith never starts
with us, it always starts with God.
Romans
10:17
So then faith comes by
hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
God’s
promises to Joshua
1.
Joshua 1:3,5a
I promised Moses I would give you this land, so I
will give you every place you go in the land… No one will be able to stand up
against you all the days of your life.
2.
Joshua 1:5b
As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave
you nor forsake you
God’s promises to us:
1)
1 Corinthians 10:13
(NIV)
No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful;
he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are
tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
2)
Matthew
28:20b
(NIV)
And
surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
2.
Choose to turn from doubt to faith.
Four times God calls Joshua
to
“be strong and courageous” in chapter
1: vv. 6,7,9, &18
Two sources of doubt and
fear:
1)
Comparison
2)
Circumstances
Two things God calls us to
do:
1) Choose to turn
away from our doubts and fears.
Joshua 1:9
Yes, be bold and strong! Banish fear and doubt!
“banish” = reject, dump,
turn away from
2) Choose to embrace
faith in God and His promises.
“be strong and courageous”
“be strong” =
holding tightly to something, to grasp, to lay hold of.
“courageous” = to harden something, to be stubborn
“Take hold of Me and My promises, hold on tight. Make up your mind that you’re
going to trust Me and stubbornly stay with it.”
3.
Act
on your faith.
vv.10-11
Joshua 3:7-8
And the Lord said to Joshua, "Today I will begin to exalt you
in the eyes of all Israel, so they may know that I am with you as I was with
Moses. [8] Tell the priests who carry the ark of the covenant: 'When you
reach the edge of the Jordan's waters, go and stand in the river.' "
When the Lord is going to do
something important among us, He often calls on us to make the first
move.
Luke 6:38
Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed
down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with
the measure you use, it will be measured to you."
The result:
Joshua 3:14-17
What’s the Jordan God is calling on you to step forward into in faith?
How To Walk On Water
Matthew
14:22-33
Pastor Cliff Bowman
May
18, 2008
Matthew 14:22-33
vv.22-28
The background of Peter’s
request:
vv.15-21
Peter learned that for those
who follow Jesus, there are only two limitations:
1) What Jesus wants
and
2) How much we’re willing to
trust Him.
Three important questions
to us:
1.
Do you believe
that, “…with
God all things are possible." (Matthew
19:26)? ______________
2. Do you want to have
a life in which God does “impossible”
things in and through you? ________________
3.
Is
there a particular place in your life in life in which you hunger to see God do
more than you can do on your own? Where?
1st Key Issue:
What does God want?
Peter knew.
Matthew 14:29a (NIV)
"Come,"
he [Jesus] said.
2nd Key Issue: Am I willing to
trust Him?
Four important things for
us to do:
1.
If you want to walk on water, you have to get out of the boat.
Matthew 14:29b (NIV)
Then
Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
This means stepping out of
our comfort zone.
Not everyone is willing to
do this:
Mark 10:17-22
Are you?
2.
If you want to walk on water, you have to keep your eyes on Jesus.
Matthew 14:29b
(NIV)
Then
Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.
Not easy:
Matthew 14:30
(NLT)
But
when he looked around at the high waves, he was terrified and began to sink.
"Save me, Lord!" he shouted.
Two things that cause us to
lose our focus on Jesus:
1)
Fear
2)
Pride
3.
If you want to walk on water, you have to be willing to risk failure.
Peter didn’t fail. Failure
would have been not getting out of the boat when Jesus called.
Are you?
4.
If you want to walk on water, you have to be willing to let God use your
weaknesses.
vv.30-31
Are you?
Where is God calling on
you to step out of the boat?
Will you?
Building A Good Chain
Pastor Cliff Bowman
May
11, 2008
Acts 16:1-2
(NIV)
1 He came to Derbe and then to
Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a
believer, but whose father was a Greek. 2
The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. were strengthened in
the faith and grew daily in numbers.
2 Timothy 1:5
(NIV)
5 I have been reminded of your
sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother
Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.
Observation: Timothy’s godly
life didn’t begin with him, it was “home grown”.
His mother and grandmother
had a “sincere faith.”
Sincere =
without hypocrisy, no masks
·
This doesn’t mean
they were perfect. It means they were genuinely going for it with God –
not faking it.
·
This doesn’t mean
that sons and daughters who make bad choices are their parents fault.
Parents don’t determine
their children’s choices, they can only influence them.
Not everyone has the
influence of sincere faith at home.
Those who do, are blessed.
Principle #1:
Parents who live lives of sincere faith make it easier for their kids to
do the same.
Observation: Timothy’s
father did not model sincere faith.
He made no pretence of being
Jewish or Christian.
Does the influence of
someone who isn’t following the Lord destroy the influence of those who
do? NO
Paul on the subject of
Christian influence:
1 Corinthians
7:12-14
(NLT)
12 Now, I will speak to the rest of
you, though I do not have a direct command from the Lord. If a Christian man has
a wife who is not a believer and she is willing to continue living with him, he
must not leave her. 13 And if a
Christian woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to
continue living with her, she must not leave him.
14 For the Christian wife brings holiness
to her marriage, and the Christian husband brings holiness to his marriage.
Otherwise, your children would not be holy, but now they are holy.
Holy = set
apart for God
Partners and children of
Christians are special targets of God’s influence.
Principle #2: Godly
influence cannot be destroyed by ungodly influence.
Three Applications:
1.
Christian
parent, don’t give up!
2.
Do have a
parent or grandparent who have influenced you with sincere faith? Thank
them!
3.
Aim at
being a godly link yourself in a chain of sincere faith.
The Best Laid Plans Of Mice & Men
Ryan Roemer
May 4, 2008
Notes Not Available
How To Become A Good
Swordfighter
Ephesians 6:17
Pastor Cliff Bowman
April 27, 2008
Ephesians
6:17b
(NIV)
17 Take… the sword of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.
Two Greek words translated “Word” in the New Testament:
1)
Logos
- often points to the Bible as God’s Word
Like
a well or spring of water containing all you’ll ever need to drink.
2)
Rhema
– often points to God’s word being applied to a specific need or
situation.
Like
water that has been drawn from the well and can now satisfy the thirst of a
particular person at a particular time.
The Greek word Paul uses in
Eph 6:17
is
rhema.
Getting to know the Bible is good, but it is not meant to be just an end in
tself. God wants each of us to become sword fighters!
He
wants us to learn how to apply His Word to our life and other people’s
lives.
Two parts to becoming a good swordfighter:
1.
Get a good
handle on God’s Word.
Five Fingers:
1st (pinky) is hearing God’s Word.
2nd is reading God’s Word.
3rd is studying God’s Word.
4th is memorizing God’s Word
5th (thumb) is meditating on God’s Word.
2.
Learn to
listen to the Holy Spirit.
Ephesians
6:17b
(NIV)
17 Take… the sword
of the Spirit,
which is the word of God.
Two reasons God’s Word is described as the Sword of the Spirit:
1)
He’s the author.
2 Peter
1:20-21
(NLT)
20 Above all, you must realize that
no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the prophet’s own understanding,
21 or from human initiative. No, those
prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.
2)
He’s the one who enables us to hear what God is saying and apply
it to life.
1 John
2:19-20
(NLT)
19 These people left our churches,
but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with
us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.
20 But you are not like that, for the
Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth.
2 Corinthians
10:4-5
(NIV)
4 The weapons we fight with are not
the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish
strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments
and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we
take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
How to become sensitive to the Holy Spirit
1)
Trust and obey.
A consequence of unconfessed sin and rebellion:
Acts 28:26-27
(NLT)
26 ‘Go and say to this people: When
you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will
not comprehend. 27 For the hearts of
these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed
their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their
hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’
How can we get our spiritual eyes and ears back and develop them?
(1)
Repent
of any disobedience.
(2)
Surrender
completely to the Lord.
(3)
Choose
to trust and obey the Lord day by day in everything you know He’s saying.
2.
Regularly get away from distractions and meet with Jesus.
1 Kings
19:11-13
(NIV)
The Holy Spirit normally speaks very softly.
Problem:
We often have a lot of “noise” that get’s in the way of our hearing the
Holy Spirit.
Two things that help us develop ears to hear the Holy Spirit:
1)
Daily
quiet time alone with the Lord.
2)
Yearly retreats for a few days (group or individual).
Prescription For A Sick Country
2 Chronicles 7:14
Elvin Miranda
April 20, 2008
Notes Not Available
The Right Sword
Ephesians 6:17
Pastor Cliff Bowman
April 13, 2008
Ephesians 6:17b
(NIV)
17 Take… the sword of the
Spirit, which is the word of God.
This armor was not only defensive, but also offensive.
Our sword is the Word of God.
One way to appreciate the Word of God is to compare it to our words.
Our
words are many. But, in too many cases, they can’t be
counted on.
Like a cardboard sword.
God’s Word is different.
It isn’t just the words of ancient men, but of God.
2
Peter 1:20-21
(NLT)
20
Above
all, you must realize that no prophecy in Scripture ever came from the
prophet’s own understanding, 21
or from human initiative. No, those prophets were moved by the
Holy Spirit, and they spoke from God.
Because the Bible is the Word of God it’s solid.
Luke
21:33
(NIV)
33 Heaven and earth will
pass away, but My words will never pass away.
Two Ways God’s Word shows itself to be solid:
1.
God’s Word never becomes less true.
Hebrews 13:7-9a
(NLT)
7 Remember your leaders who
taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from
their lives, and follow the example of their faith.
8 Jesus Christ is the same
yesterday, today, and forever. 9
So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas.
We live in a world of change.
·
Some things that we were true before, aren’t true now.
·
Other things never were true.
God’s Word is different. It doesn’t change because it’s never
been wrong and is always relevant in a changing world.
Ex.
The basics of marriage.
Genesis 2:24 (NLT)
24 This explains why a man
leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are
united into one.
2.
God’s Word is
powerful and effective.
Isaiah 55:9-11
(TEV)
9 As high as the heavens are
above the earth, so high are my ways and thoughts above yours.
10 "My word is like the snow and
the rain that come down from the sky to water the earth. They make the
crops grow and provide seed for planting and food to eat.
11 So also will be the word that
I speak— it will not fail to do what I plan for it; it will do
everything I send it to do.
Psalms 33:6-11
(NIV)
6 By the word of the Lord
were the heavens made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
7 He gathers the waters of
the sea into jars; he puts the deep into storehouses.
8 Let all the earth fear the
Lord; let all the people of the world revere him.
9 For he spoke, and it came to
be; he commanded, and it stood firm. 10
The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the
purposes of the peoples. 11
But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart
through all generations.
When man’s word and God’s Word disagree, which one stands?
_____________________________
Hebrews 4:12-13 (Phillips NT)
12 For the Word that God
speaks is alive and active; it cuts more keenly than any two-edged
sword: it strikes through to the place where soul and spirit meet, to
the innermost intimacies of a man's being: it exposes the very thoughts
and motives of a man's heart. No creature has any cover from the sight
of God; everything lies naked and exposed before the eyes of him with
whom we have to do.
God’s Word cuts through our baloney!
Against All Odds
Larry Persons
April 6, 2008
Notes Not Available
What The World Needs
Now…
Pastor Cliff Bowman
March
30, 2008
Matthew 21
vv.1-11
Hosanna = “Save, we pray”
So
how does Jesus respond?
vv.12-13
Not just what were they to be saved from,
but also what they were to be saved for.
vv.14-16
1) God’s temple is where people can meet God.
2) God’s temple is to be open to everyone.
What is the modern day temple? We
are.
Ephesians 2:19-22 (Living)
[20] What a foundation
you stand on now: the apostles and the prophets; and the cornerstone of the
building is Jesus Christ himself!
[21] We who believe are carefully joined
together with Christ as parts of a beautiful, constantly growing temple for God.
[22] And you also are joined with him and with each other by the Spirit and are
part of this dwelling place of God.
Things don’t always do what their designed to do.
Ex. Lifeboats on the Titanic.
“What the world needs now is love, sweet love.
No, not just for some, but for everyone.”
Two worlds we can influence with the love of Jesus:
1. The world where
we live.
Many people need to be shown the love of Jesus, before they will listen
to the Good News.
First, Pray for the
people in your world.
1)
Ask the Lord who He wants you to show His love
to.
2)
Ask for opportunities to show His love.
Second, Reach out to them.
1)
Talk
to them, take an interest in them.
2)
Look
for ways to show loving-kindness.
3) Look for opportunities to share
your story.
2. The rest of the
world.
Isaiah 56:6-8
(Living)
Matthew 28:19a
(NLT)
19 Therefore, go and make disciples
of all the nations [peoples]…
How?
1.
Prayer
2.
Support
Need A New Life?
Pastor Cliff Bowman
March
23, 2008
Is
it really that important whether Jesus rose from the dead?
1 Corinthians
15:1-11
Paul’s Personal Story:
1. B.C. –
Before Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:9
(NLT)
9 For I am the least of all the
apostles. In fact, I’m not even worthy to be called an apostle after the way I
persecuted God’s church.
2. Paul
Met Jesus.
1 Corinthians 15:8
(NLT)
8
Last of all, as though I had been born at the wrong time,
I also saw Him.
3. Jesus changed Paul.
1 Corinthians 15:10
(NLT)10 But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out His special favor on me—and not without results. For I have worked harder than all the other apostles, yet it was not I but God who was working through me by His grace.
A suggested Prayer (Prayer is talking with God):
Lord Jesus, I need You. Thank You for
dying on the cross for my sins. Please forgive me for my sin and wash me clean
from the guilt of my past. I open the door of my life and ask you to come in as
my Shepherd to make the changes You want. Lord Jesus, make me the person You
want me to be.
Maundy Thursday
Pastor Cliff Bowman
March
20, 2008
Notes Not Available
When One Is Enough
1 Peter 3:18-22
Pastor Cliff Bowman
March
16, 2008
1 Peter
3:18-22
1. When it comes to paying for our sin, one payment,
Jesus death is enough.
V.18
-
We all have a spiritual disease called sin.
·
Jesus
paid for our sin on the cross so we
can have a right relationship with God.
1 Peter
3:18a
(NIV)
For Christ died for sins once for all, the
righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.
· When it comes to paying for our sin, once is enough.
“…once for all…”
1)
Jesus paid for
everyone.
2)
Jesus paid for
all my sin.
John 19:30b
(NASB)
He
said, "It is finished!" And He bowed His head, and gave up His spirit.
2.
We can
have only one rightful master at a time and, for
the Christian, that
master is Jesus.
Vv.18b-20
-
When mankind, in Adam and Eve, rebelled
against God, mankind came under the domination of Satan and his
fallen spirits or angels.
“the
god of this age”
(2 Cor.4:4),
“the prince of this world”
(John 12:31).
-
When Jesus died on the cross, he paid the
penalty for us and made it possible for us to be free from the
enemy’s domination.
Colossians 2:14-15
(NCV)
He
canceled the debt, which listed all the rules we failed to follow. He took away
that record with its rules and nailed it to the cross. [15] God stripped the
spiritual rulers and powers of their authority. With the cross, he won the
victory and showed the world that they were powerless.
· When Jesus died, God the Father made Him alive in spirit and Jesus went to hell and proclaimed His victory and our freedom to belong to and follow Him.
3. There is only
one guarantee for the future – being
one
with the risen Jesus Christ.
Vv.20b-22
Salvation and baptism
Just like for Noah, getting
in the ark guaranteed salvation from the flood, so, for the Christian, believing
and committing self to Jesus guarantees our salvation.
1 Peter 3:21b-22
(NIV)
You Gotta Have Hope
Ephesians 6:17
Pastor Cliff Bowman
March
9, 2008
Ephesians 6:17a
(NIV)
Take the helmet of salvation…
A good indicator of what
Paul meant:
1 Thessalonians 5:8
(NIV)
But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith
and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.
Two devastating satanic
weapons:
1.
Doubt
of our salvation
People who have genuinely
opened the door of their heart to the Lord but doubt that they are saved.
2.
Discouragement
- where a Christians say’s and feels “What’s the use?”
Asaph
- Psalms 73:6-14
Elijah –
1 Kings 19:1-4
Three ways to “take the
helmet of salvation”:
1.
Take your
stand on what God says.
Three Steps:
Step #1:
Find out what God says.
Source: God’s Word.
For doubt of your
salvation:
1 John 5:11-13
The message:
·
Eternal life
(salvation) is found in Jesus (the Son)
·
If we have
received Jesus (opened the door to Him,
Revelation 3:20)
we have received eternal life (salvation)
-
The issue isn’t
whether or not we feel it, it’s whether or not Jesus keeps His promises.
Does He? _________
·
13
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that
you may
know
that you have eternal life.
Do you know it?____________
For discouragement:
·
Isaiah 55:10-11
God promises that His Word will accomplish all that He intends.
·
Matthew 25:40
The bottom line for all our
trust and obedience isn’t how people respond, but God’s response.
·
Romans 8:18
Yes, there is suffering in
this life, but heaven will far out shine it.
Step #2: Take hold
of God’s Word.
Read it, study it, memorize
it, meditate on it.
Step #3: Choose to trust
God’s Word over your feelings.
Claim
it – declare that you choose to trust God, not your doubts and discouragement.
2.
Get help
from other Christians.
Hebrews 10:23-25
(NLT)
23 Let us hold tightly without
wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.
24 Let us think of ways to motivate
one another to acts of love and good works.
25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do,
but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing
near.
3.
Make sure
that your physical body is getting what you need.
We are both physical
and spiritual beings. What effects one, effects the other.
Are you getting the
nutrition you need?
Are you getting the rest
you need?
Notice how God’s angel
ministered to a burnt out Elijah
1 Kings 19:5-8
(NLT)
5 Then he lay down and slept
under the broom tree. But as he was sleeping, an angel touched him and told him,
“Get up and eat!” 6 He looked around
and there beside his head was some bread baked on hot stones and a jar of water!
So he ate and drank and lay down again.
7
Then the angel of the Lord came again and touched him and said,
“Get up and eat some more, or the journey ahead will be too much for you.”
8 So he got up and ate and drank,
and the food gave him enough strength to travel forty days and forty nights to
Mount Sinai, the mountain of God.
Christians can also have
chemical (ex. hormonal) issues. Get help.
Faith to Act, Faith to Wait
Ephesians 6:14
Pastor Cliff Bowman
March
2, 2008
Two commands that
call for faith:
First Command: “Do
this now.”
Abraham
Genesis 12:1-3
(NLT)
Then the LORD
told Abram, "Leave your country, your relatives, and your
father's house, and go to the land that I will show you.
2 I will cause you to become the
father of a great nation. I will bless you and make you famous, and I
will make you a blessing to others. 3
I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse
you. All the families of the earth will be blessed through you."
Joseph
Matthew 1:18-21
Three
characteristics of these commands (Calling):
1)
Sudden
2)
It is a
call for sacrifice and apparent risk
3)
The
pomised rewards are great.
Not unique:
Matthew 4:18-19
We can expect the
same kind of commands.
How these people
responded:
Genesis 12:4
Matthew 1:24-25
Matthew 4:20
Other responses:
Mark 10:17-22 - Answer:
__________
Luke 9:59-62 - Answer:
__________
What can we do to be
ready when we are suddenly called to obey God’s command.
1)
Surrender daily.
2)
Develop a
habit of tust and obedience.
What is the Lord
calling you to do?
How do you choose to
respond?
Second Command: “Wait.”
Abraham
Genesis 15:1-5
Genesis 15:6
(NLT)
And Abram believed the LORD, and the LORD declared him righteous
because of his faith.
If the first faith
is like spinter in a 100 meter race, this faith is like a marathon
runner. The key to success is endurance.
This is a faith that
holds on to God’s promises, refusing to let go.
Hebrews 3:12-14
(NIV)
See
to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that
turns away from the living God. 13
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so
that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness.
14 We have come to share in
Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at
first.
Sometimes we slip:
Ex.: Abraham
Genesis 16:1-4
Ex.: Jesus’ family
Mark 3:20-21
But we can get back
in the race:
1 John 1:8-9
(NLT)
If we say we have
no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth.
9 But if we confess our sins
to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from
every wrong.
How to grow the
faith to wait:
1.
Fix
your eyes on Jesus.
Hebrews 12:2
(NIV)
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our
faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its
shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Two things that help
us stay focused:
1)
God’s
Word
Romans 10:17
(NASB)
So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word
of
Christ.
2)
Fellowship
Hebrews 10:24-25
(NLT)
24 Think of ways to
encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds.
25 And let us not neglect our
meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each other,
especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing near.
2.
Get
busy with the Father’s business.
Matthew 25:14-17, 21, 25
3.
Celebrate today.
Psalms 118:24
(NLT)
This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in
it.
The Shield Of Faith
Ephesians 6:16
Pastor Cliff Bowman
February 24, 2008
Ephesians 6:16
(NIV)
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you
can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.
Background:
Flaming arrows were
used to break up enemy formations. Roman shield was protection.
Our enemy, “the
evil one”, has a variety of
flaming arrows he shoots at us. For example:
·
Arrow of
Temptation. (Genesis
3:1-5)
·
Arrow of
Accusation (Shame) (Zech
3:1)
·
Arrow of
Doubt (2 Chronicles
32:13-15)
We need a shield.
Our shield is faith.
Faith is believing
God, trusting Him.
Faith is something
we exercise every day.
We put our trust in
clocks, cars, food, and people to name a few.
To take up the Shield of Faith is to put
our trust in the Lord and His promises.
Four things to do to take up the Shield
of Faith (grow our trust in the Lord):
1.
Choose to trust the Lord.
We can grow in trust
in the Lord unconsciously, but to consciously choose to trust the Lord
is the fast-track to growing faith.
Proverbs 3:5
(NLT)
Trust in the
LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding
Caution: Don’t mix
up faith and feelings!
Faith can be (and
needs to be) exercised in spite of feelings.
2.
Get to know God’s Word
The Shield of Faith
is not trusting God to do what we want Him to do. It’s trusting Him to
do what He promises to do.
We get to know that
God promises by getting to know God’s Word.
Romans 10:17
(NKJV)
So then faith comes
by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
3.
Stay in close relationship with other faithful Christians
Hebrews 10:24-25
(NLT)
Think
of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds.
25 And let us not neglect
our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and warn each
other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing
near.
4.
Apply your trust with obedience.
Many of God’s
promises are conditional on our obedience. Example:
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NLT)
5
Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on
your own understanding. 6
Seek his will in all you do, and he will direct your paths.
It’s as we apply our
faith by doing what the Lord calls us to do, that we see Him keeping His
promises and our faith grows.
One last point:
It isn’t our faith
that empowers us. It is the object
of our faith – the Lord. He is our strength.
The Most Important Peace
Pastor Cliff Bowman
February 17, 2008
Ephesians 6:15 (NIV)
and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of
peace.
Roman Soldiers’ Sandals
Sandals with “cleats” on the bottom to help give traction so they could hold their ground.
Our sandals: “the gospel of peace”
This is the good news that we Christians are right with God so were at peace with Him.
Our Sandals of the Gospel of Peace are important for freedom from the shame and pain of the past.
Zechariah 3:1
(NLT)
Then the angel showed me Jeshua the high priest standing before the angel of the
LORD. Satan was there at the angel's right hand, accusing Jeshua of many things.
The Good News:
Romans 8:1-3
(NLT)
So now there is no condemnation for
those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2
For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from
the power of sin that leads to death. 3
The law of Moses could not save us, because of our sinful nature. But God
put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent his own Son in a human body
like ours, except that ours are sinful. God destroyed sin's control over us by
giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins.
Romans 4:24-5:1
(NLT)
It was for us, too, assuring us that God will also declare us to be righteous if
we believe in God, who brought Jesus our Lord back from the dead. Therefore,
since we have been made right in God's sight by faith, we have peace with God
because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.
The Good News is that, because of Jesus payment on the cross, our sin is paid for and we (Christians) are at peace with God. Thus any accusation that the Christian’s sin is held against him by God is a lie.
To put on the Sandals of the Gospel of Peace is to –
1) Choose to believe the Good News.
1
John 1:9 (NLT)
But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to
cleanse us from every wrong.
2) Tell the Accuser to bug off.
James 4:7b (NASB)
Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
This is also Good News to people who have been wounded by others in the past.
2 Corinthians 5:17
(NIV)
Therefore, if anyone
is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Good News! The Lord heals wounded souls.
God's Stubborn Love
Hosea 1-3
Pastor Cliff Bowman
February 10, 2008
Hosea 1-3
What’s it like for God to love us?
Hosea 1:2-3
Gomer
Not just a former prostitute, she continued to have a cheatin’ heart.
v.2
2:5 She
didn’t just stumble into an affair, she pursued many of them.
God say’s to His people, “that is what you are like.”
How God responds.
The first side.
2:2-5,8-13
The side of jealousy and
justice.
Justice would call for divorce!
The second side.
2:6-7,
God still loves us.
2:14-17, 19-20
He wants to change our hearts,
to make us what we’re meant to be.
Not just emotion and thought.
3:1
Romans 5:8
But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial
death while we were of no use whatever to him.
God has a stubborn love for us that won’t let go.
Psalm 27:10
For if my father and mother should abandon me, you would welcome and comfort
me.
How do you respond?
How Love Confronts
Pastor Cliff Bowman
February 3, 2008
Four Biblical Guidelines for Confronting
1. Start with yourself
Make sure
1) You have the right motives
1 Cor. 13:6
(NIV)
Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.
2) You are in the right spiritual condition.
Make sure you are right with God before helping someone else get right with Him.
2. Approach others with prayer, gentleness and humility.
Go to God about people before you go to people about God.
Galatians 6:1 (NLT)
Dear brothers and sisters, if another Christian is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself.
1) Confront gently.
Proverbs 15:1
(Msg)
A gentle response
defuses anger,
but a sharp tongue kindles a temper-fire.
The truth spoken gently at the prompting of the Holy Spirit is powerful.
Be careful with accusations about things you haven’t directly seen or heard, such as motives.
Tell them why you are confronting them:
“I’m coming to you because I care
about you”
“I don’t want you hurt by evil.”
2) Confront with humility.
Humility means having a realistic view of ourselves.
1
Corinthians 10:12 (Msg)
Don't be so naive and self-confident. You're not exempt. You could fall flat
on your face as easily as anyone else. Forget about self-confidence; it's
useless. Cultivate God-confidence.
This means doing two things:
1) I’m in no position to look down on the person I’m confronting
2) I can fall too!
3. Enlarge the circle only as much as necessary.
Matthew
18:15-17 (NIV)
"If your brother
sins, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to
you, you have won your brother over. [16] But if he will not listen, take one or
two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of
two or three witnesses.' [17] If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the
church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a
pagan or a tax collector.
4. Be willing to sacrifice in order to help.
Romans
5:6-8 (NLT)
When we were utterly
helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. [7] Now,
no one is likely to die for a good person, though someone might be willing to
die for a person who is especially good. [8] But God showed his great love for
us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
John
13:34 (NLT)
So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have
loved you, you should love each other.
Galatians 6:2,5 (NIV)
Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of
Christ… for each one should carry his own load.
We’re not called to be enablers for irresponsibility.
We’re called to help people carry their own load.
Confrontation: Where To Begin
Matthew 7:1 - 7:3
Pastor Cliff Bowman
January 27, 2008
How to Confront:
First: Start with yourself.
Matthew
7:1-5 (NIV)
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. [2] For in the same way you judge
others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to
you.
[3] "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay
no attention to the plank in your own eye? [4] How can you say to your brother,
'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in
your own eye? [5] You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and
then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.
Common belief: “do not judge” = do not confront others.
That’s not what Jesus meant.
How do we know that? Three reasons:
1. Jesus believed in absolutes.
John 14:6
(NIV)
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to
the Father except through me.
2. Jesus confronted people.
Matthew
23:27
(NLT)
"How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you
Pharisees. Hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs—beautiful on the outside
but filled on the inside with dead people's bones and all sorts of impurity.
John 5:14
(NIV)
Later Jesus found
him at the temple and said to him, "See, you are well again. Stop sinning or
something worse may happen to you."
3. Jesus tells us to confront.
Matthew
18:15
(GW)
"If a believer does
something wrong, go, confront him when the two of you are alone. If he listens
to you, you have won back that believer.
Judging (wrongfully) is confronting someone with the wrong motives and/or in the wrong spiritual condition.
So
To start with ourselves, when confronting, is to make sure that we have the right motives and that we are in the right spiritual condition.
Motives – Why confront this person? What do I want to accomplish?
Examples of wrong motives: envy, malice, irritation
The right motive: love
Ephesians 4:15b (TEV)
…speaking the truth
in a spirit of love
Love wants to help people who are overcome by sin.
Galatians 6:1a
(NLT)
Dear brothers and
sisters, if another Christian is overcome by some sin, you who are godly should
gently and humbly help that person back onto the right path.
Your own spiritual condition – Are you right with God?
The issue is not whether you’re perfect. The issue is whether you have unconfessed sin in your life.
Matthew 7:3-5
Get right with God before you confront someone else.
Living The Good Life
Ephesians 6:14
Pastor Cliff Bowman
January 20, 2008
Ephesians 6:14 (NIV)
Stand firm
then, with
the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of
righteousness in place,
Our breastplate is righteousness. Righteousness is moral purity.
What Paul can’t mean here:
1) “ Self-righteousness” – the righteousness that people put on in order to be good enough to save themselves and go to heaven.
Matthew 5:20 (NIV)
For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees
and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Psalms 143:2 (NIV)
Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous
before you.
No one is good enough to go to heaven with self-righteousness.
2) “Imputed righteousness” – the righteousness of Jesus credited to Christians.
2
Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become
the righteousness of God.
This is the righteousness that saves us.
But this not the righteousness that Paul is telling Christians to put on. Why? Because we already have it on.
The righteousness the Lord wants Christians to put on is “practical righteousness”.
This is choosing to live a life of trust and obedience for the Lord. It’s seeking to, day by day, live out who we are in Christ.
Paul has already pointed out specific righteousness issues:
Ephesians 4:22-32, 5:3-4, 18
Paul isn’t telling Christians to live like this in order to be saved. He’s telling us live like this because we are saved.
Three reasons it’s important to put on the breastplate of practical righteousness, day by day, even though it isn’t what saves us:
1.You can still get hurt and you can still hurt others.
“Many, if not most, of the emotional and relational problems Christians experience are caused by lack of personal holiness. Many of our disappointments and discouragements do not come from circumstances or from other people but from our own unconfessed and uncleansed sin. And when circumstances and other people do manage to rob us of happiness, it is because we are unprotected by the armor of a holy life. In either case the cause of unhappiness is our own sin. After David committed adultery with Bathsheba and ordered the death of her husband, Uriah, he had no peace. That is why his great psalm of penitence for those sins includes the plea, "Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation" (Ps. 51:12). Unholy living does not rob us of salvation, but it robs us of salvation's joy.”
—The MacArthur New Testament Commentary
Although there is forgiveness for Christians who choose to disobey the Lord, it isn’t worth it to disobey.
Proverbs 4:23
(NIV)
Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
2.You can still hurt God’s reputation.
God created Israel to be “a light to the Gentiles” (Is.49:6) But Israel let Him down:
Ezekiel 36:19-21 (NLT)
I scattered them to many lands to
punish them for the evil way they had lived. 20
But when they were scattered among the nations, they brought
dishonor to my holy name. For the nations said, `These are the people of the
LORD, and he couldn't keep them safe in his own land!'
21 Then I was concerned for my holy
name, which had been dishonored by my people throughout the world.
Christians who don’t put on the breastplate of righteousness do the same thing.
3.We can still break God’s heart.
Luke 19:41-42 (NASB)
When He approached Jerusalem, He
saw the city and wept over it, 42
saying, "If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for
peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes.
What is your issue when it comes to putting on the breastplate of righteousness?
How To Buckle Up With Truth
Ephesians 6:14
Pastor Cliff Bowman
January 13, 2008
Ephesians 6:14a
(NIV)
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist…
The Belt of Truth is honesty with ourselves and others.
The time to buckle up with truth is before the enemy attacks.
Four ways to buckle up with truth:
1. Choose daily to live for Jesus and not for myself.
2 Corinthians 5:15
(NIV)
And He died for all, that those who live
should no longer live for themselves but for Him who died for them and was
raised again.
Two of the most common reasons people are phony are to:
1) Look good - better than they actually are, and
2) To get what they want.
It’s easier to be genuine when I decide that life is not about me (my glory, my pleasure) but about Jesus.
2. Choose a policy for my life of no cover-ups.
1) I won’t cover-up my sin, instead I’ll confess it.
1 John 1:8-9
(NLT)
If we say we have no sin,
we are only fooling ourselves and refusing to accept the truth. [9] But if we
confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us
from every wrong.
James 5:16a
(NLT)
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be
healed.
2) I won’t cover-up my weaknesses, instead I’ll
commit them to God.
Paul’s weakness –
2 Corinthians 12:7-10
(NIV)
To
keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations,
there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. [8]
Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. [9] But he said to
me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that
Christ's power may rest on me. [10] That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in
weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.
For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 4:7 (NIV)
But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show
that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
Two things to keep in mind:
1) Choosing to not cover-up our sin & weaknesses, doesn’t mean highlighting them:
Ephesians 5:12 (NIV)
For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.
2) All of us fall short of living out what we believe.
Don't stay away from church because there are so many hypocrites. There's always room for one more.
Arthur R. Adams (B. 1861)
3. Get connected and stay connected with other trustworthy Christians.
Fact: We cannot put on and keep on the Belt of Truth by ourselves. We need help.
Jeremiah 17:9
(NASB)
"The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can
understand it?
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
(NIV)
9
Two are better than one, because they have a
good return for their work: 10 If
one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has
no one to help him up!
4. Get to know the ultimate source of truth in this fallen world: God’s Word.
Psalms 1:1-3
(NCV)
1 Happy are those who don't listen
to the wicked, who don't go where sinners go, who don't do what evil people do.
2 They love the Lord's teachings,
and they think about those teachings day and night.
3 They are strong, like a tree planted by
a river. The tree produces fruit in season, and its leaves don't die. Everything
they do will succeed.
Why There's Hope For Us In 2008
Lamentations 3:19-26
Pastor Cliff Bowman
January 6, 2008
Lamentations 3:19-26
The Past:
Lamentations 3:19-20 (NIV)
19 I remember my affliction and my
wandering, the bitterness and the gall.
20 I well remember them, and my soul
is downcast within me.
This is all about looking back at your past with regret and shame.
Life isn’t like a video game. You can’t replay.
Is it too late?
The Present:
Lamentations 3:21-23 (NIV)
21 Yet this I call to mind and
therefore I have hope:
22 Because of the LORD's great love
we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning; great
is your faithfulness.
How can Jeremiah have any hope after such a miserable past?
God’s grace.
What is the grace of God?
“Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed”
Grace is God loving us when we don’t deserve it.
“for His compassions never fail”
Does the Lord ever run out of love? _________
“They are new every morning”
God’s grace is like the sun.
“Great is Your faithfulness!”
He refuses to let us go.
Grace: God’s gift to us at Christ’s expense.
Bread
Cup
The Future:
Lamentations 3:24-26 (NIV)
24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my
portion; therefore I will wait for Him."
25 The LORD is good to those whose
hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him;
26 it is good to wait quietly for
the salvation of the LORD.
The key to facing the future is waiting expectantly for the Lord, putting our hope in Him.
That means not taking things in our own hands but counting on the Lord and obeying Him.
Will God care for us in the future?
Romans 8:32
[The Message]
If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for
us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own
Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us?
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