Mark 12:28-34
As John Grassmick says in the Bible Knowledge Commentary on these verses…”It is a commitment to the Lord that is comprehensive and whole hearted. The heart, as the control center of your life, the soul as your self consciousness, the mind our thought capacity and strength our bodily powers”
And when we learn how to love the Lord like this the result is love for others.
So in this series what I would like to do is help us understand that this type of loving God comes from instituting Spiritual Disciplines in our life.
7th grade seeing another guy with a “note”
(I will never forget the first note from Amy… I cherished it and the main reason why is because I felt like somebody)
The simple fact that God gave us His Word displays we are important.
But some say…
1. I don’t need God and His Word, I know I am important and I have the answers. (Pride and rejection of the Lord)
2. Or the Christian response sometimes is… “I hear you, I know I am important to God, but I don’t really need to spend time learning more about Him or how I should respond to Him unless something is going wrong”. (Ignorance)
My appeal to you tonight is… I want us all to realize that we have the great privilege of having communication from God to us and that means we need spend time reading, memorizing and studying every aspect of it to develop our love for the Lord Jesus.
The Bible is what we should…
• fill our hearts with. (Heart love) How? Psalm 119:9-16 Meditation and memorization
Many times people are only interested in something when they are dealing with it…but as a student of God’s Word, in order to fill your heart in order to spur your heart on to love the Lord, we should expose ourselves to teaching before you deal with them.
When you hear things you “already know” you will reevaluate your life to make sure you are still practicing them. (Lets look at like this we fill our hearts and minds with information that leads to transformation and we need reminders)
I would go so far as to say if there is a Biblically based teaching and you say you got nothing from it. You have some kind of a problem. –maybe with the person teaching it? –maybe it is convicting you? -maybe you are apathetic? -maybe your heart is hard? –maybe you did not pray before you read or heard the Word?
I was never out of my Bible. John Bunyan
• study and question for ourselves. (Mind Love) (my pastor said so should not be your answer) The Bible is everyone’s book Acts 17:10-12 the Berean’s (George Kuhn)
Never let good books take the place of the Bible. Drink from the Well, not from the streams that flow from the Well. Amy Carmichael.
I am a man of one Book. John Wesley.
• pass down to the next generation (Strength love) .Deut 6:7-10 Teach the Scriptures. This is hard physical work.
Much of it is in the delivery (Tom Allen’s illustration about yelling at your kids)
• learn about who to hope in. (Soul love) In 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 Jesus’ life fulfilled the scriptures to give us salvation GOSPEL
People do not reject the Bible because it contradicts itself, but because it contradicts them.
Romans 15:4 this is not only true of future hope but it is true of hope in any circumstance we find ourselves in.
Within the covers of one single book, the Bible, are all the answers to all the problems that face us today--if only we would read and believe. Ronald Reagan
When you start to realize that God’s Word has what you need and offers hope you start to develop a love for it and it becomes something you do not want to live without.
Evangelist Robert L. Sumner tells about him in his book The Wonders of the Word of God. Of a man in Kansas City was severely injured in an explosion. Hiss face was badly disfigured, and he lost his eyesight as well as both hands. He was just a new Christian, and one of his greatest disappointments was that he could no longer read the Bible. Then he heard about a lady in England who read braille with her lips. Hoping to do the same, he sent for some books of the Bible in braille. Much to his dismay, however, he discovered that the nerve endings in his lips had been destroyed by the explosion. One day, as he brought one of the braille pages to his lips, his tongue happened to touch a few of the raised characters and he could feel them. Like a flash he thought, I can read the Bible using my tongue. At the time Robert Sumner wrote his book, the man had "read" through the entire Bible four times.
Through the Discipline of being in God’s Word we learn to love Him with our heart, soul, mind and strength.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
"Seeing Jesus in the Psalms": His Name is Jesus
Community Group Questions
1. Share a time in which your love for another person had to endure a hardship.
2. Share a time in your life that you felt God’s power working through a situation.
3. Do you feel you are known by others as a joyful person?
4. In what area of life do you feel the most needed and useful?
5. How has a broken trust from someone you trusted changed the way you look at Jesus?
This psalm is what is known at Hallel Psalm which is a song of praise about the works of the Lord in the lives of His people.
Most likely the last hymn sung by Jesus with His disciples at the last supper.
Through this Psalm of praise we will learn at least three things.
1. The enduring love of the Lord Vrs 1-4
Enduring love- we should be comforted by the fact His love has staying power and endures even though we do not deserve that love, it is like a pursuing love.
Parent endures under the disobedience of a child. (Prodigal Son)
Why because it is steadfast which means it is firm, pointed with purpose and unwavering.
From the Lord we learn that this is the type of love we need to have for those around us.
As Christians we should endure, when people wrong us. We endure when people don’t follow through with their commitments to us. We endure when things don’t change as quick as we think they should.
Bottom line is we need to emulate the love of the Lord.
Next we will see…
2. What the Lord is capable of giving to you and me. Vrs 5-18
-Salvation Vrs 5 Romans 10:13 “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” Romans 10:13-21
-Someone to trust. Vrs 6-9 Is the One we can trust. Trust in the Lord not in man. (You may not be able to trust anyone)
-Power. Vrs 10-13 We get power from the Lord. “I can do all things through Christ”
-Joy. Vrs 14-16 Salvation should result in joy. In this passage we see the psalmist in song.
Because it is valiant (bold, heroic)
-Purpose Vrs 17 The Lord keeps us alive to bring glory to Him while we are here. People want purpose…ask a child what they want to do when they grow up.
When the Lord does something for us it is a great thing to do to make it known.
-Security Vrs 18 The Lord disciplines those He loves (Tim Keller father illustration I really act like a father when I have to discipline)
The final thing we learn is who the Lord is
3. The Lord’s name is Jesus and He is... This is important because this Psalm never says the name of Jesus but these last 11 verses are clearly about Jesus,
-The Gate Vrs 19-21 Jesus is the gate John 10:1
-The Stone Vrs 22-23 The Messianic value Matt 21:42-44
Jesus is the stone
Jewish leaders are the builders of the nation…the kingdom would be taken from them and given to others Matt 21:43
-The Creator Vrs 24 He is creator of the day John 1:9 “World made through Him”
-The Life Giver Vrs 25 He gives success John 10:10
-The One we waited for. Vrs 26 More prophecy John 12:13
-The Light Vrs 27 He is the light of the world John 12:46 and
-The Sacrifice His sacrifice is that light 1 Cor 5:7 “Christ our Passover lamb has become our sacrifice” GOSPEL
In Conclusion Vrs 28-29 we praise Jesus for what He is capable of doing for us and the fact that His love endures.
1. Share a time in which your love for another person had to endure a hardship.
2. Share a time in your life that you felt God’s power working through a situation.
3. Do you feel you are known by others as a joyful person?
4. In what area of life do you feel the most needed and useful?
5. How has a broken trust from someone you trusted changed the way you look at Jesus?
This psalm is what is known at Hallel Psalm which is a song of praise about the works of the Lord in the lives of His people.
Most likely the last hymn sung by Jesus with His disciples at the last supper.
Through this Psalm of praise we will learn at least three things.
1. The enduring love of the Lord Vrs 1-4
Enduring love- we should be comforted by the fact His love has staying power and endures even though we do not deserve that love, it is like a pursuing love.
Parent endures under the disobedience of a child. (Prodigal Son)
Why because it is steadfast which means it is firm, pointed with purpose and unwavering.
From the Lord we learn that this is the type of love we need to have for those around us.
As Christians we should endure, when people wrong us. We endure when people don’t follow through with their commitments to us. We endure when things don’t change as quick as we think they should.
Bottom line is we need to emulate the love of the Lord.
Next we will see…
2. What the Lord is capable of giving to you and me. Vrs 5-18
-Salvation Vrs 5 Romans 10:13 “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” Romans 10:13-21
-Someone to trust. Vrs 6-9 Is the One we can trust. Trust in the Lord not in man. (You may not be able to trust anyone)
-Power. Vrs 10-13 We get power from the Lord. “I can do all things through Christ”
-Joy. Vrs 14-16 Salvation should result in joy. In this passage we see the psalmist in song.
Because it is valiant (bold, heroic)
-Purpose Vrs 17 The Lord keeps us alive to bring glory to Him while we are here. People want purpose…ask a child what they want to do when they grow up.
When the Lord does something for us it is a great thing to do to make it known.
-Security Vrs 18 The Lord disciplines those He loves (Tim Keller father illustration I really act like a father when I have to discipline)
The final thing we learn is who the Lord is
3. The Lord’s name is Jesus and He is... This is important because this Psalm never says the name of Jesus but these last 11 verses are clearly about Jesus,
-The Gate Vrs 19-21 Jesus is the gate John 10:1
-The Stone Vrs 22-23 The Messianic value Matt 21:42-44
Jesus is the stone
Jewish leaders are the builders of the nation…the kingdom would be taken from them and given to others Matt 21:43
-The Creator Vrs 24 He is creator of the day John 1:9 “World made through Him”
-The Life Giver Vrs 25 He gives success John 10:10
-The One we waited for. Vrs 26 More prophecy John 12:13
-The Light Vrs 27 He is the light of the world John 12:46 and
-The Sacrifice His sacrifice is that light 1 Cor 5:7 “Christ our Passover lamb has become our sacrifice” GOSPEL
In Conclusion Vrs 28-29 we praise Jesus for what He is capable of doing for us and the fact that His love endures.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
"Seeing Jesus in the Psalms" The Work of Jesus
Psalm 110 is the only “purely prophetic” meaning it finds its full meaning only in Christ.
From this Psalm we will learn at least 3 things about the work of Jesus. 1. What is the Work of Jesus? 2. Who should be involved in the work of Jesus? & 3. What can we trust about the work of Jesus?
What is the work of Jesus?
Matthew Henry is his commentary states about Psalm 110 “Christ as our Redeemer, executes three roles King (V1,3,5,6)” Prophet (v2), & Priest (v4)
King-a ruler or judge Vrs 1
Prophet-speaks and teaches truth. Vrs 2 proclaiming
Priest-is a go between or a mediator to God Vrs 4
Gen 14:17-24 Melchizedek… King and priest of Salem brought bread and wine as a reminder to Abram after He returned from the defeat of those who were against the Lord, that the Lord was the One who gave Him the victory
Abram’s response was giving a 10th to Melchizedek and total commitment to the Lord
What is our response to the victory we have in Jesus. It should be generosity and commitment.
Who should be involved in the work of Jesus?
-Christians Vrs 3
We should freely offer ourselves in service, we should not be coerced or guilted into working with and for the Lord.
If you are not working for the Lord…
-You will not grow
-You are failing the body of Christ because you are not using your gifts
-You are being disobedient (selfish)
-You will miss out on blessings
“the day of your power in holy garments” Probably a reference to Revelation chapter 19 in which we see all the Christians/saints of all time clothed in “fine linen” at the wedding supper of Jesus after that we then see Jesus riding a white horse out to battle with the saints following Him clothed in “fine linen” riding on white horses do Jesus’ work with Him. (the fine linen “are the righteous deeds of the saints”)
Nelson Study Bible notes say it this way “From the womb of the morning describes the volunteer army in their robust and fresh vigor; they are ready for a holy battle”
We understand through the book of Revelation that at the end of this world there will be a battle and Christ will win…but another question that we must ask is…Is there are battle going on right now that those who are in “holy garments” are in?
The answer is Yes the spiritual battle for souls, the church (us) needs to advancing in battle for the souls of the people in the community. Eph 6
Some of the biggest enemies of the church is the church itself. Parable of Wheat and Weeds
-Laziness (don’t want do anything)
-Comfort (I like the way things are why change it)
-Apathy (I really don’t care)
-Internal struggles (Things have to be my way or there is going to be a problem)
What can we trust in about work of Jesus?
-He does not change His mind.
Vrs 4 this is the way it is…it is only through Jesus.. this is the plan. No matter what culture tells us, no matter how politically incorrect it may sound the Gospel is the Gospel. GOSPEL
We are not going to a get to a certain time in which God says “you know what I am going change that up on you guys”
God in the OT and NT are the same
-He is more powerful. (then anything you can imagine)
Vrs 5
Do you really believe that Jesus is more powerful then anyone or anything? A little test…How do you respond when you are harshly mistreated?
Many times we retaliate and we don’t rest in the fact that God is more powerful and takes care of our enemies.
-He is a just judge. Vrs 6 When Jesus is judging we know that we can trust His judgment. Remember there is no love without righteous judgment.
-He proves to be trustworthy because of His Sacrifice. (humility and exaltation) GOSPEL
Vrs 7Drank from the bitter brook, Romans tells us that “He who did not spare His own son will He not then also graciously give us all things”
We can be sure our salvation is complete through the “Work of Jesus”
From this Psalm we will learn at least 3 things about the work of Jesus. 1. What is the Work of Jesus? 2. Who should be involved in the work of Jesus? & 3. What can we trust about the work of Jesus?
What is the work of Jesus?
Matthew Henry is his commentary states about Psalm 110 “Christ as our Redeemer, executes three roles King (V1,3,5,6)” Prophet (v2), & Priest (v4)
King-a ruler or judge Vrs 1
Prophet-speaks and teaches truth. Vrs 2 proclaiming
Priest-is a go between or a mediator to God Vrs 4
Gen 14:17-24 Melchizedek… King and priest of Salem brought bread and wine as a reminder to Abram after He returned from the defeat of those who were against the Lord, that the Lord was the One who gave Him the victory
Abram’s response was giving a 10th to Melchizedek and total commitment to the Lord
What is our response to the victory we have in Jesus. It should be generosity and commitment.
Who should be involved in the work of Jesus?
-Christians Vrs 3
We should freely offer ourselves in service, we should not be coerced or guilted into working with and for the Lord.
If you are not working for the Lord…
-You will not grow
-You are failing the body of Christ because you are not using your gifts
-You are being disobedient (selfish)
-You will miss out on blessings
“the day of your power in holy garments” Probably a reference to Revelation chapter 19 in which we see all the Christians/saints of all time clothed in “fine linen” at the wedding supper of Jesus after that we then see Jesus riding a white horse out to battle with the saints following Him clothed in “fine linen” riding on white horses do Jesus’ work with Him. (the fine linen “are the righteous deeds of the saints”)
Nelson Study Bible notes say it this way “From the womb of the morning describes the volunteer army in their robust and fresh vigor; they are ready for a holy battle”
We understand through the book of Revelation that at the end of this world there will be a battle and Christ will win…but another question that we must ask is…Is there are battle going on right now that those who are in “holy garments” are in?
The answer is Yes the spiritual battle for souls, the church (us) needs to advancing in battle for the souls of the people in the community. Eph 6
Some of the biggest enemies of the church is the church itself. Parable of Wheat and Weeds
-Laziness (don’t want do anything)
-Comfort (I like the way things are why change it)
-Apathy (I really don’t care)
-Internal struggles (Things have to be my way or there is going to be a problem)
What can we trust in about work of Jesus?
-He does not change His mind.
Vrs 4 this is the way it is…it is only through Jesus.. this is the plan. No matter what culture tells us, no matter how politically incorrect it may sound the Gospel is the Gospel. GOSPEL
We are not going to a get to a certain time in which God says “you know what I am going change that up on you guys”
God in the OT and NT are the same
-He is more powerful. (then anything you can imagine)
Vrs 5
Do you really believe that Jesus is more powerful then anyone or anything? A little test…How do you respond when you are harshly mistreated?
Many times we retaliate and we don’t rest in the fact that God is more powerful and takes care of our enemies.
-He is a just judge. Vrs 6 When Jesus is judging we know that we can trust His judgment. Remember there is no love without righteous judgment.
-He proves to be trustworthy because of His Sacrifice. (humility and exaltation) GOSPEL
Vrs 7Drank from the bitter brook, Romans tells us that “He who did not spare His own son will He not then also graciously give us all things”
We can be sure our salvation is complete through the “Work of Jesus”
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