Series: The Gospel of Mark
Text: Mark 1:2-8
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Series: The Gospel of Mark
Text: Mark 1:1
Introduction to the author of the book of Mark
Text: Joshua 1:1
We learn from the example of Joshua that we are to be ready at any time to be used by God.
- It's God's business to determine how he uses us in His kingdom
- It is our business to be ready
A few references to Joshua before we get to the book named after him
- Exodus 17:9-16
- Numbers 11:24-30
- Numbers 13:8-14:10
Five aspects of being ready to be used by God
- Be ready to advance God's plan
- Be ready to serve God's people
- Be ready to trust God's promise
- Be ready to honor God's authority
- Be ready to know God's empowering
Text: Deuteronomy 30:11-20
See four observations that drive home the responsibility we have to obey.
- This responsibility to obey is seen in an excuse to eliminate
- This responsibility to obey is seen in a truth to believe
- This responsibility to obey is seen in a consequence to accept
- This responsibility to obey is seen in a choice to make
What do we learn from our four observations?
- No more excuses
- Believe God's truth
- There are significant consequences
- You have a choice today
Text: Deuteronomy 4:32-40
Deuteronomy means "Another Law"
Hear these words from Deuteronomy as a challenge in our present day.
Five questions that reveal our readiness to follow God
- Do you understand what God is doing in human history?
- Do you identify with Jesus as the savior of sinners?
- Do you know why God saves?
- Do you treasure the lordship of Christ daily?
- Does your life reflect God's priorities and promises?
Video of the full service is available on the church YouTube channel
Text: Acts 2:22-36
What must you believe about Jesus for him to be the cornerstone of your life?
- You must trust in the righteousness of Jesus
- You must trust in the redemption by Jesus
- You must trust in the resurrection of Jesus
- You must trust in the reign of Jesus
Text: Matthew 26:14-16
In those pieces of silver we see...
- The value of a servant
- The work of a shepherd
- The guilt of sin
- The judgment of sinners
- The hope of salvation
Series: Stick to the Truth
Text: 1 Timothy 6:20-21
Three responses to this conclusion of the letter of 1 Timothy
- Treasure the truth
- Beware of distractions
- Rely on grace
Series: Stick to the Truth
Text: 1 Timothy 6:17-20
Avoid the dangers of wealth
- Don't think your money makes you important
- Understand the investment of wealth
Three Conclusions
- In some relative way, consider yourself rich
- In some small way, enjoy God's gifts today
- In some intentional way, invest your resources
Series: Stick to the Truth
Text: 1 Timothy 6:11-16
- Obedience involves discernment
- Flee
- Pursue
- Obedience involves intensity
- Fight
- Take hold
- Obedience involves integrity
- Keep the commandment
- Obedience involves worship
Series: Stick to the Truth
Text: 1 Timothy 6:5-11
How do I remember and believe that the real gain is found in being godly?
Three answers form the text:
- Don't view godliness as a means to get gain. Godliness is the gain.
- Draw a line between needs and wants.
- Unlimited desire leads to unlimited loss.
Series: Stick to the Truth
Text: 1 Timothy 5:17-6:2
One: Honoring Elders
- Compensation
- Honoring the work, not elevating the person
- Accusation
- False accusation is dangerous
- An unrepentant leader should be dealt with in a public, church-wide, and strict manner
- Ordination
Two: Honoring Masters
Series: Stick to the Truth
Text: 1 Timothy 5:1-16
Five concluding applications for our church
- Sharpen your understanding of what true neediness looks like
- Treat each other with the God-designed propriety of family relationships
- Care for your natural family with generous love
- Give special attention to widows
- Embrace the God-pleasing ministry in every stage of life
Series: Stick to the Truth
Text: 1 Timothy 4:6-16
Six strategies for combating false teaching
- Challenge the church to think
- "put these things before the brothers"
- Shun the distraction of the sensational
- "Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths."
- Promote personal, spiritual discipline
- "Rather train yourself for godliness"
- Prioritize God's Word in the life of the church
- "devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching."
- "Do not neglect the gift you have"
- Exemplify a life of gospel transformation
- "Practice these things, immerse yourself in them"
- Persevere in the Word, and by the Word
- "Persist in this"
Series: Stick to the Truth
Text: 1 Timothy 4:1-5
Definition: Apostasy is when someone who claimed to be a Christian, denies the faith.
Five Questions on False Teaching
- What is at stake with false teaching?
- Some will depart from the faith.
- Eternal life is at stake.
- What is the source of false teaching?
- Deceitful spirits and teachings of demons.
- These deceitful teachings come through human teachers.
- What is the strategy of false teaching?
- Deceit.
- What is the content of false teaching?
- Two warning signs
- Promoting self-righteousness
- Undermining God's goodness
- Two warning signs
- What is our response to false teaching?
- Rigorously submit your thoughts to God's.
- Genuinely invite others to exhort you.
Series: Stick to the Truth
Text: 1 Timothy 3:14-16
This short paragraph gives us the theme for the series: stick to the truth.
Three Reasons Why We Should Stick to the Truth
- Stick to the truth because the truth reveals God's will for our behavior -
- Stick to the truth because the truth reveals God's mission for his church
- "The household of God" reminds us that the church is the family of God
- "The church of the living God" reminds us that God dwells among us
- "A pillar and buttress of the truth" reminds us that the church stands for the truth
- Stick to the truth because the truth reveals God's purpose in the gospel
Three Conclusions
- Know and believe what God has said
- Love the family of God and unite around truth
- Marvel at the victory of the gospel
He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.
"Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness" ~ 1 Timothy 3:16
Text: 1 Timothy 3:8-13
A biblical church must have a biblical view of deacons
To rightly define a biblical deacon, we must...
- Know the idea of the word: Servant
- Know the development of the role
- Know the title of the office
- Know the qualifications of the man
- Know the rewards of the job
The incarnation is for salvation
Text: Luke 2:21-27
Text: Luke 2:25
The lessons we learn from the story of Christmas
- Lesson 1. The certainty of the promise
- Lesson 2. The piercing of the darkness
- Lesson 3. The revelation of the king
- Lesson 4. The unfolding of the mission
- Lesson 5. The joy of the faithful
- Lesson 6. The instruction of the shadows