October 5, 2003 I Choose the Cross
October 12, 2003 Marriage Worth Fighting For
October 19, 2003 Transformed!
October 26, 2003 The Greatness of God!

October 5, 2003
I Choose the Cross!
Mark 8:31 - 38

For Jesus, The Cross Meant … 8:31

· His Destiny on Earth
· Physical Pain
· Rejection by Sanhedrin
· Agonizing Death
· Resurrection

For Peter, the Cross Meant … 8:32-33

· An outlandish concept
· A demonic response
· An earthly mindset

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:2- 3

For Us, the Cross Means … 8:34 - 38

· A call to follow Jesus v. 34
… the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives…
II Corinthians 1:5
· A challenge to self-denial v. 34
Luke 14:25 - 33

· The reality of eternity v. 35 - 36
· The value of our soul v. 37
· Standing up for Christ v. 38

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. I Peter 4:12 - 16

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20

Back to the top

Sunday October 12, 2003
Marriage Worth Fighting For

Genesis 1:27 – 28; 2:18 - 25

People are asking two questions about marriage
Will it meet my needs?
Is it necessary?

The Purpose of Marriage
· Mirror God’s image

· Multiply godly legacy

· Male-female companionship
In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. I Corinthians 11:11

Marriage is the Foundation of a Healthy Society
· Building block of relationships

· Boundary for sexual expression

Recover a Marriage Culture …

… in your home
· Improve your marriage

· Teach children to honor marriage

… in our church
· Premarital ministry

· Marriage Encounter

… in our community
· One man – one woman marriage

· Remove marriage tax penalty

Back to the top

October 19, 2003
Transformed!
Mark 9:1 - 32

For Jesus, The Transfiguration Meant …

Time with His favorite disciples
An experience in prayer

… he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray. As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed… Luke 9:28 – 29

A teaching opportunity v.9, 12 – 13


Inauguration of His kingdom
Suffering = power
Death = a new day
They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem Luke 9:31

For the Disciples, the Transfiguration Meant …

Fear overcome with peace
But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” Matthew 17:7

Confusion replaced by revelation

We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father John 1:14

We did not follow cleverly invented stories when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
II Peter 1:16 –18

For Us, the Transfiguration Means …

We can change!

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
II Corinthians 3:18

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Romans 12:2

We trust Jesus for deliverance v. 23 – 24

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! II Corinthians 5:17

We must learn to pray v. 29

…he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray…Peter and his companions were very sleepy Luke 9:28,32

Watch and pray … The spirit is willing, but the body is weak Matthew 26:41

Back to the top

October 26, 2003
The Greatness of God
Romans 11:33-36

Prayer

Last Sunday we sang a song in worship entitled, “Majesty”
--it is derived from the Latin and it means “Greatness”
--to ascribe majesty to something or someone is to ascribe greatness.

The Christian’s faith, trust and worship are stimulated very powerfully
By the knowledge of the greatness of God.

But this is knowledge we sorely lack today…..Modern man cherishes great thoughts of man, but as a rule has small thoughts of God.

This type of thinking must change…for it affects our faith & worship.

In our day, great stress is placed on the fact that God is personal…and that we can enjoy a personal relationship with Him…which is true.

but it is so stressed at times to leave the impression that God is the same sort of person that we are: weak, inadequate, ineffective.

To be human is to be finite: limited in every direction, in space, in time, in power, in knowledge.

But God is not so limited: He is eternal, infinite and almighty.
“ He has us in his hands, but we never have him in ours.”

Certainly God is personal. But unlike us, He is GREAT!!!

This is where we go wrong: Our thoughts of God are not great enough.

A certain cure for struggling faith & worry is to get a glimpse of God’s Majesty---His awesome Greatness!

Body

Give Context of the Passage:
Apostle Paul has just concluded theological argument in the N.T.
Chapters 1-3 he describes the situation: All Have Sinned
Chapters 3-5 The remedy is given…justified through faith in Christ
Chapters 6-8 The result is sanctification: Freed from power of sin.
Chapters 9-11 Talks about God’s dealings with Israel

And as Paul is reflecting upon the infinite wisdom & knowledge & righteousness and goodness and power of God he erupts into spontaneous praise …..

Romans 11:33-36

3 Aspects of God’s Greatness

The Greatness of His Wisdom (verses 33-34)
“ Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God. How unsearchable his judgements and his paths beyond tracing out!”

Even though Paul has just explained that the mystery of salvation has been revealed through Christ Jesus…..there is far, far, far more to God’s purposes & actions than the human mind can comprehend.

Whatever we know of God….we have not even begun to know what God knows or see what God sees.

Even if we do not always understand the why of God’s ways, it does not mean there is not a good reason
--the difficulty lies in our inability to know what God knows and our inability to see what God sees.
Isaiah 55:8,9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Verse 34 says “Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or Who has been his counselor?”
The answer of course is No One!
He knows everything. We cannot teach him anything.
We cannot say, “God, did you ever consider this?”
He is omniscient, our knowledge is limited.
Therefore, we must trust in him.

The Greatness of His Power (verse 35,36)
“ Who has ever given to God, that God should repay Him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen”

The question is asked rhetorically…answer being ‘No One’
The reason is that everything is His….He owns everything!!!

“From Him” – he created out of nothing. He had no pre-existing materials to work with. His voice spoke and it came into being.

“Through Him” – all of life, rotation of the planets, our very existence exists and is sustained through Christ Jesus.

“To Him” -- All exists for his glory, His honor, His pleasure

Colossians 1:16-18
“ For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”

The Greatness of His Mercy (Romans 12:1)
“ Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God---this is your spiritual act of worship.”

The question is….How will you now live? What is your response?

Considering the Greatness of God….it is by his mercy that we…
… Have life
… can have a relationship with him
… are loved by him
… are adopted into his family

Our response to Him should be…
… .Awe
… .Humility
… .Fear
… .Love
… .Honor
… .Praise

It will be a life which rejoices in his majesty, his love, his joy, his provision and care.

Because of His great mercy, know that nothing—no human being, institution, no time, no space, no spiritual being and no event stands between God and those who trust Him.

How will you respond to His greatness, respond to His majesty?
It might be a bowed knee, a prayer of repentance, time at the altar or simple praise & adoration to Him.
The time to respond is now.

Back to the top