Sunday Sermon Outline: The Foundation of Thanksgiving

The Foundation of Thanksgiving
Psalm 100:3-5

Introduction:

Psalm 100, “Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 2 Worship the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. 3 Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His ; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. 5 For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.”

I. A Day of Thanksgiving

II. A Foundation of Thanksgiving

“Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 2 Worship the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. 3 Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His ; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. 5 For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.”

    A. God’s Goodness
    “The Lord is good.” 

    B. God's Love
    “His love endures forever.”

    C. God’s Faithfulness
    “His faithfulness continues through all generations.” 

 Exodus 17:8-13, “The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites … 9 Moses said to Joshua, "Choose some of our men and go out to fight the Amalekites. Tomorrow I will stand on top of the hill with the staff of God in my hands." 10 So Joshua fought the Amalekites as Moses had ordered, and Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. 11 As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. 12 When Moses' hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up--one on one side, one on the other--so that his hands remained steady till sunset. 13 So Joshua overcame the Amalekite army with the sword.”


Conclusion:

“Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. 2 Worship the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. 3 Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His ; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. 4 Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. 5 For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.”

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Sunday Sermon Outline: A Mother's Love

“A Mother’s Love”
Matthew 20:20-23


Introduction:
     Matthew 20:20-23, “Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to Jesus with her sons, bowing down and making a request of Him. 21 And He said to her, “What do you wish?” She said to Him, “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.” 22 But Jesus answered, “You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to Him, “We are able.” 23 He said to them, “My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.””


I. She wanted her sons to be a part of Jesus' kingdom.
     “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.”


II. She wanted her sons to be involved in the work of Jesus' kingdom.
     “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.”
     Luke 17:10, “So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.’”


III. She wanted something great for her sons.
     “Command that in Your kingdom these two sons of mine may sit one on Your right and one on Your left.”
     “”Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?” They said to Him, “We are able.” 23 He said to them, “My cup you shall drink; but to sit on My right and on My left, this is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by My Father.””


Conclusion:
     “I do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men” (Acts 24;16).


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Sunday Sermon Outline: Our Patient Faith

Jude 1:11-21
Our Patient Faith


Introduction:
     2 Corinthians 11:2-3, "I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy; for I betrothed you to one husband, that to Christ I might present you as a pure virgin. 3 But I am afraid, lest as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds should be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ."


     Jude 11-21, “Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. 12 These men are those who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever. 14 And about these also Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him." 16 These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage. 17 But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, 18 that they were saying to you, "In the last time there shall be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts." 19 These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit. 20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit; 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.”


I. Avoid Evil Examples v. 11
     “Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have rushed headlong into the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.”


     1 John 3:11-12, “For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; 12 not as Cain, who was of the evil one, and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother's were righteous.”
     2 Peter 2:15-16, “forsaking the right way they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness, 16 but he received a rebuke for his own transgression; for a dumb donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet.”
     1 Timothy 6:3-5, “If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing; but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, 5 and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.”


II. Beware of Deadly Disguises vs. 12-19
     “12 These men are those who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; 13 wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever. 14 And about these also Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, "Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him." 16 These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage. 17 But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, 18 that they were saying to you, "In the last time there shall be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts." 19 These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.”


     Ephesians 4:14, “We are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves, and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming.”


III. Concentrate on Bible Basics vs. 20-21
     “20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith; praying in the Holy Spirit; 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.”


     Jude 3-4, “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God into licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.”
     Colossians 2:6-8, “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.”
     Psalm 34:15-16, “The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous, And His ears are open to their cry. 16 The face of the LORD is against evildoers, To cut off the memory of them from the earth.”
     John 14:21, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will disclose Myself to him.”
     Luke 12:36-37, “Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. 37 Blessed are those slaves whom the master shall find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them.”
     Proverbs 10:7, “The memory of the righteous is blessed, But the name of the wicked will rot.”


Conclusion:
     1 John 3:10, “By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.” 


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Sunday Sermon Outline: A Plastic Fruit Generation

A Plastic Fruit Generation

Galatians 5:22-23, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”


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Sunday Sermon Outline: God's Conditional Love

“God’s Conditional Love”
John 14:21

Introduction: 2 Thessalonians 2:10; John 8:44

I. Avoid Worldly Definitions of Love
     John 3:1-3, “Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; 2 this man came to Him by night, and said to Him, "Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him." 3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."” 
     John 3:14-18, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through Him. 18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” 
     Numbers 21:5-9, “the people spoke against God and Moses, "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and we loathe this miserable food." 6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died. 7 So the people came to Moses and said, "We have sinned, because we have spoken against the LORD and you; intercede with the LORD, that He may remove the serpents from us." And Moses interceded for the people. 8 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a standard; and it shall come about, that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, he shall live." 9 And Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on the standard; and it came about, that if a serpent bit any man, when he looked to the bronze serpent, he lived.”

II. Notice the Godly Distinctions in Love
     Genesis 13:13, “the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the LORD.” 
     “Go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are exterminated” (1 Samuel 15:8).
     Exodus 20:3-6, “3 You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.” 
     Psalm 1, “How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, Nor stand in the path of sinners, Nor sit in the seat of scoffers! 2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. 3 And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season, And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers. 4 The wicked are not so, But they are like chaff which the wind drives away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, Nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the wicked will perish.”
     Psalm 11:5-7, “The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, And the one who loves violence His soul hates. 6 Upon the wicked He will rain snares; Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup. 7 For the LORD is righteous; He loves righteousness; The upright will behold His face.” 
     Proverbs 15:9, “The way of the wicked is an abomination to the LORD, But [God] loves [the one] who pursues righteousness.”
     Isaiah 1:27-28, “Zion will be redeemed with justice, And her repentant ones with righteousness. 28 But transgressors and sinners will be crushed together, And those who forsake the LORD shall come to an end.” 
     Hosea 9:15-17, “"All their evil is at Gilgal; Indeed, I came to hate them there! Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of My house! I will love them no more; All their princes are rebels. 16 Ephraim is stricken, their root is dried up, They will bear no fruit. Even though they bear children, I will slay the precious ones of their womb." 17 My God will cast them away Because they have not listened to Him; And they will be wanderers among the nations.”
     John 3:36, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
     John 15:9-10, “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love.” 
     John 17:8-9 (NIV), “For I gave them the words you gave me and they accepted them. They knew with certainty that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. 9 I pray for them. I am not praying for the world, but for those you have given me, for they are yours.”
     John 17:25-26, “O righteous Father, although the world has not known You, yet I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me; 26 and I have made Your name known to them, and will make it known; that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
     Hebrews 1:9, God “LOVED RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HATED LAWLESSNESS.” 
     Romans 10:12-13, “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him; 13 for "WHOEVER WILL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED."” 
     Revelation 3:9, “Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews, and are not, but lie-- behold, I will make them to come and bow down at your feet, and to know that I have loved you.” 

III. Recognize the Divine Demonstration of Love
     Romans 5:8-9, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.” 
     Romans 8:38-39, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” 
     John 14:21, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will disclose Myself to him.” 
     John 16:27, “the Father Himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came forth from the Father.” 
     Ephesians 2:1-7, “you were dead in your trespasses and sins, … 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places, in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” 
     Luke 15:10, “there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” 
     Romans 3:23-26, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 [but we are] justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.”

Conclusion: 1 Peter 2:16
     Jeremiah 23:1, “Woe to the shepherds who are destroying and scattering the sheep of my pasture!” 
     Jeremiah 23:16-18 (NIV), “This is what the LORD Almighty says: "Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD. 17 They keep saying to those who despise Me, 'The LORD says: You will have peace.' And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts they say, 'No harm will come to you.' 18 But which of them has stood in the council of the LORD to see or to hear His word? Who has listened and heard His word? "” 
     Jeremiah 23:21-22 (NIV), “I did not send these prophets, yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet they have prophesied. 22 But if they had stood in My council, they would have proclaimed My words to My people and would have turned them from their evil ways and from their evil deeds.”
     2 Thessalonians 1:7-10, “the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, 8 dealing out retribution to those who do not know God and to those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 And these will pay the penalty of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, 10 when He comes to be glorified in His saints on that day, …” 
     God “is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
     John 14:23, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him."


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Sunday Sermon Outline: John 21

New Love
John 21

Introduction: Matthew 4:18-20; 26:35; Mark 14:29; Luke 22:33; John 13:37; Mark 14:30-31, 66-72

John 21:1-14, “[21:1] After these things Jesus manifested Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and He manifested Himself in this way. [2] Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together. [3] Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will also come with you.” They went out and got into the boat; and that night they caught nothing. 
     [4] But when the day was now breaking, Jesus stood on the beach; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. [5] So Jesus said to them, “Children, you do not have any fish, do you?” They answered Him, “No.” [6] And He said to them, “Cast the net on the right-hand side of the boat and you will find a catch.” So they cast, and then they were not able to haul it in because of the great number of fish. [7] Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” So when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put his outer garment on (for he was stripped for work), and threw himself into the sea. [8] But the other disciples came in the little boat, for they were not far from the land, but about one hundred yards away, dragging the net full of fish. 
     [9] So when they got out on the land, they saw a charcoal fire already laid and fish placed on it, and bread. [10] Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish which you have now caught.” [11] Simon Peter went up and drew the net to land, full of large fish, a hundred and fifty-three; and although there were so many, the net was not torn. 
     [12] Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” None of the disciples ventured to question Him, “Who are You?” knowing that it was the Lord. [13] Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and the fish likewise. [14] This is now the third time that Jesus was manifested to the disciples, after He was raised from the dead.”


I. To love the Lord is to do what He commands. vs. 15-17
     “[15] So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.” [16] He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” [17] He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.”

1 Peter 1:6-9, 22-23


II. To love the Lord is to follow where He leads. vs. 18-23
     “[18] “Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to gird yourself and walk wherever you wished; but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will gird you, and bring you where you do not wish to go.” [19] Now this He said, signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me!”
     [20] Peter, turning around, saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them; the one who also had leaned back on His bosom at the supper and said, “Lord, who is the one who betrays You?” [21] So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?” [22] Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!” [23] Therefore this saying went out among the brethren that that disciple would not die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but only, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you?””

 John 13:36-38


Conclusion: Mark 12:30; 1 Peter 1:8-9; 3:15; Acts 5:40-42; 1 Peter 4:12, 16; 5:1-3; 1:6-7; 5:8-11


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Sunday Sermon Outline: John 15

“Eternal Position”
John 15

Introduction: Matthew 7:20


I. Abiding in Jesus vs. 1-8
     “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 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. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch, and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.”

Hebrews 12:11; 2 Timothy 2:19; John 12:46; Ephesians 5:8-9


II. Abiding in Love vs. 9-17
     “Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are My friends, if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you slaves, for the slave does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you. 17 This I command you, that you love one another.”

John 14:27; John 13:34


III. Abiding in Truth vs. 18-27
     “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, 'A slave is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know the One who sent Me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 He who hates Me hates My Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would not have sin; but now they have both seen and hated Me and My Father as well. 25 But they have done this in order that the word may be fulfilled that is written in their Law, 'THEY HATED ME WITHOUT A CAUSE.' 26 When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, He will bear witness of Me, 27 and you will bear witness also, because you have been with Me from the beginning.”

2 Timothy 3:12; Matthew 5:10-12; Acts 4:20


Conclusion: John 6:66-68


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Sunday Sermon Outline: 1 Thessalonians 3

“A Blameless Christian Life”
1 Thessalonians 3

I.  Enduring in Their Affliction vs. 1-5
     “Therefore when we could endure it no longer, we thought it best to be left behind at Athens alone, [2] and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's fellow worker in the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you as to your faith, [3] so that no one would be disturbed by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we have been destined for this. [4] For indeed when we were with you, we kept telling you in advance that we were going to suffer affliction; and so it came to pass, as you know. [5] For this reason, when I could endure it no longer, I also sent to find out about your faith, for fear that the tempter might have tempted you, and our labor would be in vain.”

Romans 5:3-5; 1 Thessalonians 2:14-15; John 15:18-21; 2 Thessalonians 1:4-9


II. Standing Firm in Their Faith vs. 6-10 
     “But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us good news of your faith and love, and that you always think kindly of us, longing to see us just as we also long to see you, [7] for this reason, brethren, in all our distress and affliction we were comforted about you through your faith; [8] for now we really live, if you stand firm in the Lord. [9] For what thanks can we render to God for you in return for all the joy with which we rejoice before our God on your account, [10] as we night and day keep praying most earnestly that we may see your face, and may complete what is lacking in your faith?” 

2 Corinthians 1:8-10; 1 Corinthians 16:13-14


III. Increasing in Their Love vs. 11-13 
     “Now may our God and Father Himself and Jesus our Lord direct our way to you; [12] and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you; [13] so that He may establish your hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints.” 

1 John 4:10-1; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15


Conclusion: Revelation 2:23


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Sunday Sermon Outline: Hosea 11

Hosea 11
“The Extending of Love”

Introduction: 1 Corinthians 10:11

I.   A Forgetful People  vs. 1-3
     “[11:1] When Israel was a youth I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son. [2] The more they called them, the more they went from them; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning incense to idols. [3] Yet it is I who taught Ephraim to walk, I took them in My arms; but they did not know that I healed them.”

Deuteronomy 10:22; Exodus 1:7; 2 Peter 3:9; Zechariah 7:12; Proverbs 8:20


II. A Wayward People  vs. 4-7
     “[4] I led them with cords of a man, with bonds of love, and I became to them as one who lifts the yoke from their jaws; and I bent down and fed them. [5] They will not return to the land of Egypt; but Assyria—he will be their king because they refused to return to Me. [6] The sword will whirl against their cities, and will demolish their gate bars and consume them because of their counsels. [7] So My people are bent on turning from Me. Though they call them to the One on high, none at all exalts Him.”

Jeremiah 7:24; Luke 15:11-32; Matthew 23:37


III. A Merciful God  vs. 8-9  
     “[8] How can I give you up, O Ephraim? How can I surrender you, O Israel? How can I make you like Admah? How can I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned over within Me, all My compassions are kindled. [9] I will not execute My fierce anger; I will not destroy Ephraim again. For I am God and not man, the Holy One in your midst, and I will not come in wrath.”

Deuteronomy 30:19; Psalm 78:38; Isaiah 55:8-9; Ezekiel 6:8; Isaiah 1:9


IV. A Repentant Remnant  vs. 10-12
     “[10] They will walk after the LORD, He will roar like a lion; Indeed He will roar and His sons will come trembling from the west. [11] They will come trembling like birds from Egypt and like doves from the land of Assyria; And I will settle them in their houses, declares the LORD. [12] Ephraim surrounds Me with lies and the house of Israel with deceit; Judah is also unruly against God, even against the Holy One who is faithful.”

Hosea 3:5; John 10:27-28; Hosea 7:11-12; Jeremiah 23:5-6; 32:37-38; 1 Peter 4:19; Hebrews 2:17; Romans 2:4; 11:5; Revelation 14:4


LISTEN TO AUDIO MESSAGE HERE

Sunday Sermon Outline: Hebrews 13:1-6

“Christ Will Change You!”
Hebrews 13:1-6

Introduction: Hebrews 10:20; 6:1; 2:3


1. Brotherly Love v. 1
    “Let love of the brethren continue.”


2. Hospitality v. 2
    “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.”

Luke 19; 1 Kings 17:20-23; Acts 10:8-23; 28:2-11; Genesis 18:2-10; 19:1-3; Judges 13:15-25


3. Sympathy v. 3
    “Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body.”

Romans 12:15


4. Purity v. 4
    “Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.”

Matthew 19:3-6


5. Contentment vs. 5
    “Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU, ...””

Philippians 4:11


Conclusion: Hebrews 13:6, “... so that we confidently say, “THE LORD IS MY HELPER, I WILL NOT BE AFRAID. WHAT WILL MAN DO TO ME?””


LISTEN TO AUDIO SERMON HERE

The love of God

There is much confusion that has been introduced by Satan into the modern church concerning the topic of God's love. First, it must be clearly understood about Satan that 1) he has rejected the love of God completely; and 2) his goal is to lead people away from such love, not toward it. Therefore, he is not a valid source of truth concerning love.

Also, it must be understood that no one is in a better position to explain the love of God than God Himself. Therefore, for men in their limited wisdom to offer spiritual sounding sayings like “God loves everyone,” “God loves everyone the same,” “God loves the sinner, but hates the sin” or to speak of “God's unconditional love” without providing a corresponding, “Thus saith the Lord,” is not only ignorance, but arrogance.

Quoted very quickly in defense of the “God loves everyone” scenario is John 3:16, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” Of all the words in that verse, the one chosen to emphasize is “so”? “God loved the world SOOOO much.”

Actually, the primary definition of the word so indicates manner, not magnitude. “God loved the world in this manner, He gave His only Son.” In other words, the verse describes HOW God demonstrated love to the world, not the degree to which He loved them.

One must also take the context of the passage into consideration. If “God loves everyone” (blanket statement) or if “God hates the sin, but loves the sinner” (separating the deed from the doer), then why is John 3:16 a conditional statement? If God loved the world SOOO much, then why did He make that love contingent upon believing in His Son? The implication of the verse is that those who do NOT believe in Jesus WILL perish, and will NOT have eternal life. So much for “unconditional love.”

But please, let's not settle for implication. Let's utilize what the Holy Spirit has recorded for us. I wonder how many of those who rest their case on John 3:16 even know what John 3:36 says. “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

Wait … what's that? Wrath? Not love? Yup, wrath. What else would you expect for those who reject His Son and side with His enemy, the devil. There is “enmity” (Genesis 3:15, hostility, hatred) between God and Satan, and between those who represent them. God does not want His creatures to perish in sin. He wants them to repent (2 Peter 3:9). Therefore, He showed His creatures the love that is available to them once they accept Christ.

Consider Romans 5:8, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Here, the Lord is showing sinful man what is available to them if they are willing to leave behind their sin and submit to His Son. And as Paul proceeds further in his argument, he reminds us that God is working! This special attention is not centered on all men, but “God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).

In fact, the love relationship that God offers is so strong that nothing can overcome it, yet again it is not available to those who reject His Son. The apostle writes, “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, [39] nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

Is this something new that the apostle is teaching, or is it exactly what Jesus taught? In John 14:21, Jesus said conditionally, “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” Likewise in John 14:23, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him.” The love of the Father is only shared with those who first prove to love His Son by means of submission and obedient service.

Other than being receptive to the cries of the penitent, there is no love relationship described in Scripture between the Lord and ungodly people. There is no truth to the statement that “God loves everyone the same.” Throughout the Scriptures, the Lord has shown Himself to discriminate on behalf of the righteous. Psalm 34:15-16 says, “The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and His ears are open to their cry. [16] The face of the LORD is against evildoers, to cut off the memory of them from the earth.”

A superior example of this is found within the account of the Exodus. Upon being removed from Egypt, the Hebrews were led directly to the edge of the promised land. The report of two spies in particular was favorable, “If the LORD is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us—a land which flows with milk and honey” (Numbers 14:8).

The Lord certainly was pleased … with two of them. Of the original generation removed from Egypt, only Joshua and Caleb were allowed to enter the promised land. The rest of them died in the wilderness because of their unbelief (Hebrews 3:19). “THEREFORE I WAS ANGRY WITH THIS GENERATION, AND SAID, ‘THEY ALWAYS GO ASTRAY IN THEIR HEART, AND THEY DID NOT KNOW MY WAYS’; [11] AS I SWORE IN MY WRATH, ‘THEY SHALL NOT ENTER MY REST’” (Hebrews 3:10-11).

Where was God's love for the Egyptians, or any other of the pagan peoples? Where was God's “unconditional love” in relation to His disobedient children? Doesn't God “hate the sin, but love the sinner”? No, He doesn't. There is no separation of the deed from the doer, because the heart controls the actions. “God hates the sin, but loves the sinner” is nothing more than an excuse to continue in sin. It is a rationalization for behavior that God abhors.

Consider Psalm 11:5-7, “The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, and the one who loves violence His soul hates. [6] Upon the wicked He will rain snares; Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup. [7] For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; The upright will behold His face.”

Consider Psalm 21:8-9, “Your hand will find out all your enemies; Your right hand will find out those who hate you. [9] You will make them as a fiery oven in the time of your anger; The LORD will swallow them up in His wrath, and fire will devour them.”
Consider Proverbs 6:16-19, “There are six things which the LORD hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to Him: [17] Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, [18] a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, [19] a false witness who utters lies, and one who spreads strife among brothers.”

"What? That's all Old Testament!"

You want a New Testament verse? Consider James 4:4-6, “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. [5] Or do you think that the Scripture speaks to no purpose: “He jealously desires the Spirit which He has made to dwell in us”? [6] But He gives a greater grace. Therefore it says, “GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.””
“Oh, but that's all about evil people!”

Hold on! I thought you said God's love was “unconditional”? I thought you said “God hates the sin, but loves the sinner”? I thought you said that “God loves everyone the same”?

In Hosea 9:15, God says of the tribe of Ephraim (descendants of righteous Joseph), “All their evil is at Gilgal; Indeed, I came to hate them there! Because of the wickedness of their deeds I will drive them out of My house! I will love them no more.”

Why would a God of love say such a thing? Because the God of mercy is also a God of justice. He will not provide one at the expense of the other. In love, He has provided a means to escape sin … but He will not force a person to enter into His love. If even His own people choose to reject Him, then He will reject them. “Thus they became unclean in their practices, and played the harlot in their deeds. [40] Therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against His people and He abhorred His inheritance” (Psalm 106:39-40).

Certainly that is tough language, but God doesn't do fake. He is a God of complete truth. Satan is the one who specializes in the lie … in manipulation … in hypocrisy. The teachings of the contemporary church demonstrate that they have been listening more to Satan than to God. On Sunday morning, they hug and greet one another … and by Monday morning, they stab one another in the back. They claim to be Christian, but produce little fruit that supports such a boast. They preach love and tolerance and acceptance … until you disagree with them, then they prove who really controls their heart.

Ultimately, that's what this is about … the heart. The love of God is on display for the entire sinful world to see, yet until it is received into a grateful and receptive heart it is of no value whatsoever. Thus Jesus says of those who wanted to kill Him, “You are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life” (John 5:40). “You do not have the love of God in yourselves” (John 5:42).

But those who have accepted the Son are different. They have seen the love that God offers, want it for themselves, and have taken the appropriate steps to receive that love into themselves. They have repented of their sins, expressed faith in Christ, confessed before men that He is exactly who He claimed to be, and have washed their sins away by being buried with Him in baptism.

Seeing such willing obedience, God has accepted their submission to His Son and placed within them His own Holy Spirit. NOW they are in a position to enjoy the full benefits of the conditional love of God. When we realized that our sin separated us from the Lord, we did something about it. We placed our hope completely in Christ Jesus … “and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:4).

Now, as the church, what message do we share with a sinful world? Do we go throughout the world preaching love? No, we preach Christ! If the message of the church is the “unconditional love of God,” then why didn't even one preacher in the book of Acts ever preach it? The word love isn't even found within the book of Acts, which is our sole record for the birth and growth of the early church. Why? Because the appropriate message to sinners is repentance. “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent” (Acts 17:30).

Once men repent and become Christians … once they become a part of the family of God … THEN they are in a position to experience the fullness of God's love, which is reserved for those who are “A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION” (1 Peter 2:9).

One final word of warning: The closer you draw to the Lord, the more Satan will work to draw you away from Him. He does not want you to experience real love, which is why he has flooded the churches with false doctrines of love based on the feelings of man rather than the facts of heaven. The result is corruption within the church. To one of the seven churches in the Revelation, Jesus says, “I have this against you, that you have left your first love” (Revelation 2:4).

That is the devil's goal … to get you to leave “the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Your goal is just the opposite … to “keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life” (Jude 21). Therefore, “Grace be with all those who love our Lord Jesus Christ with incorruptible love” (Ephesians 6:24).