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NEW LIFE COTR
Sunday February 23, 2007
JONAH
Jonah 1:1-17- Turn and Read
As you study the Bible you discover the nature of God. You learn the heart of God.
Ephesians 1:17-“I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
As you get to know God better there’s something you find out. Go is in God! God is always on the go!
Many people struggle with this issue and we shouldn’t. It’s settled in the heart of God and it should be in our as well.
Go is in God! God is always on the go!
Genesis 12:1- “The Lord said to Abram, Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to land I will show you.”
Exodus 3:10- “So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people the Israelites out of Egypt.”
Deuteronomy 1:21- “See, the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the Lord, the God of you fathers, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
Isaiah 6:8- “Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
Jeremiah 1:7- “But the Lord said to me, Do not say, I am only a child. You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you.”
Go is in God! God is always on the go!
Luke 10:3- “Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves.”
Matthew 28:19- “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
Mark 16:15- “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”
In Acts 16 Paul was told by the Spirit to not preach the gospel in the province of Asia (or told not to go) but that was only because God wanted him to go to Macedonia.
Go is in God. God is always on the go!
Therefore it’s not strange that God would tell Jonah, “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it…”
God is a speaking God! God wants to speak to each of us today. You can hear the voice of God through opening His Word.
THE WORD OF GOD WILL COME TO YOU TODAY!
You can be obedient or disobedient!
TRANSITION: But when the Word of God comes to you
I. GOD WILL OFTEN ASK YOU TO DO THINGS YOU DON’T WANT TO DO.
And many times we don’t want to do it because we think we know what’s best. We don’t obey because we think we know what’s best.
WHY DID JONAH DISOBEY?
Nineveh was the metropolis of the Assyrian monarchy. It was a great city, great in the number of the inhabitants, great in power and dominion. It was the city that for some time ruled the kings of the earth.
The Assyrian empire was so brutal and was feared by all. They would go in and kill all the people. Before they killed the women they would rape them.
They would rape and kill the children. Then they would take the husbands as prisoners of war and take them outside the city and then skin them alive.
Then they would bury them in the sand. Imagine that. Then they would pull their tongues out and drive a stake through their tongues into the ground. Can you see how brutal these people were?
Then after the people were dead they would cut their heads off and stack them in the form of pyramid outside the city so they could communicate to the world that this was a city they conquered.
Knowing this information may help you have a little mercy on Jonah. Jonah despised these people. Jonah had some legitimate reasons he didn’t want to obey God.
MAYBE YOU CAN RELATE!
The Word of the Lord will come to you clearly but in your mind your saying, “Okay I understand, but I don’t want to do it.”
Perhaps you can relate in some different ways.
Forgiving those God’s word clearly tells us to forgive. I know that’s what God wants me to do but I just can’t. I DON’T WANT TO DO IT!
How about tithing? The Bible is crystal clear that we should return to tithe to God as an act of worship. As an act of putting God first.
But we say, “I don’t want to. I like my things more than I want to obey God.”
I know what God says about sex outside of marriage but I don’t care what God says. I want to do this. It feels good! THERE’S A LITTLE JONAH IN ALL OF US!
Or, I’ll do it later. Delayed obedience is really disobedience.
***You can tell the maturity of the believer by the distance between the command and the obedience. The lag time.
TRANSITION: The Word of God comes to you and you don’t want to do it. When God speaks to you, and he will
II. YOU CAN ALWAYS FIND A BOAT SAILING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION
Jonah 1:3- Turn and read
God says, “Go to Nineveh,” and Jonah heads to Tarshish, 2500 miles in the opposite direction.
One commentator said that it would take about a year for Jonah to get to Tarshish. That’s a lot of running.
You of us may be able to relate to that. We’ve been running and we’re a long way from God.
The Word of the Lord has come to you and you’ve said no to God and you’ve went the other direction.
YOU CAN’T RUN FOREVER!
We stop going to church, we put down our bibles, we stop praying, all along we’re drifting from God.
When we disobey God we are drifting and separating ourselves from Him.
There’s a little bit of Jonah in all of us.
TRANSITION: The Word of the Lord comes to us. It may not be what we want to hear. When you run you will always find a boat going in the other direction. And while you’re running
III. GOD MAY SEND A STORM TO GRAB YOUR ATTENTION
Jonah 1:4-8- Turn and read
Evidently this was a big strong ship because it was carrying cargo.
Because of the storm the integrity of the ship was compromised. They threw some cargo off but that didn’t work.
They drew straws to find out who caused this. It was Jonah.
Verse 9- “He answered, I am a Hebrew and I worship the Lord, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the land.”
Do you really worship God Jonah?
This highlights one of the biggest problems in the Christian church in America.
A generation of Christians who say they are followers of Christ but don’t live like it at all!
It’s a cultural Christianity. It’s a Christianity in name only. We live like the sinner next to us.
A “consumerist” religion. As long as God does good things for me I’ll go to church and serve God.
Worshipping God is not something you do one day a week. It’s a lifestyle.
Jonah finally humbles himself and realizes, “hey this storm is my fault. I’m hurting all these innocent people because of my disobedience.
Verse 12- “Pick me up and throw me into the sea, he replied, and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.”
The sailors have mercy on Jonah and wanted to row him back to shore.
Verse 13(MSG)- “But no. The men tried rowing back to shore. They made no headway. The storm only got worse and worse, wild and raging.”
The Storm was Jonah’s greatest friend!
So they throw Jonah overboard. Then the sea gets completely calm,.
TRANSITION: God has something to say to you. It may not be what you want to hear. There’s always another boat going in the opposite direction. If you take this boat God may send a storm to grab your attention.
IV. JONAH’S WORST NIGHTMARE WAS EXACTLY WHAT HE NEEDED.
Verse 17- “But the Lord provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights.
Talk about a nightmare. But Jonah’s greatest nightmare was just what he needed.
“The Lord provided a great fish.”
Some of you may be facing your worst nightmare and your saying “I’m done.”
Now God says, “Okay, Now do I have your attention.”
I don’t believe that everything bad happening in your life is God. But I do believe there are times when God may cause or allow our worst nightmare so tat God can fully GET OUR ATTENTION!
Your worst nightmare is because God loves you and He has something for you to do.
Proverbs 14:12- “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.”
CONCLUSION: The storm and the fish was Jonah’s greatest friend at this time in his life.
God is speaking to you. He might be asking you to do something you don’t want to do. There’s always a ship going in the opposite direction. If God has to He’ll send a storm to get your attention. And your worst nightmare may be exactly what you need to get you headed in the right direction.
“God will never leave you or forsake you.”
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Jonah, Part 1 - Pastor Kenneth Woolf
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Big Church, Small Church - Pastor Kenneth Woolf
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NEW LIFE CHURCH ON THE ROCK
Sunday February 17, 20008
BIG CHURCH….SMALL CHURCH
INTRODUCTION: We want to be a Life-Giving Church. After the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 what we call the “Early Church” was birthed. We are going to take a look at the early church and discover a pattern we like to use for how we do church.
Acts 2:41-47- Turn and Read
Sounds exciting! Church should be the most exciting entity on earth.
But there is a key principal we need to understand.
Acts 20:20- Turn and Read
The Bible wants our church to do two things-they seem opposite.
WE BELIEVE OUR CHURCH MUST GROW LARGER AND SMALLER AT THE SAME TIME!
Today we’re going to talk about big church and small church and why both are important.
BIG CHURCH:
People who prefer small church usually say...
I. We need quality not quantity.
I say we can have both.
II. God isn’t interested in numbers.
God has the hairs of your head numbered. He knows when a sparrow falls to the ground.
If I lost one of my kids would I say well I’ve got the other one? 50% isn’t bad. No I care about every one of them!
Every number is a person, every person is a soul!
III. Big Church’s are impersonal.
Yes they can be. But I’ve seen and been a part of many smaller churches that are impersonal and unfriendly. THAT’S WHY THERE SAMLL!
They’ve bought Sea World and closed the gates and are watching the fish do tricks!
TRANSITION: Here’s the truth about Big Church and why God wants it big.
I. God wants everyone to be saved.
The church exists to fulfill the Great Commission of Jesus Christ!
Matthew 28:19,20- “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you to the very end of the age.”
Mark 16:15- “He said to them, God into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”
As long as there are lost people we have no choice. The Church isn’t here for just us. We must always make room for other people.
Luke 14:23(LB)-“Go out into the country…and urge anyone you find to come in, so that my house will be full.”
“But I like a small church.” If we don’t want our churches to grow we’re telling our neighbors and our city that they can go to hell.
Why does God want it big? God wants everyone to be saved.
II. There is strength in numbers.
There are so many things you can’t do small that you can do big!
You can accomplish something bigger than just yourself!
Ecclesiastes 4:12- “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
Here’s the third truth about big church.
III. We must make relationships a core value.
God doesn’t want churches to be impersonal but we must buy into this key principal.
1Thessalonians 2:8- “We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.”
TRANSITION: God wants everyone to be saved. There is strength in numbers. We must make relationships our core value. THAT’S BIG CHURCH!
SMALL CHURCH
Big churches can be very effective-But it’s not all about being big. God also wants the church to be small.
How is that accomplished? SMALL GROUPS!
Many people don’t want to be part of a small group. Here’s what they say.
….IT’S A WASTE OF TIME.
I don’t need another thing to do.
…IT’S NOT WHAT I WANT OR NEED.
I want to be with my friends doing what I like.
…IT’S AWKWARD
We sit in a room and everybody holds hands and I’m asked to share my darkest secrets.
HERE’S THE TRUTH ABOUT SMALL CHURCH
I. IT’S A PLACE YOU CAN REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE
It’s not a waste of time. Some people will never come to a church service but they’ll attend a small group.
It’s a way to reach people and teach people.
1Corinthians 9:22(LB)- “…yes, whatever a person is like, I try to find common ground with him so he will let me tell him about Christ and let Christ save him.”
II. IT’S A PLACE YOU CAN GROW
All of us need to grow in our in an area.
Proverbs 27:17- “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.”
III. IT’S A PLACE WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME
Remember the words to the “Cheers” theme song?
“Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got. Taking a break from all your worries sure would help a lot. Wouldn’t you like to get away? Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name and they’re always glad you came. You want to be where you can see our troubles are all the same. You want to go where everybody knows your name.”
That should be church, not a bar!
In small groups you can be prayed for by name every week. Develop relationships that help you in a crisis.
1John 3:16(NLT)- “We know what real love is because Christ gave up His life for us. And so we also ought to give up our lives for our Christian brothers and sisters.”
CONCLUSION: Now –if you’re perfect and have it all together-we’re probably not for you.
If you have a few hang-ups. If you have a few loose screws. If you’d have a past you’ve like to get rid of.
THIS IS THE PERFECT PLACE FOR YOU!
Today I encourage you to be part of Big Church, Small Church.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Why Tithe - Pastor Kenneth Woolf
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New Life COTR
Sunday February 10, 2008
FIRST THINGS FIRST
“Why Tithe”
INTRODUCTION: Today it is my goal to convince you to tithe. Tithing is for your benefit.
Malachi 3:6-12- Turn and Read
If you don’t tithe you are under a curse. I believe tithing is for your good.
If I found a cure for cancer would you want me to share that with you?
GOD SAID: “I THE LORD DO NOT CHANGE.”
The Immutability of God- “I do not change.” The reason God can’t change is because He’s already perfect. If God could change He could get better. You can’t improve on perfection.
If God said 3000 years ago, “I’m 6’0” tall would He still be 6’0” tall today?
3000 years ago God said “The tithe belongs to Me.” Does it still belong to God today? YES! He can’t change!
God makes statements that are related to His person, to who He is. It’s a principle with God that He’ll always be first! He can never be second.
The tithe falls under this principle. It’s an ordinance of the Bible. Tithe was before and after the law.
Here’s what God is saying, “The tithe tells me something about you.”
TRANSITION: Four things about tithing today.
I. TITHING IS A TEST
Tithing is a test of your heart.
Why would we ever argue about being blessed? God says, “I’ll open up the windows of heaven and pour out a blessing there’s not room enough to receive.”
And we argue about that. Why would we argue? It’s the devil!
TITHING IS A TEST OF THE HEART.
Matthew 6:21- “For where your treasure is there your heart will be also.”
Matthew 15:8- “These people honor me with there lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
They say they love me, but they don’t honor me!
If you put your treasure in the house of God, your heart will be there.
TITHE MEANS TENTH AND THE NUMBER TEN REPRESENTS TESTING IN THE BIBLE.
1. How many plagues were in Egypt? (God tested Pharoahs heart.)
2. How many commandments did God give Moses?
3. How many times did God test Israel in the wilderness?
4. How many times were Jacobs wages changed?
5. How many days was Daniel tested in Daniel chapter 1?
6. How many virgins were tested in Matthew 25?
7. How many days was the church in Revelation 2:10 tested?
THE NUMBER 10 REPRSENTS TESTING. EVERY TIME YOU GET PAID YOU’RE TESTED!
Some of you are failing that test and the Bible says you’re cursed!
I thought Jesus bore the curses on the cross?
Did Jesus bare sin on the cross? Do you still sin?
Did Jesus bare sickness on the cross? Do you still get sick?
You must appropriate what Jesus did on the cross to receive the benefit of it.
TRANSITION: WHY TITHE? Tithing is a test of our hearts.
II. TITHING IS BIBLICAL
Many people don’t tithe because they don’t believe it’s in the Bible.
Genesis 14:18-20- Turn and read
This is 500 years before the law.
Abraham represents our Spiritual Father and Melchizedek represents Jesus.
Genesis 28:22- “and this stone that I have set up as a pillar will be God’s house, and of all that you give me I will give you a tenth.”
400 years before the law our Spiritual Fathers tithed. Why? Because it was a principal.
Leviticus 27:30- “A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.”
Deuteronomy 26:1,2,12-15
Take your tithe with you to a place of worship.
I’ve taken the Holy tithe from my house and I’ve brought it to your house. I’ve not done anything else with it.
I didn’t send it to a TV ministry, a missionary. I didn’t pay my bills with it or pay the kids Christian school tuition.
I BROUGHT IT TO YOUR HOUSE!
The tithe goes into the storehouse. The place God has chosen to make His name abide. This is a principle all through scripture of the place the tithe is supposed to go!
I haven’t given it to a charity, it goes to the house of God!
The Biblical principle is 10% to the house of God.
Matthew 23:23 Turn and Read (A NEW TESTAMENT PASSAGE)
Hebrews 7:1-10- Turn and Read
When I give I’m not giving to man but to God!
TRANSITION: Why Tithe? Tithing is a test. Tithing is biblical.
III. TITHING IS A BENEFIT
2Chronicles 31:4-10 (MESSAGE TRANSLATION)
When they began to tithe, God blessed them.
Tithing is a benefit.
TRANSITION: Tithing is a test. Tithing is Biblical. Tithing is a Benefit.
IV. TITHING IS AN EXPRESSION OF LOVE
Do your actions back up your words?
Matthew 15:8- “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.”
Matthew 6:21- “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
What if I told my wife I loved her but everything I have is mine and she can’t have any?
You’d call me a hypocrite.
Tithing is an expression of my love. Tithing is personal to God!
ILLUSTRATION: I’m going away and I want three people to care for my wife. My bride.
Jesus said: “I’m going away. Take care of my wife.” Doesn’t the Bible refer to the church as the Bride of Christ.”
CONCLUSION: This is personal to Jesus. Every time you get paid you’re telling Jesus just how much you love Him. You respect Him. You love His bride.
WHY TITHE? (1) Because it’s a test (2) Because it’s Biblical (3) Because it’s a benefit. (4) Because it’s an expression of your love to God.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
The Place of Prayer - Pastor Kenneth Woolf
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New Life COTR
Sunday February 3, 2008
FIRST THINGS FIRST
“The Place of Prayer”
Matthew 6:5-8- Turn and Read
WHEN YOU PRAY!
You will never put God first in your life until you put prayer first in your life.
Make prayer a priority. A set time and a set place. NOT PRAYER ON THE GO!
If we don’t have the time and decency to stop everything and pray and seek God I’m not sure we’re putting God first in our life.
If we’re to busy to go into a room and pray, we’re in trouble.
When the church began to grow in the Book of Acts it got very busy.
People began to say to the disciples, “you need to spend more time doing busy things.
Acts 6:1-4- Turn and Read
The Disciples said “we must give ourselves to prayer and ministry of the Word.”
Prayer was first!
What brings the unction and anointing? Prayer!
Without prayer you will live a dry boring life.
The enemy has deceived us into thinking that prayer is boring. SPENDING TIME WITH GOD IS BORING!
If you think prayer is boring it’s only because you don’t do it.
Mark 14:23- “After He had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone,”
Luke 5:16- “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”
Luke 6:12- “One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.”
If Jesus needed to pray while on earth, do you think you might need to?
Mark 1:35- “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.”
RISING EARLY TO PRAY! Would it be worth your time to begin your day with God?
First things First!
HOW DO YOU PRAY?
In Matthew 6 Jesus tells us how to pray. He gives us a contextual model of prayer.
Matthew 6:9-13- Turn and Read
TRANSITION: How do you pray?
I. PRAISE-(Verse 9)
If you want to have an audience with God, PRAISE HIM!
Psalm 100:4- “Enter His gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise His name.”
II. PERMISSION-(verse 10)
God, what are you permitting in my life? God I can’t make it through the day without you!
“I DELIGHT TO DO YOUR WILL O GOD!”
III. PROVISION-(verse 11)
We get angry at God for not answering a prayer we didn’t pray
Matthew 6:31-34,
Matthew 6:8- “Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.”
BUT WE MUST ASK
IV. PEACE-(verse 12)
Peace with God and peace with others.
1John 1:9- “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all righteousness.”
V. PROTECTION-(verse 13)
“Lead us not into temptation.”
Ephesians 6:18- “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.”
Praying in the Spirit is part of our warfare everyday.
WE NEED TO PRAY EVERYDAY.
Matthew 26:41- “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
You guys are going to fall, close the door on temptation through prayer.
CONCLUSION: THE BEST THING ABOUT PRAYER!
WHERE DOES THE FATHER LIVE? In your house, in a room behind a door. I wonder how many are to busy to spend time with the Father. We wonder why we can’t overcome. THE BEST THING ABOUT PRAYER IS NOT WHAT YOU TALK ABOUT BUT WHO YOU SPEND TIME WITH!
