Showing posts with label Wednesday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wednesday. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Why Tithe - Pastor Kenneth Woolf
Download MP3 audio
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.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
The Authority of Scripture: Outside Evidences - Chris Isaac
Download MP3 audio
The Authority of Scripture
Matt 7:24-27
24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
(NIV)
Introduction
A) Finding the Rock series
1) We’ve talked about Salvation by Grace
2) Then we spent the last four Wednesdays on the Lordship of Christ
3) This week and next we will be on the Authority of Scripture
B) The Purpose of this series
1) Is not just to teach you what we believe here at New Life
2) But why we believe
3) You should know that we Believe the Bible to be the word of God
4) But why do we believe this? That’s what we want to discuss tonight
C) I’m going to approach this on two levels over the next two weeks
1) I’m going to give you both knowledge and wisdom
2) Knowledge is simple facts and information
3) Wisdom is applying that knowledge
4) Example of Joseph interpreting Pharaoh’s dream
5) Tonight I am going to give you knowledge, and next week wisdom
D) Understand that the Bible is under attack
1) The enemy is constantly attacking the Word of God
2) It began in the Garden of Eden and continues to this day.
3) But his attacks on the Bible are his most subtle of attacks, why
(a) He understands the potency of the Word of God
(b) Far more intimately than you or I
4) The Word of God is the thing Satan fears most
(a) He is not afraid of your salvation, because it can’t hurt him
(b) In our spiritual armor described in Ephesians, the Word of God is the only offensive item, all the rest are defensive
Heb 4:12
12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (NIV)
5) Now we said that Satan first attacked the Word of God in the Garden, and I want to look at that attack tonight
(a) And key in on just how the enemy attacks the Authority of God’s Word
Gen 3:1-5
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,
3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'"
4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman.
5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (NIV)
6) Notice there were three attacks Satan made
(a) Raised doubt as to the accuracy of the word
Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
(b) Rejected the truth of the word
"You will not surely die,"
(c) Replaced the word
"For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
(d) These are the same attacks, Satan is making today against the Word of God
(e) Satan’s goal in all this is to get you make your own decisions, based upon your knowledge, not God’s
7) This is the error of Noah’s generation
(a) Every man did what was right in his own eyes
(b) And this is where we are heading today
(c) How often have we heard it said what someone does in the privacy of their own home is their own affair
(d) Or what two consenting adults do in private
(e) Now I’m not saying we should be legislating morality, but in our own lives we need to not be determining right and wrong based upon what we think or feel.
I) Raised Doubt as to the accuracy of the word
A) In Today’s sophisticated society the first attack of the enemy on the Word of God is to question the accuracy of scripture
B) Inerrancy
1) Inerrancy is defined as lack of error; infallibility; the belief that the Bible is free from error in matters of science as well as those of faith.
2) The concept of inerrancy has been around since Moses first wrote the Pentateuch 3500 years ago
3) The importance of inerrancy cannot be overstated
(a) The Bible is our tangible source for understanding who God is
(b) If any part of it is inaccurate, then we are left to wonder which parts are true, and which are incorrect.
4) Today most evangelical churches support the position put forth in the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy.
(a) This was agreed upon by most major conservative denominations at a convention in 1978
(b) It states that the Bible is inerrant in its original manuscript.
5) This inerrancy will cover not only faith based issues, but also historical, geographical and scientific issues.
(a) History: example of the Hittites
(b) Geography: archeological discovery of the location of Sodom and Gomorrah
(c) Science: Joshua’s sun standing still recorded by the Babylonians
(d) Also consider the flood
(i) Appears in almost every major form of mythology
(ii) When they dig deep enough archeologist and geologist constantly find evidence of a cataclysmic flood in the layers of the earth.
6) Has every part of the Bible been proven true
(a) No, but they continue to be
(b) But scientist have yet to disprove anything mentioned in scripture
C) The History of the Bible
1) Canonization of Scripture
(a) The Bible was written over a span of roughly 1500 years
(i) During that time many books were written, but not all were included in the cannon of scripture
(ii) To be canonized did not make a book or letter “divinely inspired, it simply recognized the pre-established fact.
(b) To be canonized a book had to meet certain criteria
(i) It was written by a man of God
• The author was recognized by his peers
• He was confirmed by an act of God
• The author was not a false prophet
(ii) The book was divinely inspirational
• It told the truth about God
• It had the power to sanctify and edify
(iii) The book was timeless
• It had to be immediately accepted by the people of the time
• Its message had to have the same relevance 1000 years later.
(c) Let me show you how this played out in the New Testament
(i) The First century church was constantly quoting the books that would eventually form the Bible.
(ii) Why
• Because they were written by men of God
• Because they were recognized as being divinely inspired
• Because they were relevant long after the books were written.
(iii) In fact the early church quoted so much from these books, that if we were to loose every single manuscript and copy of the Bible today, we could still reconstruct the bible based solely upon the quotations made by the early church.
(iv) Every verse in the Bible is recorded in a quotation by the early church, save 11 verses.
2) The issue of inerrancy is based upon the original manuscripts
(a) The problem we have is that the original manuscripts are no longer with us
(b) This is probably a good thing
(i) since if they existed today we would probably see a lot of worshiping of the manuscripts as opposed to worshiping of God
(ii) this already takes place with things like the shroud of Turin
(iii) Was a problem in the old testament with the bronze serpent Aaron made in the wilderness
(c) The question we then have to ask is: How does the Bible we are reading today compare to the original manuscript.
3) Comparing the manuscript
(a) The last book of the Old Testament was written around 400 BC
(b) Until 1945 the earliest manuscript was dated from 900 AD
(c) This left a gap of 1300 years.
(d) This gap was the subject of much debate regarding the accuracy of the Bible.
(e) In 1946 the Dead Sea Scrolls were found
(i) These were a series of scrolls, manuscripts and letters from the Bible as well as other historical notes
(ii) They were dated as being from 100 BC to 100 AD
(f) This cut the gap from 1300 years to 200 years, big difference
4) Comparing these scrolls to our present Bible revealed a mathematical accuracy of 98.83%
5) Of these almost all differences were grammatical or spelling related, and nothing was found to change or challenge the meaning of any passage or doctrine.
D) Lets compare this to other works of history
Author Title Written Earliest Gap # Copies
Caesar Gallic Wars 74 BC 900 AD 974 10
Plato Tetralogies 410 BC 900 AD 1310 7
Tracitus History Books 100 AD 1000 AD 900 1
Herodotus History 450 BC 900 AD 1350 8
Aristotle Poetics 352 BC 1000 AD 1352 5
Pay particular attention to the number of copies. This can be compared to the 5300 Biblical manuscripts
If you walked into any secular college class on English Literature and asked the professor whether or not these classical documents are the same as the original, the reply would always be affirmative.
Yet when asked to apply the same principles for evaluation to the reliability of the Biblical documents and the response would be antagonistic and skeptical
Why…
Because the enemy wants to make you question the Word of God as his first attack.
The Authority of Scripture
Matt 7:24-27
24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.
25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.
27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."
(NIV)
Introduction
A) Finding the Rock series
1) We’ve talked about Salvation by Grace
2) Then we spent the last four Wednesdays on the Lordship of Christ
3) This week and next we will be on the Authority of Scripture
B) The Purpose of this series
1) Is not just to teach you what we believe here at New Life
2) But why we believe
3) You should know that we Believe the Bible to be the word of God
4) But why do we believe this? That’s what we want to discuss tonight
C) I’m going to approach this on two levels over the next two weeks
1) I’m going to give you both knowledge and wisdom
2) Knowledge is simple facts and information
3) Wisdom is applying that knowledge
4) Example of Joseph interpreting Pharaoh’s dream
5) Tonight I am going to give you knowledge, and next week wisdom
D) Understand that the Bible is under attack
1) The enemy is constantly attacking the Word of God
2) It began in the Garden of Eden and continues to this day.
3) But his attacks on the Bible are his most subtle of attacks, why
(a) He understands the potency of the Word of God
(b) Far more intimately than you or I
4) The Word of God is the thing Satan fears most
(a) He is not afraid of your salvation, because it can’t hurt him
(b) In our spiritual armor described in Ephesians, the Word of God is the only offensive item, all the rest are defensive
Heb 4:12
12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (NIV)
5) Now we said that Satan first attacked the Word of God in the Garden, and I want to look at that attack tonight
(a) And key in on just how the enemy attacks the Authority of God’s Word
Gen 3:1-5
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, "Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
2 The woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,
3 but God did say, 'You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'"
4 "You will not surely die," the serpent said to the woman.
5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (NIV)
6) Notice there were three attacks Satan made
(a) Raised doubt as to the accuracy of the word
Did God really say, 'You must not eat from any tree in the garden'?"
(b) Rejected the truth of the word
"You will not surely die,"
(c) Replaced the word
"For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
(d) These are the same attacks, Satan is making today against the Word of God
(e) Satan’s goal in all this is to get you make your own decisions, based upon your knowledge, not God’s
7) This is the error of Noah’s generation
(a) Every man did what was right in his own eyes
(b) And this is where we are heading today
(c) How often have we heard it said what someone does in the privacy of their own home is their own affair
(d) Or what two consenting adults do in private
(e) Now I’m not saying we should be legislating morality, but in our own lives we need to not be determining right and wrong based upon what we think or feel.
I) Raised Doubt as to the accuracy of the word
A) In Today’s sophisticated society the first attack of the enemy on the Word of God is to question the accuracy of scripture
B) Inerrancy
1) Inerrancy is defined as lack of error; infallibility; the belief that the Bible is free from error in matters of science as well as those of faith.
2) The concept of inerrancy has been around since Moses first wrote the Pentateuch 3500 years ago
3) The importance of inerrancy cannot be overstated
(a) The Bible is our tangible source for understanding who God is
(b) If any part of it is inaccurate, then we are left to wonder which parts are true, and which are incorrect.
4) Today most evangelical churches support the position put forth in the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy.
(a) This was agreed upon by most major conservative denominations at a convention in 1978
(b) It states that the Bible is inerrant in its original manuscript.
5) This inerrancy will cover not only faith based issues, but also historical, geographical and scientific issues.
(a) History: example of the Hittites
(b) Geography: archeological discovery of the location of Sodom and Gomorrah
(c) Science: Joshua’s sun standing still recorded by the Babylonians
(d) Also consider the flood
(i) Appears in almost every major form of mythology
(ii) When they dig deep enough archeologist and geologist constantly find evidence of a cataclysmic flood in the layers of the earth.
6) Has every part of the Bible been proven true
(a) No, but they continue to be
(b) But scientist have yet to disprove anything mentioned in scripture
C) The History of the Bible
1) Canonization of Scripture
(a) The Bible was written over a span of roughly 1500 years
(i) During that time many books were written, but not all were included in the cannon of scripture
(ii) To be canonized did not make a book or letter “divinely inspired, it simply recognized the pre-established fact.
(b) To be canonized a book had to meet certain criteria
(i) It was written by a man of God
• The author was recognized by his peers
• He was confirmed by an act of God
• The author was not a false prophet
(ii) The book was divinely inspirational
• It told the truth about God
• It had the power to sanctify and edify
(iii) The book was timeless
• It had to be immediately accepted by the people of the time
• Its message had to have the same relevance 1000 years later.
(c) Let me show you how this played out in the New Testament
(i) The First century church was constantly quoting the books that would eventually form the Bible.
(ii) Why
• Because they were written by men of God
• Because they were recognized as being divinely inspired
• Because they were relevant long after the books were written.
(iii) In fact the early church quoted so much from these books, that if we were to loose every single manuscript and copy of the Bible today, we could still reconstruct the bible based solely upon the quotations made by the early church.
(iv) Every verse in the Bible is recorded in a quotation by the early church, save 11 verses.
2) The issue of inerrancy is based upon the original manuscripts
(a) The problem we have is that the original manuscripts are no longer with us
(b) This is probably a good thing
(i) since if they existed today we would probably see a lot of worshiping of the manuscripts as opposed to worshiping of God
(ii) this already takes place with things like the shroud of Turin
(iii) Was a problem in the old testament with the bronze serpent Aaron made in the wilderness
(c) The question we then have to ask is: How does the Bible we are reading today compare to the original manuscript.
3) Comparing the manuscript
(a) The last book of the Old Testament was written around 400 BC
(b) Until 1945 the earliest manuscript was dated from 900 AD
(c) This left a gap of 1300 years.
(d) This gap was the subject of much debate regarding the accuracy of the Bible.
(e) In 1946 the Dead Sea Scrolls were found
(i) These were a series of scrolls, manuscripts and letters from the Bible as well as other historical notes
(ii) They were dated as being from 100 BC to 100 AD
(f) This cut the gap from 1300 years to 200 years, big difference
4) Comparing these scrolls to our present Bible revealed a mathematical accuracy of 98.83%
5) Of these almost all differences were grammatical or spelling related, and nothing was found to change or challenge the meaning of any passage or doctrine.
D) Lets compare this to other works of history
Author Title Written Earliest Gap # Copies
Caesar Gallic Wars 74 BC 900 AD 974 10
Plato Tetralogies 410 BC 900 AD 1310 7
Tracitus History Books 100 AD 1000 AD 900 1
Herodotus History 450 BC 900 AD 1350 8
Aristotle Poetics 352 BC 1000 AD 1352 5
Pay particular attention to the number of copies. This can be compared to the 5300 Biblical manuscripts
If you walked into any secular college class on English Literature and asked the professor whether or not these classical documents are the same as the original, the reply would always be affirmative.
Yet when asked to apply the same principles for evaluation to the reliability of the Biblical documents and the response would be antagonistic and skeptical
Why…
Because the enemy wants to make you question the Word of God as his first attack.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Salvation by Grace - Pastor Kenneth Woolf
Download MP3 audio
Copies of the "Finding the Rock" study guide can be obtained for free from the church office. Call (409) 769-0628 for details.
Thursday, September 20, 2007
God is on Your Side - Pastor Kenneth Woolf
Download MP3 audio
New Life COTR Wednesday September 19, 2007
“GOD IS ON YOUR SIDE”
INTRODUCTION: Next week we’ll begin “Finding The Rock” a study in the doctrines we believe at New Life COTR. It will be fun and informative.
1Timothy 4:16- “Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
Titus 1:9- “He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.”
Titus 2:1- “You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.”
Sound- to be healthy
2Timothy 4:3- “For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”
GOD IS ON YOUR SIDE
Psalm 118:6,7- “The Lord is with me I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The Lord is with me; he is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies.”
Is this the confession from your mouth? Is this the declaration from your heart?
Proverbs 18:20,21- “From the fruit of his mouth a man’s stomach is filled; with the harvest from his lips he is satisfied. The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
FIVE DECLARATIONS THAT PROVE GOD IS ON YOUR SIDE
1. God is for us and can take any situation in our life and turn it around for good!
Romans 8:28- “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
a). Love God
b). Allow your life to come along side God’s purposes for your life.
c). You need to know
Ephesians 1:11- “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.”
Philippians 2:13- “for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.”
God is for us and can take any situation in our life and turn it around for good!
2. God is for you and He has predestined you for greatness.
Romans 8:29,30- “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.”
Predestined- to decide beforehand
Called- invite, summon. The authority of the speaker dictates the nature of the calling.
justified- vindicate, declare righteous, to put someone in proper relationship with another, usually referring to God’s relationship to humankind, implying a proper legal or moral relationship.
Glorified- to glorify, give praise or honor.
Verse 30 (AMP)- “And those whom He thus foreordained, He also called, He also justified (acquitted, made righteous, putting them into right standing with Himself). And those whom He justified, He also glorified [raising them to a heavenly dignity and condition or state of being.]”
Ephesians 2:6,7- “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. In order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”
God is for you and he has predestined you for greatness.
3. God is for us and He will freely give us all things.
Romans 8:31,32- What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all-how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things.”
a). GOD IS GOING TO DO SOMETHING GOOD FOR YOU!!! BECAUSE JESUS IS WORTHY!
Psalm 84:11- “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.”
Psalms 34:10- “The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.”
Matthew 7:7-12- Turn and Read
God is for us and He will freely give us all things.
4. God is for us and He will not allow anyone to condemn you.
Romans 8:33,34- “Who will bring any charge against those God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus who died-more than that, who was raised to life-is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”
1John 2:1,2- “My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense-Jesus Christ the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”
Through Jesus Christ we have been called, justified and glorified.
God is for us and He will freely give us all things.
5. God is for us and He will not allow anyone to separate you from the love of God.
Romans 8:35-39- Turn and Read
2Corinthians 5:14,15- For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”
God is for us and He will not allow anyone to separate you from the love of God.
CONCLUSION: God is on your side. Make these and other scriptures the declaration of your heart.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Overcoming Discouragement in Ministry - Pastor Kenneth Woolf
Download MP3 audio
New Life COTR Wednesday September 12, 2007
Overcoming Discouragement in Ministry
INTRODUCTION: In life and especially in ministry there arises the opportunity from time to time to get discouraged. If discouragement takes root in our life it can lead to depression.
Discouragement is a reality of life. We’re all flesh and blood and have to fight discouragement.
2Corinthians 1:8- “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.”
Despair- To be overcome by a sense of futility or defeat. Utter lack of hope. Something that destroys all hope.
1Samuel 30:1-6 Turn and Read
The Bible says that David was greatly distressed. Talk about discouragement.
Many times circumstances and situations present to us the opportunity to get discouraged and depressed.
FOUR MAIN CAUSES OF DISCOURAGEMENT AND DEPRESSION
1. Unfulfilled expectations.
The passing of time works against hope and faith in your life.
Proverbs 13:12- “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”
Many times we loose hope and when we loose hope we loose faith.
Have you ever heard this phrase? “Don’t get your hopes up.” If your hope is not up your faith is not up!
Hebrews 11:1- “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
Unfulfilled expectations can cause discouragement.
2. Attacks of the enemy.
Attacks of the enemy can cause you to loose hope.
Luke 22:31-32(AMP)- “Simon, Simon (Peter), listen! Satan has asked excessively that [all of] you be given up to him [out of the power and keeping of God], that he might sift [all of] you like grain. But I have prayed especially for you [Peter], that your [own] faith may not fail; and when you yourself have turned again, strengthen and establish your brethren.”
Jesus tells Peter, “I’m going to pray for you not to loose hope.”
Attacks of the enemy can cause us to loose hope and get discouraged.
Ephesians 6:12,16- “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.”
Attacks of the enemy can cause you to become discouraged.
3. Financial Setbacks
1Kings 17:12-16- Turn and Read
Financial setbacks can cause discouragement.
Philippians 4:14-19- Turn and Read
4. The loss of someone close to you.
Deuteronomy 34:8- “The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning was over.”
Grieved – to weep, wail, cry, sob, mourn.
FOUR CURES FOR DISCOURGEMENT
1. Do not compare yourself to your problem or enemy but compare your enemy to your God.
Psalm 27:1-3 Turn and Read
2. Go to the secret place of God.
Everyone needs a secret place.
Psalm 27:4,5- Turn and Read
Psalm 32:7- “You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance.”
Psalm 91:1(KJV)- “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the almighty.”
3. Offer up a Sacrifice of Praise
Psalm 27:6- “Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me; at his tabernacle will I sacrifice with shouts of joy; I will sing and make music to the Lord.”
God inhabits the praises of His people.
It’s your responsibility to offer up a sacrifice of praise.
Hebrews 13:15- “Through Jesus therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise-the fruit of lips that confess his name.”
1Peter 2:9- “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
4. Wait in faith on the Lord
Psalm 27:13,14 Turn and Read
Isaiah 40:28-31 Turn and Read
CONCLUSION: 1. Compare your enemy to your God. 2. Go to the secret place of God. 3. Offer up a sacrifice of praise. 4. Wait in faith on the Lord
1Samuel 30:6- “David was greatly distressed because the men were talking of stoning him; each one was bitter in spirit because of his sons and daughters. But David found strength in the Lord his God.”
2Corinthians 1:9,10- “Indeed in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and He will deliver us. On Him we have set our hope, that he will continue to deliver us.”
Wednesday, September 5, 2007
Disqualified From Ministry - Pastor Kenneth Woolf
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New Life COTR Wednesday September 5, 2007
DISQUALIFIED FROM MINISTRY
INTRODUCTION: God wants to use you. God wants you to finish well in your life and ministry. God wants you to be successful. These are the thoughts we need to think on.
“If God is for us, who can be against us.” “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.”
Luke 10:2- “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into the harvest field.”
In the Bible we see many examples of people that God used. Even people that experienced failures in their lives.
Abraham lied. Moses was a murderer. Noah got drunk. David committed adultery. God used a harlot to hide the spies Joshua sent into the Promised Land. Peter denied Christ and was still used by God. Paul persecuted the church.
After all the bible is all about the fall and redemption of man.
Yet in 1Samuel 15 we read about King Saul who was disqualified from ministry. He was removed from being King. This is something rare we read about in the Bible.
THERE ARE THINGS THAT CAN DISQUALIFY US FROM MINISTRY!
God took Saul out of the ministry for many reasons. Many people think it was just disobedience but the disobedience was just the straw that broke the camels back.
TEN THINGS THAT CAN DISQUALIFY US FROM MINISTRY
1Samuel 15:1-9 Turn and Read
1. You do not fully obey God. (verses 10,11)
Obedience is huge with God. Obedience reveals our commitment to Lordship!
2. When it starts being more about you than the Lord. (verse 12)
LOOK WHAT I’VE ACCOMPLISHED!
3. When you begin to blame others for your own failures. (verse 15)
Displaced responsibility.
4. When you forget where your power and authority come from. (verse 17)
Pride is a key issue with leaders.
5. When you don’t complete your mission. (verse 18)
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel.” This is our mission. What is a church? Why are we still here? Because we have a mission! I longer have a life but I have a mission!
6. When you’re blinded by materialism. (verse 19)
The story of the rich young ruler.
7. When you try to justify your disobedient actions. (verse 20)
I HAD MY REASONS! I KNOW BETTER THAN GOD!
8. When you substitute outward religious activities rather than obeying God’s voice. (verse 21,22)
No sacrifice is greater than obeying God’s voice.
9. When you get into rebellion. (verse 23)
Manipulating events to get what you want instead of what God says.
10. When you fear the people more than you fear God. (verse 24)
We must have the proper fear of God in our hearts.
Proverbs 1:7- “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.”
THREE THINGS TO DO TO TURN IT AROUND
1. An Honest Evaluation
2Corinthians 13:5- “Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith….”
2. Experience Genuine Repentance
Saul simply asked God to pardon his sins. It wasn’t in his heart to change. On the contrary David experienced true repentance.
3. Ask God for another chance.
2Kings 20:1-6 Turn and Read
CONCLUSION: “The harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few..” Tonight ask God to use you to expand the Kingdom of God all over the world.
Position yourself to hear is voice and then obey His voice.
Three types of Christians.
1. I want what I want.
2. I want what God wants-but.
3. I want what God wants-period!
