Empowers People

Who is Jesus? 

(Mark 8:27-29) Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.” 


(Ephesians 2:8-9) “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast.” 

(1 Timothy 1:12-14) “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” 

(Acts 10:35 Message) “It makes no difference who you are or where you’re from—if you want God and are ready to do as he says, the door is open.” 

EMPOWERED 

(Ephesians 3:16-21 NLT) “I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit…Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” 

1. Receive His love. (Ephesians 3:18-19 NLT) “And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” 

2. Know your worth. (1 Peter 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.” 

3. Fulfill your purpose. (Ephesians 3:20-21) “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever! Amen.”


Video
https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/media/message/empowers-people

Discussion Guide
https://www.churchofthehighlands.com/files/groups/guides/02-13-11.pdf

Chris Hodges, Church of the Highlands

Light in the Darkness

God has been demonstrating His grace throughout human history. It has been radiating through the centuries like a lighthouse.  

Hebrews 9:26 B (ESV)

26 But as it is, he (Jesus) has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Light radiates from a light source.  A light from a light source is based upon the height of the light, the brightness of the light, and the curvature of the earth. 

The light house has one purpose which is to pierce the darkness to guide ships safely to the shore line.

Lineage in the Bible was very important because inheritance and property was determined by genealogy. (Matthew 1)  

There are 5 women listed in the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ.  4 of them were outcasts. 

1. Tamar was forsaken by her father-in-law Judah.  She disguised herself as a harlot and became pregnant through him. (Genesis 38)   

Matthew 1:3 (ESV)

3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram,

God included Tamar in the genealogy of Jesus to show us that although we are forsaken by all. God still does not forsake us. 

  

Psalm 32:8 (ESV)

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
    I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

God is watching out for you. 

Isaiah 30:21  (ESV)

21 And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.

When you feel forsaken, God will help you get on the right path. 

Hebrews 13:5  (NASB)

for He (God)  Himself has said, “I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,” 

2. Rehab was a fearful woman who was a harlot who later helped the two Hebrew spies in Jericho.  They saved her life when Jericho fell in return.  (Joshua 2:1-5)

Matthew 1:5 (ESV)

5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse,

Tamar and Rahab were none Jewish women who married Jewish men.  Tamar pretended to be a prostitute.  Rehab was an actual Prostitute. 

Rehab had a fear of the Lord and began to look to the living God in faith.  

Through Tamar,we discover that God will not forsake us.  Through Rehab, we discover that God will not reject anyone who repents and places their  faith in Him.  

Rehab was written about twice more in the New Testament in addition to the genealogy of Jesus.  

Hebrews 11:31 (ESV)

31 By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

James 2:25  (ESV)

25 And in the same way was not also Rahab the prostitute justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out by another way? 

In the Gospel of Matthew, we read how God was revealing His forgiveness upon mankind in the Old Testament even before Jesus came as a baby who was to save them.

Tamar was a forsaken woman who became found.  Rehab was a fearful woman who became faith filled. 

3. The third woman was a foreign woman who became a friend of God. (The Story is in the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament) 

Whom everyone else excludes.  God includes.  

Matthew 1:5 (ESV)

5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse,  

  

  

Ruth was neither a prostitute or acted like a prostitute.  She was a foreign woman who wanted to do the right thing. 

Although Ruth was a foreigner, Ruth was brought into the lineage of King David and our Lord Jesus.

Her first husband died prematurely, and Boaz was her kinsman redeemer who saved her from her plight of poverty. 

Salvation is not just for the Jews or Americans. It's for everyone like Ruth.

If you feel forsaken, God will not forsake you.  If you are in fear, God will give you faith.  If you are on the outside, God has an invitation for you to be on the inside.  

4. The fourth woman was a fallen woman  who was an ancestor of Jesus.  Bathsheba had been married to another man, Uriah.  King David killed him for her.  (2 Samuel 11)

Later, they had a baby Solomon who later became king.  The message is that God will forgive you no matter what you've done. If you don't believe that you can be forgiven, you've missed the point. You can. 

Matthew 9:13 (ESV)

13 Go and learn what this means: ‘I (God) desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I (Jesus) came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Jesus is our kinsman redeemer like Boaz who saved Ruth.  We can be saved by Him.  

Do you feel forsaken?  Come to Jesus and God will accept you. 

Do you feel fearful?   Come to Jesus, and God will fill you with faith.

  

Do you feel like an outsider?  Come to Jesus, and God will call you His own. 

Do you feel like you've fallen so far into sin that it's too late?  Come to Jesus, and God will forgive you?

If you're not a Christian, God wants you.  Say yes to Jesus as Lord, and He will say yes to you. 

Revelation 3:20  (ESV)

20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 

2 Corinthians 1:20 (ESV)

20 For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory.

If you're already a Christian, look for the Tamars, Rehabs, Ruths, and the Bathshebas and share God's love with them.

Darryl Craft, Whitesburg Baptist Church. 

http://www.whitesburgbaptist.org/sermons/the-light-shines-in-the-darkness/

The Four Pictures of God

Mark 8:27-29 (NIV)

27 Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way he asked them, “Who do people say I am?”

28 They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”

29 “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “You are the Messiah.”

The Four Pictures of God

1. A locked Gate.  

Myth: God can't be reached.

Acts 17:27 (MSG) God  doesn’t play hide-and-seek with us. He’s not remote; he’s near. 

2. A pile of luggage.  

Myth: God doesn't want me.

Romans 5:8 (NLT)

8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

3. An endless ladder.  

Myth: God requires a lot from me. 

John 6:28-29  (NLT)

28 They replied, “We want to perform God’s works, too. What should we do?”

29 Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

4.  A free gift.  This is the true picture of God.

Ephesians 2:8-9  (NLT)

8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.

Romans 6:23 (NLT)

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Just ask Him. Jesus will you be the center of my life?  I give it all to you.

Chris Hodges, Church of the Highlands

Is Your Future Past?

Ephesians 2:8-9 English Standard Version (ESV)

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Philippians 2:12-13 English Standard Version (ESV)

12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.

1. In Christ, we have victory over sin (our bad choices).

Romans 7:21-25 English Standard Version (ESV)

21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. 22 For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, 23 but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members.24 Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin.

2. In Christ, we have healing from our wounds (done by others).  You can't go into your future until you've dealt with your past.

  

Ephesians 4:26-27 English Standard Version (ESV)

26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger,27 and give no opportunity to the devil.

3. In Christ, you have authority over the devil. 

Ephesians 6:10-12 English Standard Version (ESV)

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

The Cup of deliverance (God does not condemn you).

Romans 8:1-2 New Living Translation (NLT)

8 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you[b] from the power of sin that leads to death.

Romans 8:5-6 New Living Translation (NLT)

5 Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. 6 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.

Relationships are the key which influence the way you think and act. 

Proverbs 28:13 New Living Translation (NLT)

13 People who conceal their sins will not prosper,
    but if they confess and turn from them, they will receive mercy.

James 5:16 New Living Translation (NLT)

16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.

Go to God for forgiveness.  Go public with your faith by... 

1. Water baptism (Acts 2:41, 8:21, 8:13).

2. Church membership.

3.  Church small groups. 

Chris Hodges, Church of the Highlands