Broadway Baptist Church Maryville Tennessee

When we begin a new journey, it is always wise to stop and get our bearings. So this morning before we begin this journey in “Exodus”, let us survey where we are and what we will encounter in this most fascinating book. The Exodus as seen from 30,000 feet!

This morning is a most glorious day! The day in which we celebrate the greatest miracle in the whole of human history, the physical, bodily resurrection of Jesus! The resurrection of Jesus is central to and foundational for the Christian faith. Without the reality of the resurrection, we might as well leave now and go get pancakes!

However, if indeed the resurrection of Jesus is a reality, then what the Bible declares is most significant and worthy of our attention. If Jesus rose from the dead, then this opens us to a world of hope! For the One that defeated death and the grave, is the One who gives this same hope to those that come to Him!

Gospel in us

Today we close our series on the Holy Spirit with a brief examination of the Scriptures related to the spiritual gifts given by the Holy Spirit. This subject is quite controversial and subject to great misunderstandings; even to the point of creating division within the body of Christ.

We continue our study of the person, work and ministry of the Holy Spirit this morning. We have sought to lay a good foundation concerning the person of the Spirit. We understand the Spirit to be fully God, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Son! As a Person, the 3rd Person of the Trinity, the Spirit can be sinned against. The Scriptures speak of several ways in which the Spirit may be sinned against. We will seek to discover three of these this morning.

This morning we examine one of the most significant and comforting realities in the Christian experience, the reality of our secure, unchanging position in Christ. Paul opens this letter to the Ephesian believers with the most glorious, most comprehensive, most praise worthy description of our salvation. This salvation is the result of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, and not the result of man's achievements.

This morning we continue our series on the Spirit's work in salvation with an examination of the “baptism of the Spirit, the indwelling of the Spirit and the filling of the spirit”. These topics are issues that have created a great deal of interest, as well as, confusion. Without question the rise of Pentecostalism and the Charismatic movement is a worldwide phenomenon, with the continents of Africa, Asia and South America being greatly influenced by this movement.

Last week we examined the Person and Personality of the Holy Spirit. This morning, we will focus our attention upon the “work” of the Holy Spirit in salvation. The work of the Spirit is both mysterious and marvelous.

This morning we begin a short series of the person, work and ministry of the Holy Spirit. Without question, our generation has woefully failed in our appreciation of the Holy Spirit. This reality may be due to two reasons.

This week we celebrated Christmas and tonight we “ring in the New Year”. Only us “fretful humans” could take a season that is supposed to be filled with “thanksgiving, peace and goodwill” and turn it into the most “stressful and anxious” times of the year.

Webster tells us the word “worry” comes from a German word that literally means “to twist or tear apart; to feel distress, in mind; to be anxious, troubled or uneasy; stressed out”. There has never been a more stressed-out society than ours.

The causes of stress are many; fear concerning the future, feelings of insecurity, financial pressures, work-related stress, family conflict, grief and countless other issues. The proposed remedies are equally numerous; breathing techniques, exercise programs, herbal aroma therapy, self-help psychology and a number of prescription medications.

Why does Jesus care whether we worry or not? Because it is destructive both physically and spiritually? Yes! But more than that, it is a sin that affects how we serve and worship Him.