Setting Our Hope in God

Psalm 78: 1-8

Concerning the command in scripture to make disciples of our children and our children’s children, and of future generations of children that are not our own, and have yet to be born, we must…

1. We must hear the urgent call from God and understand what is at stake (1-3)

“Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth!

 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, 3 things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us.”

2. We must teach our children and enthusiastically share who God is and what He has done (4-6)

“We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children, 6 that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children”…

3. We must lead future generations to set their hope in God, avoiding rebellion and unfaithfulness (7-8)

“…so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; 8 and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.”

Serving with Gladness

Who is to called to serve? The whole earth is called to serve.

v.1b “all the earth!”

v.3b,c “we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”

Psalm 100

How are we to serve?

We are to serve with joy."

v.1 “Make a joyful noise"

v.2 “serve the Lord with gladness!”

Who are we to serve?

We are to serve the Lord the one true God.

v.3a “for he is God!” v.5 “For the Lord is good, his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations."

Serve One Another ThroughFellowship & Hospitality

1 Peter 4: 7-11

The Holy Spirit tells us through the pen of the apostle Peter that as stewards of God’s grace we should serve one another through…

1. A love that fosters fellowship (8) “above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins”…

2. A hospitality that displays grace (9) “show hospitality to one another without grumbling”…

A. A hospitable grace that overcomes complaining, “grumbling”…

B. A hospitable grace that shares what we have “show hospitality to one another”…

3. A giftedness that glorifies God (10-11) “as each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace”…

For the Health of the Body

1. We serve the Body of Christ in unity (1-6)

2. We serve the Body of Christ through diversity (7-11)

3. We serve the Body of Christ in ministry (12-14)

4. We serve the Body of Christ through maturity (15-16)

Through Love

1. The gospel frees us to remember our calling (13a)

“For you were called to freedom, brothers”…

2. The gospel frees us to walk in liberty responsibly (13b)

“only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh”…

“But take care that this liberty of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.” (1 Cor. 8:9)

“Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves.” (Phil. 2:3)

3. The gospel frees us to serve one another in love (13c-14)

“but through love serve one another.  For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”…

From Worry to Worship

Habakkuk 3: 1-19

The Lord will use all things, including evil, pain & suffering, to demonstrate His glory, grace and goodness. Like Habakkuk the prophet God can take us from places of worry to worship, from places of trouble to triumph, from places of desperation to delighting in Jesus and Jesus alone!

We will understand the problem of evil as it relates to God’s sovereignty as we…

1. Pray for God’s Mercy (1-2) “A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, according to Shigionoth. O Lord, I have heard the report of you, and your work, O Lord, do I fear. In the midst of the years revive it; in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy”…

2. Consider God’s Wrath (3-15) “You marched through the earth in fury; you threshed the nations in anger.  You went out for the salvation of your people, for the salvation of your anointed. You crushed the head of the house of the wicked, laying him bare from thigh to neck. Selah”

3. Rejoice in God’s Strength & Salvation (16-19) “yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation”…

Men of the Word

Psalm 119: 121-128

Godly, gospel men are men of the word. We need God and His Word to point us to Jesus and we need Jesus to anchor us and transform us by His word.

1. Men of the Word live justly & pursue God’s love (121-124) “I have done what is just and right; do not leave me to my oppressors…deal with your servant according to your steadfast love, and teach me your statutes”…

2. Men of the Word seek understanding & ask God to act (125-126) “I am your servant; give me understanding, that I may know your testimonies! It is time for the Lord to act, for your law has been broken”…

3. Men of the Word love the scriptures & despise that which is untrue (127-128) “Therefore I love your commandments above gold, above fine gold. Therefore I consider all your precepts to be right; I hate every false way.”

The Narrow Gate

Matthew 7:13-14

13"Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. 14For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

A Prayer for Our Faith Family - John 15

1. Abide (4-5) “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing”…

Our prayer – Jesus, help us to abide in you. Forgive us when we think we can live the Christian life without you. Empower us to stay connected to you, remind us that no individual here can do anything apart from you. Therefore, we need you, abide in us through your holy word and Holy Spirit. Fill us with your Spirit fresh and new.

2. Joy (11) “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full”…

Our prayer – Jesus fill us with your joy! Help us to know your presence, your love and your mission. May we find our significance and strength in you, always remembering “the joy of the Lord is our strength.”

3. Love (12-13) “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends”…

Our prayer – Jesus help us to know your love. Help us to know how truly unconditional and sacrificial your love is. Help us to love without limits and demonstrate your love to one another in the church and for those outside the church. Empower us to abide in your love.

4. Obey (14) “You are my friends if you do what I command you”…

Our prayer – Jesus you have commanded us to obey you and your word as true followers. Lord, strengthen our faith and give us resolve to obey your words with our whole heart. We do not want to obey reluctantly but joyfully surrender to your Lordship, delighting in you alone.

5. Go (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 abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you”…

Our prayer – Jesus help realize you have chosen us, called us and appointed us to be fruitful, to engage your mission, to go into our community and the communities of the world and represent You and Your kingdom by sharing and living the gospel. Lord, prune us and make us fruitful is our prayer.

6. Endure (18-20) “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you… Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you”…

Our prayer – Jesus make us faithful servants who endure the hostility of this lost world. May we follow you unashamedly, identifying fully with you as servants of the one, true God. Jesus, we are not greater than you so teach us to expect and endure the joy and difficulties of the faithful Christian life.

Watching For And Waiting On God

Habakkuk 1: 12-17 & 2:1

1. What we know about God must triumph over our perceptions (12-13)

“Are you not from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? We shall not die. O Lord, you have ordained them as a judgment, and you, O Rock, have established them for reproof. You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong, why do you idly look at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?”

2. How we view God’s sovereignty must shape the way we see man’s evil deeds (14-17)

“Is he then to keep on emptying his net and mercilessly killing nations forever?”

3. How we respond to God must triumph over unbelief & inactivity (2:1)

“I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer concerning my complaint.”