We were blessed, challenged and encouraged by Tony Sivewright's message at our first Courageous Men's event for the year!

Preached by David Howett, 1 March 2020

Part 1 of our new evening preaching series looks at the accuracy of Biblical prophecy from the Old Testament to the New.

We gain strength and encouragement when we spend time in community with other believers. It is essential that we become devoted to the teaching and fellowship that the Lord has given us through our gathering together as the local church.

What is the vision and function of the local church in extending the Kingdom of God? This sermon looks at the 4 phases of the Believer in the church.

Prayer is most definitely a weapon—a mighty weapon wielded by believers in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Hear what the Bible says:

“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil … praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit” (Ephesians 6:11, 18).

“For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:3-4).

According to Paul, all of life is spiritual warfare. In that conflict, he reminds the Ephesians that—important though it is—the Christian armour is not enough on its own - as Believers we need to be in constant contact with God, and the means by which we stay in contact is by prayer and time in His Word.

Spending time in the presence of Father God in prayer and in the Word enables us to discern our own hearts and God’s will. That won’t happen in a moment, but in the constant, repetitive, and faithful reading of God’s Word, and regular, faithful time in prayer.⁣⁣

"It is not that God can’t work without our prayers, but that He has established prayer as part of His plan for accomplishing His will in this world." (Focus on the Family)

2 Timothy 3

"But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3: 14 - 17)

All of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, points to Jesus, the Messiah.

The fulfillment of prophecy is what makes the Bible unique among all other books!

“Remember this, keep it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels.

How do we represent Christ well? And how do we bring His message of reconciliation to the world?

2 Corinthians 5: 18 - 21 (NIV)

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

Are our lives abundant? Are we reaping the rewards of following God's way of life?

Only when we regulate our days according to God’s priorities and learn to focus on Jesus will we begin to realize what Jesus meant by the promise of John 10:10.

Romans 6: 1 - 4

What then shall we say? Shall we continue in sin so that grace may increase? Certainly not! How can we who died to sin live in it any longer? Or aren’t you aware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We therefore were buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life.