Collective Church

Part 1 of 4
We Need The Good News:

We live in a world where news and information is literally at our finger tips.  Accessible with the touch of a button.  When we read those headlines, now more than ever, it can become overwhelming.  Instilling fear, anxiety, confusion or longing for truth.  What should we believe when there is so much conflicting information?  
Today we begin our 4 part series with some good news.  God's Word.  His Word is not only good, but it is "profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness..."(2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV). We also must share this good news!  
We're exciting to begin today and hear some good news for a change!

Essential Days: Living in Anticipation of His Return

So many are obsessed with asking have we reached the end times?  Is the Lord returning soon?  Many are trying to find clues and signs of the end of the world.  As Matthew 24:36 says, "But about the day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."
So lets no ask "Are we in the last days?"  Instead, lets ask "In the last days, until the coming of the Lord, what does God want in my life?"  Today we'll look at 4 things out of the book of James that God wants in our life until His return.

Essential Words: Taming The Tongue
A child once asked, "where do our words go after we say them?"  We don't know where they go, but we do know that once we say them we can't get them back.  We also know the Bible has a few things to say to us about how essential our speech and our words are.  From the beginning of the book of James (1:19), he tells the reader, "...let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak."  Our words demonstrate the authenticity of our faith.

Key Passage - James 3:1-12

Essential Faith: It's impossible to please God without it...

How's your faith today?

Faith is not a feeling we can work up.  Faith is biblical confidence and conviction on display.

Three Types of Faith
1. Dead Faith (James 2:14-17)
2. Demonic Faith (James 2:18-19)
3. Dynamic Faith (James 2:20-26)

Heavenly Wisdom vs Earthly Wisdom

We use wisdom all the time in life.  Whether it's in our parenting or in deciding what to eat for lunch.  We apply our knowledge and understanding to just about every decision we make in our daily lives.  But what is the difference between heavenly wisdom and earthly wisdom?  Where does our wisdom come from?  From our own understanding or God's?  This week, as we read through James 3, we see that when it comes to wisdom, 1) gentleness is key, 2) your own understanding fails, and 3) we lean on God's understanding.

It's week one of our sermon series, Essential: Faith That Works.  Right off the bat in chapter one, verse 22, James tells us to, "not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says."  So, as we go through James we want to grow!  We want to be doers.  So today we'll look at four essentials for growing through James.  As well as, an overview of the book of James and who James was.  We're looking forward to this series and growing together!

Essential People: The Sin of Partiality & Prejudice

We continue our study through the book of James in chapter two today.  We see that following Christ and partiality are incompatible. We look at why this behavior is inconsistent with following Christ and ways to guard against partiality and prejudice.

I. Heaven Is Real!

II. Where is heaven?
A. Heaven is a real place

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am." John 14:1-3 NIV

B. Heaven is the dwelling place of God

"But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ," Philippians 3:20 NIV

"Jesus answered him, 'Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.'” Luke 23:43 NIV

C. The Bible hints that heaven is not as far away as we might think

 Hebrews 12:22-24 NIV 

III. What is heaven like?

A. God's dwelling place

"From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth" Psalms 33:13-14 NIV 

B. Where Christ is today

“'Men of Galilee,' they said, 'why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.'” Acts 1:11 NIV 

C. Where Christians go when they die

"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far" Philippians 1:21-23 NIV 

D. The Father's house

"My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?" John 14:2 NIV 

E. A city designed and built by God

"For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God."  Hebrews 11:10 NIV

F. A better country

"And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." Hebrews 11:6 NIV 

G. Paradise

"Jesus answered him, 'Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.'” Luke 23:43 NIV 

IV. Who is in heaven right now?

A. God is in heaven

B. The Lord Jesus

"After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 'Men of Galilee,' they said, 'why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.'” ACTS 1:9-11 NIV

C. The angels are in heaven

D. The saints of God who died on this earth are in heaven

"For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord." 2 Corinthians 5:7-8 NIV

"For everyone looks out for their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel. I hope, therefore, to send him as soon as I see how things go with me." Philippians 1:21-23 NIV

V. Will we know each other in heaven?

"Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”  I Corinthians 13:12 NIV 

VI. How can I be sure I am going to heaven?

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"John 14:6 NIV

"I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture." John 10:9 NASB

We kick off our sermon series on Heaven with the question...Does Heaven Really Exist?  From the first chapter in Genesis through the last book of the Bible, Revelation, the Bible certainly talks about Heaven.
So, how should we act with what we do know about heaven?

With What We Do Know, We Should Be…

1.  Encouraged 
"Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?"  John 14:1-2 ESV 
2.  Assured 
"And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also."  John 14:3 ESV 
3.  Excited
"And you know the way to where I am going." John 14:4 ESV
4.  Burdened
"Thomas said to him, 'Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?' Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" John 14:5-6 ESV

“The Bible doesn’t tell us everything we’d like to know about Heaven, but the Bible does tell us everything we need to know about Heaven while we are here on earth.” Billy Graham

All couples are going to fight. Healthy couples fight for resolution. Unhealthy couples fight for victory. 

Key passage for this sermon, Song of Songs 5.

Common Causes of Conflict 

1. Unmet / Unreal Expectations

2. Selfishness 

"My beloved thrust his hand through the latch - opening; my heart began to pound for him.  I arose to open for my beloved, and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with flowing myrrh, on the handles of the bolt.  I opened for my beloved, but my beloved had left; he was gone. My heart sank at his departure. I looked for him but did not find him. I called him but he did not answer." Song of Solomon 5:4-6 NIV

Commit To Fight For Resolution

I Will…

1. Act and Not React 

"Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." Romans 12:21NIV

2. Focus On The Good and Not The Bad

"...whatever is true...noble...right...pure...lovely... admirable —if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Philippians 4:8 NIV

3. Talk and Not Walk 

'“In your anger do not sin” : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold." Ephesians 4:26-27 NIV

"I went down to the grove of nut trees to look at the new growth in the valley, to see if the vines had budded or the pomegranates were in bloom." Song of Songs 6:11 NIV