First General Baptist

Message: The gospel according to Luke  

Text: Luke 23:52-24:2  

That stone…is a problem  

The stone: Why do you need the stone moved? If you’re doing it for yourself, you need to stop. If you’re doing it for Jesus, you need to not stop.  

2 Corinthians 5:7 Continuing to take forward steps of faith.  

This is a turning point in discipleship. You are now depending on God to the point that He has to come thru some way.  

The guards: There are more problems than you can see. Fortunately you don’t see them.  

Beth Moore, "The stand of faith is so much easier than the walk of faith.  Those who stick to a stand rather than move in a walk of faith may adhere to certain doctrines but never experience the adventure--or the vulnerability--of a vital relationship with God.  Those who stand can afford to be smug.  They never have to question their beliefs because they've never risked enough to take them.  They believe God for little because they don't want to be disappointed or feel stupid" 

We welcome Mark Powell-our International Missions Director-as our speaker today.

Message:  Scatter!     Text: Acts 8:1-5  

“God created you for someone…for Jesus.”  

The 24/7 church. Ministry as we gather, and as we scatter  

Ministry as we gather: Hebrews 10:25, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together; as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”                                                               

We are here to give, and therefore we receive.

Ministry as we scatter: Take the gospel with you wherever you go.                                                   

Who is the most important person for you to reach/help? 

The church is the only organization in the world that exists for those that are not yet members of it. 

Message: The gospel according to Luke Text: Luke 23:50-53

All eyes on each other; all eyes on Joseph.

How long do you keep trying to help/reach someone? When do you give up?

All eyes on each other; all eyes on you.

Where are you on your discipleship journey? Are you on a journey?

Never base your faithfulness on the faith-less-ness of others.

Jim Elliot, "We are so utterly ordinary, so commonplace, while we profess to know a Power the 20th century does not reckon with. But we are harmless and therefore unharmed. We are spiritual pacifists, non-militants, conscientious objectors in this battle to the death with principalities and powers in high places…We are sideliners--coaching and criticizing the real wrestlers while content to sit by and leave the enemies of God unchallenged. The world cannot hate us--we are too much like its own. Oh that God would make us dangerous."

Message: The gospel according to Luke     Text: Luke 23:47-49   (11-1-20)

I wish I would not have…  

There is forgiveness and there is repentance.       Mark 1:15, Acts 3:19  

Henry Blackaby, "Repentance indicates a decisive change, not merely a wishful resolution.  We have not repented if we continue in our sin!  Repentance involves a radical change of heart and mind in which we agree with God's evaluation of our sin and then take specific action to align ourselves with His will.  A desire to change is not repentance."  

The Holy Spirit gives you the power to do it, but does not make your decision to do it.  

I wish I would have…  

Watching but never doing. (Simon of Cyrene, Joseph of Arimathea)  

Matthew 25:44-45, “Lord, when did we see you…?”  

Work on being blind and you won't see  

Work on being deaf and you won't hear  

Work on being care-less and you won't hurt  

Guard your heart and it won't break  

Message: The gospel according to Luke     Text: Luke 23:44-46  

The temple veil represented separation—the holy from the unholy. Isaiah 59:2.                                                              Jesus tore the veil from top to bottom, from God to you. 1 Timothy 2:5.  

The end game…then no more end.  

“It is finished.” Not, “I am finished.” John 17:4-5, 13  

What ends here is not the end. You’re on a journey home to the Father, everything is about this for you. God the Father already sees it, do you?

Rick Warren, "At death you won't leave home- you'll go home."  

Vonette Bright, "This life is just preparation for the next.  We don't stop living; we just stop living here."  

Vance Havner, "God's people are not citizens of earth trying to get to heaven, but citizens of heaven trying to get through this world."  

Roger Palms, "The work of God didn't start with us; it will not end with me.  We are part of a larger plan."  

Message: The gospel according to Luke     Text: Luke 23:39-43  

“One of the criminals”: What you think about eternity changes everything…changes everything you think about everything.                                                                                     

I can’t think of anything more pointless than atheism.  

C. S. Lewis, "Don't you think that all you atheists are strangely unsuspicious people?"  

“The other”: Nothing could be better for this criminal than Jesus, and nothing could be better for Jesus than this criminal. Ministry has disappointment built in, but every so often a praying criminal comes along.  

Mozart, "Remember, merciful Jesus, that I am the cause of your journey."  

“My God, My God, why…?”   You are why.  

First General Baptist teaches, preaches and believes strongly in the security of the believer. “You will be with Me…”

Message: The gospel according to Luke       Text: Luke 23:32-38  

Look at vs 36, then Luke 1:31-33  

Father forgive…they don’t see what they’re doing.   1) an example for us     2) a reminder to us                                                                                                             “All sin is a form of insanity.”  

Saving yourself seems to be the thing to do!            

Philippians 2:5-8                                                                 

You’re not happy because you’re trying to be happy. Stop trying to make yourself happy and start trying to make someone else happy…and you will be happy.  

Happiness is sneaky and slippery; hard to find and harder to hang onto when found.  

Mother Teresa, "Love demands sacrifice.  But if we love until it hurts, God will give us His peace and joy…Suffering in itself is nothing; but suffering shared with Christ's Passion is a wonderful gift."  (CBS correspondent Dan Rather interviewed Mother Teresa and commented that she was the happiest person he had ever met…and couldn’t figure out why.) 

Message: The gospel according to Luke     Text: Luke 23:27-31  

2 Timothy 3:13, Luke 17:26  For this world, this isn’t going to end well. We know that but it still surprises us while we are seeing it.  

Acts 17:31  We are all heading toward an appointed day.  

So, what do we do as we live out  the reality of our faith?  

Matthew 10:22  

Genesis 6:22  

Andy Rooney:  "I don't know what's wrong with me anyway but there aren't many days when I don't think about the end of the world."  

Pilgrim's Progress, "This I've resolved to do--to run when I can, to walk when I can't run, and to crawl when I can't walk."  

Queen Elizabeth, wife of King George VI, on the suggestion that her 2 daughters, Elizabeth and Margaret, be evacuated to a safer location during the WWII bombing of London by Germany, "The children won't go without me. I won't leave the King. And the King will never leave." 

Message: The gospel according to Luke                                              

Text: Luke 23:26  

Simon of Cyrene  

Depending on how well you know someone, it is either: “I get to,” or, “I have to.” Attitude is everything.  

Jesus is being led out of Jerusalem, at the same time Simon is coming from the country into Jerusalem, he is just passing by; the soldiers compelled Simon; his name is very specific, “Simon of Cyrene,” not some other Simon; his sons are named; at the time that Matthew, Mark and Luke are writing, the church knows who Simon and his sons are.  

2 Corinthians 5:14-15  

Everything in this life and in the life to come hinges on how well you know Jesus.  

J.I. Packer, "When we walk along a clear road feeling fine, and someone takes our arm to help us, as likely as not we shall impatiently shake him off; but when we are caught in rough country in the dark, with a storm getting up and our strength spent, and someone takes our arm to help us, we shall thankfully lean on him."