First General Baptist

Message: The gospel according to Luke

Text: Luke 12:22-31

Genesis 2:7 God loves you more…

Instinct vs reason. Humans are the only creatures who worry.

Worry cannot affect distance or time.

He is the: Shepherd of the flock; Father of the family; King of the kingdom

Jeremiah 29:13 (NLT) “If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me.”

Flannery O'Connor, "When we get our spiritual house in order, we'll be dead. This goes on. You arrive at enough certainty to be able to make your way, but it is making it in darkness. Don't expect faith to clear things up for you. It is trust, not certainty."

Message: The gospel according to Luke

Text: Luke 12:22-31

Today in the U.S., we don’t worry so much about food or clothes. What do we worry about?

Why do we worry and God doesn’t? What is the difference?

Remember the word, “replace.”

He is the: Shepherd of the flock; Father of the family; King of the kingdom

Jeremiah 29:13 (NLT) “If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me.”

Flannery O'Connor, "When we get our spiritual house in order, we'll be dead. This goes on. You arrive at enough certainty to be able to make your way, but it is making it in darkness. Don't expect faith to clear things up for you. It is trust, not certainty."

“Think these thoughts”

1. You have to be “In the Lord”

2. Focus on what’s good

3. Gain perspective

Message: How the Sinless looks at the sinner

Text: Philippians 2:1-8

~Jesus esteems you above Himself. He puts your interests before His own…He loves you more than Himself.

~Jesus created you so He could love you, not vice versa. Love is a gamble for us, not for Jesus. If Jesus’ ultimate purpose was to create someone who would love Him, He would be in a permanent state of disappointment.

~Jesus can love us without needing to be loved in return. But we are different: we need Jesus to love us, and we need to love Him.

~A living, loving fellowship with Jesus is one of the most important things He created you for. Loving Jesus more may be the missing key in your life.

“If only…”

Message: The gospel according to Luke

Text: Luke 12:13-21

Popular bumper sticker, “He who finishes with the most toys wins”  Wins what?

Covetousness, “wanting and/or wanting to accumulate things…and more things.”

One held it because he wanted it. The other wanted it because he could not hold it.

“take your ease…” Tend to the garden God has given you until God tells you to quit.

“many years…” Things as insurance.

“this night…” If God provides you with time, He will provide for the time. Time is more precious than any thing.

I, my, mine – 11

God – 0

Jason Boyett,  "We work more hours to make more money.  We make more money to buy more stuff.  We buy more stuff to make our leisure time more enjoyable.  Then we sacrifice that free time in order to work more."

Message: The gospel according to Luke

Text: Luke 12:10-12

Holy Spirit convicts and leads

Vs 10 Is there any sin more powerful than the redeeming blood of Jesus? This is an issue much deeper than any specific sin.

When is the first Biblical recording of Holy Spirit conviction of sin?

Instead of, “Why is there bad in the world…Why is there good in the world?” Why do we know the difference?

“Grieving, resisting, quenching” The unpardonable sin is the sin you are no longer asking pardon for. Stay current.

 Vs 11-12  Don’t worry about it…

“You can’t cross a bridge before you get to it.”

Yesterday’s faith is not for today. Today’s faith is not for tomorrow…it is only for today. Prepare as much as you can, then allow God to do as He has already prepared. Wherever you go, He is already there waiting for you.

A man named Joseph, Mary, swaddling clothes, stable, manger, angels…a sword

Keeping our eyes on the prize at the end of the journey

Vance Havner, "If the Christian allows it, men will tone him down, steal the joy of his salvation, and reduce him to the dreary level of the general average. If the devil cannot keep us from being saved, he next endeavors to make average Christians of us."

John Stott on nominal Christianity, "They have allowed themselves to become somewhat involved; enough to be respectable but not enough to be uncomfortable. Their religion is a great, soft cushion. It protects them from the hard unpleasantness of life, while changing its place and shape to suit their convenience."

Being ashamed or embarrassed because of Jesus. What is the only real reason we would be ashamed of Jesus?

Our witness and our worship—our words and our actions.

We greatly underestimate what people think.

What is the only reason Jesus has to be ashamed of you?

Coach Woody Hayes, "The first time I stood in the middle of the Ohio stadium with its 86,000 seats staring down at me, I was shook up.  I stood there holding my son's hand and I thought of the fans and how angry they can get if you lose.  Then I thought of all the people who were depending on me to develop a winning team.  For a moment I felt fearful.  My young son must have sensed my fear for he gripped my hand and said, 'Dad, look at the field, it's the same as all the others.'"

Acts 17:14-33

Message: The gospel according to Luke

Text: Luke 12:1-7

Beware!

Life is always a progression. What are you becoming?

A lie can never outrun the truth.

Dutch proverb: Even the lie runs ever so fast; the truth overtakes at last.

Satan is not the master of hell or anything else. Hell is simply his eternal destination. Jesus is the master of everything and everywhere. There is not one inch of creation that is not His.

Why does hell matter? Why is it important?

There is consequence for everything we do, everything matters. There is action/reaction, sowing/reaping.