Four Corners Church

FCC Vision Statement: Building on Exposition, Centering on Christ, Dying in Community, Serving on Mission

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The Man behind the Letter, Part 2— Pastor Lonnie D. Bell, Jr.
Romans 1:1
Sermon Series: Romans (2nd sermon)
March 8, 2020

DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions
1.   What are you asking the Lord to do in your life through this series in Romans?
2.   What does Paul mean when he says that he is an apostle? How does this concept help us understand and explain the nature of New Testament Scripture?
3.   Lest we think Paul was pushing his weight around, discuss how his authority as an apostle was derivative, by grace, and under the cross.
4.   What does it mean to say that Paul was “a gospel man”? How does this encourage our own single-minded devotion to Christ?
5.   How good is the “good news” to you? How can we as individuals and GCGs grow in our joy in the gospel?

References: Romans 15:24-25, 28; 1:16; Mark 3:13-14; Galatians 1:1; Acts 26:16-17; John 20:21; Acts 9:15; 2 Corinthians 12:12; 1 Corinthians 9:1; Acts 2:42; Ephesians 2:20; John 14:26; John 16:13; 2 Peter 3:16; Galatians 1:15; 1 Corinthians 4:13; Jeremiah 1:5; Leviticus 20:26; Romans 11:13; Acts 20:24.

FCC Vision Statement: Building on Exposition, Centering on Christ, Dying in Community, Serving on Mission

NOTE:  Allow 30-90 seconds after clicking the START-arrow or Download-button for playback to begin.

The Man behind the Letter, Part 1 — Pastor Lonnie D. Bell, Jr.
Romans 1:1
Sermon Series: Romans (1st sermon)
March 1, 2020

DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions
1.   How have you viewed Romans in the past? Discuss its significance in Christian history.
2.   Summarize the background of Romans. What are some questions you have about this letter as we begin this series?
3.   How does Paul’s conversion serve as evidence for the veracity of Christianity? What does it say about God’s character/attributes?
4.   What does it look like in practice to live as a “servant/slave of Christ Jesus”? Is this the first thing you would say about yourself?
5.   What does it mean to say that this slavery is not tyranny but redemption?
6.   How does this self-designation as “servant/slave of Christ Jesus” point us back to the Old Testament? What does it say about Paul’s role?

References: Acts 20:1-7; 2:10; 7:58; 13:9; Galatians 1:13-14; Philippians 3:4-6; Acts 9:4, 15; Romans 11:13; 15:16; 1 Corinthians 7:23; Acts 20:28; Matthew 8:9; Romans 6:16; Galatians 1:10; John 15:15; Philippians 2:7; Matthew 20:28

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FCC Vision Statement: Building on Exposition, Centering on Christ, Dying in Community, Serving on Mission
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God's Mission for the Church, Part 2 — Associate Pastor Trey Russell
Matthew 28:16-20
Stand alone sermon
February 23, 2020

DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions
1.   How does the direction of the force of the mission of God differ from the Old Testament to the New Testament? How does Jesus’ instruction to “go” affect this?
2.   Discuss how the instruction to “go” comes to bear on our lives? What are different ways we can be obedient to “go make disciples of all nations”? (Recall the church in Antioch and the “hold the rope” analogy)
3.   How does baptism make the Christian live “before the world”? Why does Jesus say that teaching is a means for discipleship and what is the danger if we do not teach sound doctrine?
4.   How is the local church the ultimate means for discipleship according to Jesus in these verses? How does this understanding affect how we do missions?
5.   What is the guarantee of the mission and how should this free us up to obey?
6.   How is our participation in the Great Commission a fruit of faith? What is the relationship between the faith God imparts and the work of faith in which we take part?

References: Micah 7:12; Isaiah 60:3; Ezekiel 5:5,8; Acts 13:2; Romans 1:1-5; 3 John 5-8; Acts 20:28-29; 2 Peter 2:1-3; Colossians 2:8; Hebrews 5:11-14; John Paton, Andrew Fuller, William Carey, Adoniram Judson.

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FCC Vision Statement: Building on Exposition, Centering on Christ, Dying in Community, Serving on Mission
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(NOTE:  Allow 30-90 seconds after clicking the START-arrow or Download-button for recording of the testimony or sermon to begin.)

God's Mission for the Church, Part 1— Associate Pastor Trey Russell
Matthew 28:16-20
Stand alone sermon
February 16, 2020

DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions
1. Discuss the trajectory of the mission of God that Genesis launched. What does it mean to say that this passage lies on that same trajectory?
2. How should we understand Jesus’ audience? To whom does the Great Commission apply and how does this relate to the church?
3. Discuss the motivations that Jesus’ authority provides. What is the most fundamental motivation that drives us to participate in Jesus’ commission?
4. What is the goal of Jesus’ commission and how does this fit into the mission of God? What does it mean that we are a “so that” people?
5. What are the nations and how do they refine the scope of Jesus’ mission.
6. In light of the Great Commission, how might the Lord be stirring your heart toward both the nations and your neighbor?

[15] When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “It may be that Joseph will hate us and pay us back for all the evil that we did to him.” [16] So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father gave this command before he died: [17] ‘Say to Joseph, “Please forgive the transgression of your brothers and their sin, because they did evil to you.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” Joseph wept when they spoke to him. [18] His brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” [19] But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? [20] As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. [21] So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them.

[22] So Joseph remained in Egypt, he and his father’s house. Joseph lived 110 years. [23] And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation. The children also of Machirthe son of Manasseh were counted as Joseph’s own. [24] And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die, but God will visit you and bring you up out of this land to the land that he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.” [25] Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you shall carry up my bones from here.” [26] So Joseph died, being 110 years old. They embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions

References: 1 Thessalonians 5:15; Romans 12:17; Genesis 45:1-15; Job 1:21; Deuteronomy 32:39; Hebrews 11:22; Luke 1:68-70; Revelation 22:20.

[29] Then he commanded them and said to them, “I am to be gathered to my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, [30] in the cave that is in the field at Machpelah, to the east of Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field from Ephron the Hittite to possess as a burying place. [31] There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife. There they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife, and there I buried Leah— [32] the field and the cave that is in it were bought from the Hittites.” [33] When Jacob finished commanding his sons, he drew up his feet into the bed and breathed his last and was gathered to his people.

[1] Then Joseph fell on his father’s face and wept over him and kissed him. [2] AndJoseph commanded his servants the physicians to embalm his father. So the physicians embalmed Israel. [3] Forty days were required for it, for that is how many are required for embalming. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.

DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions

References: Genesis 15:6; Luke 16:22; Genesis 23; Hebrews 2:14-15; 1 Thessalonians 4:13.

[1] Then Jacob called his sons and said, “Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what shall happen to you in days to come.

[2]  “Assemble and listen, O sons of Jacob,

[3]  “Reuben, you are my firstborn,

[5]  “Simeon and Levi are brothers;

[8]  “Judah, your brothers shall praise you;

[13]  “Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea;

[14]  “Issachar is a strong donkey,

[16]  “Dan shall judge his people

[19]  “Raiders shall raid Gad,

[20]  “Asher’s food shall be rich,

[21]  “Naphtali is a doe let loose

[22]  “Joseph is a fruitful bough,

[27]  “Benjamin is a ravenous wolf,

[28] All these are the twelve tribes of Israel. This is what their father said to them as heblessed them, blessing each with the blessing suitable to him.

DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions

References: Hebrews 11:21; Genesis 1:28; 35:22; 1 Chronicles 5:1-2; Genesis 34; 38:26; 44:33; Daniel 7:14; Psalm 2:8; Revelation 5:5, 9; John 2:1-11; Matthew 28:18; Romans 1:5; Ephesians 1:3.

[1] After this, Joseph was told, “Behold, your father is ill.” So he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. [2] And it was told to Jacob, “Your son Joseph has come to you.” Then Israel summoned his strength and sat up in bed. [3] And Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, [4] and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a company of peoples and will give this land to your offspring after you for an everlasting possession.’ [5] And now your two sons, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine, as Reuben and Simeon are. [6] And the children that you fathered after them shall be yours. They shall be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. [7] As for me, when I came from Paddan, to my sorrow Rachel died in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is,Bethlehem).”

“The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,

[17] When Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him, and he took his father’s hand to move it from Ephraim’s head toManasseh’s head. [18] And Joseph said to his father, “Not this way, my father; since this one is the firstborn, put your right hand on his head.” [19] But his father refused and said, “I know, my son, I know. He also shall become a people, and he also shall be great. Nevertheless, his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his offspring shall become a multitude of nations.” [20] So he blessed them that day, saying,

“By you Israel will pronounce blessings, saying,

Thus he put Ephraim before Manasseh. [21] Then Israel said to Joseph, “Behold, I am about to die, but God will be with you and will bring you again to the land of your fathers. [22] Moreover, I have given to you rather than to your brothers one mountain slope that I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.”

References: Genesis 12:1-9; Romans 4:18-22; Hebrews 11:1, 13; Genesis 35:11-12; 1 Chronicles 5:1-2; Genesis 5:24; 6:9; Hebrews 11:21.

[1] So Joseph went in and told Pharaoh, “My father and my brothers, with their flocks and herds and all that they possess, have come from the land of Canaan.They are now in the land of Goshen.” [2] And from among his brothers he took five men and presented them to Pharaoh. [3] Pharaoh said to his brothers, “What is your occupation?”And they said to Pharaoh, “Your servants are shepherds, as our fathers were.” [4] They said to Pharaoh, “We have come to sojourn in the land, for there is no pasture for your servants’ flocks, for the famine is severe in the land of Canaan. And now, please let your servants dwell in the land of Goshen.” [5] Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Your father and your brothers have come to you. [6] The land of Egypt is before you. Settle your father and yourbrothers in the best of the land. Let them settle in the land of Goshen, and if you know any able men among them, put them in charge of my livestock.”

[13] Now there was no food in all the land, for the famine was very severe, so that the land of Egypt and the land of Canaan languished by reason of the famine. [14] And Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, in exchange for the grain that they bought. And Joseph brought the money into Pharaoh’s house. [15] And when the money was all spent in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan, all the Egyptians came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? For our money is gone.” [16] And Joseph answered, “Give your livestock, and I will give you food in exchange for your livestock, if your money is gone.” [17] So they brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them food in exchange for the horses, the flocks, the herds, and the donkeys. He supplied them with food in exchange for all their livestock that year. [18] And when that year was ended, they came to him the following year and said to him, “We will not hide from my lord that our money is all spent. The herds of livestock are my lord’s. There is nothing left in the sight of my lord but our bodies and our land. [19] Why should we die before your eyes, both we and our land? Buy us and our land for food, and we with our land will be servants to Pharaoh. And give us seed that we may live and not die, and that the land may not be desolate.”

[20] So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, for all the Egyptians sold their fields, because the famine was severe on them. The land became Pharaoh’s. [21] As for the people, he made servants of them from one end of Egypt to the other. [22] Only the land of the priests he did not buy, for the priests had a fixed allowance from Pharaoh and lived on the allowance that Pharaoh gave them; therefore they did not sell their land.

[23] Then Joseph said to the people, “Behold, I have this day bought you and your land forPharaoh. Now here is seed for you, and you shall sow the land. [24] And at the harvests you shall give a fifth to Pharaoh, and four fifths shall be your own, as seed for the field and as food for yourselves and your households, and as food for your little ones.” [25] And they said,“You have saved our lives; may it please my lord, we will be servants to Pharaoh.” [26] So Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt, and it stands to this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; the land of the priests alone did not become Pharaoh’s.

[27] Thus Israel settled in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And they gained possessions in it, and were fruitful and multiplied greatly. [28] And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years. So the days of Jacob, the years of his life, were 147 years.

[29] And when the time drew near that Israel must die, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “If now I have found favor in your sight, put your hand under my thigh and promise to deal kindly and truly with me. Do not bury me in Egypt, [30] but let me lie with my fathers. Carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burying place.” He answered, “I will do as you have said.” [31] And he said, “Swear to me”; and he swore to him. Then Israel bowed himself upon the head of his bed.

[1] So Israel took his journey with all that he had and came to Beersheba, and offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. [2] And God spoke to Israel in visions of the night and said, “Jacob, Jacob.” And he said, “Here I am.” [3] Then he said, “I am God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for there I will make you into a great nation. [4] I myself will go down with you to Egypt, and I will also bring you up again, and Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes.”

[8] Now these are the names of the descendants of Israel, who came into Egypt, Jacob and his sons. Reuben, Jacob’s firstborn, [9] and the sons of Reuben: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi. [10] The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. [11] The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari. [12] The sons of Judah: Er, Onan, Shelah, Perez, and Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan);and the sons of Perez were Hezron and Hamul. [13] The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puvah, Yob, and Shimron. [14] The sons of Zebulun: Sered, Elon, and Jahleel. [15] These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, together with his daughter Dinah; altogether his sons and his daughters numbered thirty-three.

[16] The sons of Gad: Ziphion, Haggi, Shuni, Ezbon, Eri, Arodi, and Areli. [17] The sons of Asher: Imnah, Ishvah, Ishvi, Beriah, with Serah their sister. And the sons of Beriah: Heber and Malchiel. [18] These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; and these she bore to Jacob—sixteen persons.

[19] The sons of Rachel, Jacob’s wife: Joseph and Benjamin. [20] And to Joseph in the land of Egypt were born Manasseh and Ephraim, whom Asenath, the daughter of Potiphera the priest of On, bore to him. [21] And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, Becher, Ashbel, Gera, Naaman, Ehi, Rosh, Muppim, Huppim, and Ard. [22] These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob—fourteen persons in all.

[23] The son of Dan: Hushim. [24] The sons of Naphtali: Jahzeel, Guni, Jezer, and Shillem. [25] These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter, and these she bore to Jacob—seven persons in all.

[26] All the persons belonging to Jacob who came into Egypt, who were his own descendants, not including Jacob’s sons’ wives, were sixty-six persons in all. [27] And the sons of Joseph, who were born to him in Egypt, were two. All the persons of the house of Jacob who came into Egypt were seventy.

[28] He had sent Judah ahead of him to Joseph to show the way before him in Goshen, and they came into the land of Goshen. [29] Then Joseph prepared his chariot and went up to meet Israel his father in Goshen. He presented himself to him and fell on his neck and wept on his neck a good while. [30] Israel said to Joseph, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive.” [31] Joseph said to his brothers and to his father’s household, “I will go up and tell Pharaoh and will say to him, ‘My brothers and my father’s household, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me. [32] And the men are shepherds, for they have been keepers of livestock, and they have brought their flocks and their herds and all that they have.’ [33] When Pharaoh calls you and says, ‘What is your occupation?’ [34] you shall say, ‘Your servants have been keepers of livestock from our youth even until now, both we and our fathers,’ in order that you may dwell in the land ofGoshen, for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians.”

DEEP SHEET: Sermon Study Questions

References: Genesis 12:2; 22:1; 28:13-15; 15:13-14; 10; Romans 9:5; Matthew 1:1-3.