https://youtu.be/PSoEyPzjV54

Dealing with difficult people 2 sam 16:1-14

First difficult person- Ziba

In this story- Ziba is the servant of Mephiboseth- You may remember him from earlier sermonsMephibosheth was son of Jonathan, Grandson of King Saul- Ziba comes to David to bring him provisions for him and his men. David has no reason to think anything is awryZiba has shown up with provisions to help David- so david gives him what belongs to mephibosheth3 Then the king said, “And where is your master’s son?” And Ziba said to the king, “Indeed he is staying in Jerusalem, for he said, ‘Today the house of Israel will restore the kingdom of my father to me.’ ”Here’s the problem tho- Ziba was lying. We’ll find that out in 2 sam 19. Mephibosheth says in v 26 “O king, my servant deceived me.”Ziba told Mephibosheth and lie and then told David a lie to cover up his lie. He was a liarMephibosheth assumed his servant was honorable, and so did David- Why wouldn’t he?But he wasn’t He was a self-serving miscreant. Most agree he wanted to be seen as the last heir to Saul so he could claim land and influence.That’s why liars typically lie- they want influence, valuables, or notoriety to get the former.You probably already know this- but God doesn’t like liars or lies.Proverbs 19:9 A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who speaks lies shall perish.Psalm 101:7 He who works deceit shall not dwell within my house; He who tells lies shall not continue in my presence.Jesus even went so far to say in John 8:44 that Satan is the father of lies.

Colossians 3:9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds,Ephesians 4:25 Therefore, putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.What does it mean to you?First off- Don’t be a liar. No one likes a liar. There’s no need to lie, but people do it for many reasons- Protect their image, denigrate another (to increase their image), Deflect attention to someone else, And just like Ziba- be trying to influence you so they can get what they wantDon’t be that person. Don’t be a liar. The problem with a liar, is that you can never trust them.But what should you do to the liar? Expose them? Always be distrustful? No- Be you.Love the liar- Liars are people too- God will deal with them- You don’t have to work it so hard4 So the king said to Ziba, “Here, all that belongs to Mephibosheth is yours.”And Ziba said, “I humbly bow before you, that I may find favor in your sight, my lord, O king!”David took Ziba at his word- He gets found out in 2 sam 19- but David can’t worry about itWho Ziba is will be found out eventually- and so will every liar in your life- And if you’re a liar, you will be found out as well. It just takes time. Liars can never keep their stories straightLove em- 1 Cor 13:7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.If your heart is in the right place- you probably get lied to all the time- because you are not cunning Titus 1:15 To the pure all things are pure,Now- some will say- what if I KNOW they are lying- deal with it accordingly- I’m just saying-

you cant live your life thinking everyone is lying to you- being a sleuth- let God deal w them

If you find out someone is lying- love em anyway- Don’t trust em- but love em,1 Pet 4:8 And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”Prov 25 21-22 If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat; And if he is thirsty, give him water to drink; 22 For so you will heap coals of fire on his head, And the Lord will reward you.

Second difficult person- Shimei the son of Gera

https://youtu.be/fwn8Uw9gnfY

Prison pen pal (Colossians 1:1-8)        *Verses in New Living Translation (NLT)*

Small Group Quesitons

Who are you encouraging to be a better Christian?

Do you support and encourage missions? Do you have a relationship with a missionary?

What missionaries do you pray for?

What are you doing to bring the gospel to the world?

Context/history:

- Last week we finished the Book of Acts, and it ended with Paul as a prisoner in Rome.

- This week we start the Book of Colossians. A “prison letter” written by Paul during that time.

- This letter is written to the Church in Colosse, a young and faithful church of mostly Gentiles. They were dealing with the influences of false teachings detracting from the all-sufficiency of Christ.

- Paul has actually never met them in person, but he knows them through Epaphras, who learned the Good News through Paul, and brought it home to Colosse, basically “planting” that church.

- The theme of this letter is that Christ is all sufficient, and above all things. Christians are made complete in Him alone, needing nothing else for salvation.

- Read Colossians 1:1-8

#1. Paul’s letter brings encouragement.

- Paul says things like, “May God give you grace and peace… We always pray for you… We have heard of your faith in Christ and love for God’s people.” and mentions their confident hope in heaven.

- This must have been so encouraging to here! Relatively new believers, still figuring out this church thing, faithful but also enduring constant pressure from the culture to compromise their beliefs.

- It’s like Paul is saying, “I see you, you have a great foundation, so don’t give up on doing good!”

- Example: I need this in my life! I thrive off of genuine positive encouragement. That’s why BOOT CAMP was so hard. Nothing but a constant threat of punishment for failure.

          - Only motivated to avoid punishment, not to obtain the reward.

          - Fear produces a short-term gain, but a long-term loss. (Negative bias, not wanting to try…)

- I learned the hard way what NOT to do, but I was never confident if I was doing the right things correctly. (Like learning how to march. “I AM leaning back and strutting!!”)

- The discipline I learned has been supremely valuable, but the method of delivery was damaging… but it didn’t have to be.

- (Could have been worse: Korean war vet who got butt stroked for messing up…)

- In today’s scriptures, Paul focuses them on the hope of heaven, not the fear of hell.

- Paul says, “…just as it changed your lives from the day you first heard and understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace.”

- 1 Thess. 5:9-11, For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us. 10 Christ died for us so that, whether we are dead or alive when he returns, we can live with him forever. 11 So encourageeach other and build each other up, just as you are already doing.

- Romans 15:13, I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.

- This is in no way saying that godly discipline is not n...

https://youtu.be/i1OIH3rdxRA

A Beautiful Pattern

Small Group Questions

Does your walk with Christ present itself as a “pattern of faithfulness”?  Do you worship God in the good and bad times?  Give some examples. If you have been faithful what things helped keep you there?  If not what things do you think drew you away?Do you fact check the sermons you listen to?  How much time do you spend? What resources do you use?What have you done with the gifts and resources God has given you? 

A Beautiful Pattern

Acts 28:16-31

Luke’s history of the early church is brought to an end here. What happened to Paul is generally thought to be the following. Paul remained in confinement for 2 years under house arrest. He was able to receive visitors and preach the gospel. During this time, he wrote the letters to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and to Philemon. In app. AD 63 Paul was acquitted and released. For the next two years he continued his missionary endeavors. During this period he wrote 1 Timothy and Titus. Paul was again arrested in AD 67, taken back to Rome. He wrote 2 Timothy during his second imprisonment in Rome. His imprisonment ended with his martyrdom under the Roman Emperor Nero, tradition says by beheading.

The book of Acts breaks off suddenly, with no formal conclusion to what God continued to do through the Holy Spirit and the apostles. Yet, God intends that the acts of the Spirit and the preaching of the gospel continue in the lives of Christ’s people until the end of the age.

The book of Acts then reveals God’s beautiful pattern of what the church should do and be. He has given us examples of the faithfulness of believers, the triumph of the gospel against the opposition of the enemy and the power of the Holy Spirit operating in the church and among God’s people.

This is God’s pattern for present and future churches, and we must faithfully proclaim it and live it.

Acts records:

1. A pattern for the faithfulness of the believer

What is said of Jesus should be said of His people. Jesus life was marked by His faithfulness to the will of the Father, and so should ours.

Paul arrived in Rome in chains and only after setbacks, storms, shipwreck and many trials. Paul remained faithful, even though God did not make his way easy or trouble free.

Book titled, “Not a Fan”- are you a fan or a follower? The difference between those who dabble around Christianity and those who have died to self and are born again; those who are a fan of the Savior and follow His miracles until they get what they want and those who follow Him to the cross.

The call of the faithful is to die to self. It’s the common theme of our church. We cannot have His resurrection power, unless we are crucified with Him. If you are to identify yourself with Jesus, you must first identify with His suffering and death.

Galatians 2:20 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC)

20 I have been crucified with Christ [in Him I have shared His crucifixion]; it is no longer I who live, but Christ (the Messiah) lives in me; and the life I now live in the body I live by faith in (by adherence to and reliance on and complete trust in) the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me.

Paul was a faithful follower until he departed from this world and he left us with a beautiful pattern that we can follow. His prison letters to the churches in Phillipi, Ephesus and Colosse reveal a victorious man who surrendered all in order to be found faithful in Christ....

https://youtu.be/u2e0rbURhYk

 the Conspiracy grew strong 2 sam 15:1-12

We live in the age of the conspiracy theory- Conspiracy theories have been around for a long time- JFK Assassination, 9/11, Viet Nam, Global War on Terror, Presidential race, and now Covid5g, Bill Gates, Came from Chinese Lab, created as Bio weapon, US Military imported it into China, GMOs, Covid-19 doesn’t exist, Deep State is manipulating it, Big plot by big pharma, death ratesWhere do conspiracy theories come from? Feeling powerless, need to explain unlikely events, dispute mainstream politics,  Coping mechanismLots of this going on- Here’s the reality- Covid is real. May not being managed well, and we’re all suffering the effects of it with little to no large control over it.  We’ll get through it- Hold on to GodIts not a conspiracy. Its real. Today we read a story that is real as well.- Its not a conspiracyAbsalom want to take down his father David as King- He wants the power and wants every to love and serve him.  He wants to be in control, subvert David’s leadership, be the KingIts not a theory. It’s a fact. “and the conspiracy grew strong” The difference between a theory and an actual conspiracy is that its clear from the evidence that there are conspirators causing harm and its clear on this one!Absalom wants to steal the hearts of the men of Israel- He set out to do it and accomplished itAbsalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel: Absalom's cunning campaign worked. He became more popular and more trusted than David.

Let me say this first- We’re to lift up Jesus- not ourselves- John 12:32  And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”We’re to protect ourselves from deception: Romans 16:18 For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.Take Heed Mt24:4 And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you.Beware Mt 7:15  “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.What we’re talking about today is the spirit of Absalom- You may have not heard this before, but people will say things like “He’s got an Absalom spirit” and use this as an example of what it isYou want to NOT be an Absalom, but you ALSO don’t want to fall prey to the spirit of Absalom- so there’s things I want you to think about today-1- Where is the spirit of Absalom in my heart and 2. how can I protect myself from not being sucked into the depravity of an Absalom spiritYou will find the Absalom spirit in family relationships- kids turning on kids, parents working against each other subverting each otherAt work with the boss or leadership. At CHURCH with the pastor or other leadersWhen I say “the spirit of Absalom” its not some demonic force sense- its just giving this mindset a name- Don’t get all weird about it- You know it when you see it- This just puts a name to itThe spirit is a divisive, controlling, self worshipping spirit that desires satisfaction of the flesh, destruction of God’s holy order, self rule and self promotion.It is very selfish spirit and mindset because it focuses on the self more than God and others They seek their own- 1 Cor 10:24 Let no one seek his own, but each one the other’s well-being.They don’t seek after Jesus Ph 2:21 For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus.1 cor 13:5 says love does not self-seeking- and that’s what this spirit is- self- seeking

Here’s what you have to understand- The Absalom Spirit Is attractive- It looks goodThe idea that the Absalom spirit is attractive isn’t to say that everyone who has this spirit is attractive, but you’re attracted to it- It makes you feel desired, and you are drawn to the person who has it- they make it loo...

https://youtu.be/MIDoqh-m98E

Small Group Questions

#1.  What’s the biggest life interruption you’ve had in the last 10 years?  How did you handle it?

#2.  What is your emotional response to interruptions?#3.  Have you ever used an interruption to share the gospel?  Describe that situation. #4. How can you better allow God to interrupt your life with His plan?

Interrupted…                                            Acts 28:7-15

Recap:

Paul has already been promised that he will make it RomeOn the ship, he warns them that they should not set sail- they don’t listen – “Men, I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on – Shipwreck, loss of Cargo and danger” – But they didn’t listenShip gets into some crazy weatherPaul reassures them that it will be ok, however as promised there will be loss of stuff and even the shipShip crashes, soldiers want to kill all prisoners but the leader says no since he wanted to spare Paul – Remember, God has said Paul was going to make it RomeThe native received them well – Unusually kindPaul is bitten by a poisonous snake, and doesn’t die – they now think he is godThe island chief welcomes them and for 3 day threw a party for themPaul heals Publius’s dad – God’s power is seenSick people in the Island are healedPaul and the crew are treated very well for 3 months and are sent out with Everything they neededPaul sails to Rome and he is welcomed by some believers

When I read this and look at the things that Paul and the crew had to go through, I can’t help but see interruptions everywhere

I think we can all identify by saying that there has never been a time in our lives that we have been so interruptedGod has spoken His promises “ a thousand may fall on at my side, ten thousand a the right hand, but it will not come near me” – But the storm looks really bad right now LordTrying to hold on to your promisesYet, we see jobs been lost, and even though we know we will get to the shore, just like Paul, the question is what is going to be left?Are we going to lose everything and how do we get started?This is such an interruption in our livesI am here to give you hope!The setupFolks, God is in the business of setup – “ Psalms 37:23 -The steps of a good man are [a]ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way.Paul gets there, he is not lost in the sea despite the turmoil that they faced (1st setup)Gods Word that He gave Paul is held true- Ship is wrecked, and they lost stuffPaul is bitten by a snake immediately when he gets there; timing is everything (2nd Setup)This was a door way to having the natives listen to him“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change”

The Island Chief dad gets ill and he is healed (3rd Setup)The people are healed (Boom! - he gets to people’s hearts)What has God setup for you in this Covid-19 season?Do we see it as an opportunity or an interruption?Is this Covid -19 a setup? How are you looking at it?David was out doing what his father had asked him toHe doing the right thing day in day outBut there was an interruption – Bears and Lions would attack the sheep1 Samuel 17:34-36 ~But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep his father’s sheep, and when a lion or a bear came and took a lamb out of the flock, 35 I went out after it and struck it, and delivered the lamb from its mouth; and when it arose against me, I caught it by its beard, and struck and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both lion and bear; and this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, seeing he has defied the armies of the living God.”David did not think ...oh man, I am practicing how to kill a giant and that will project me to be a favorite KingSome of you are being prep...

https://youtu.be/u-CR3lOhvd8

2 Sam 14:25-34

What is a Barley fieldSimply put- a distraction. Something that is becoming your focus and keeping you from hearing the voice of the Lord.A barley field is anything that you value above hearing and responding to the voice of the LordCalling you to anything- When God calls- we answer-Abasalom had every right to call on Joab, but Joab refused t o listen so Abasalom burned his field to get his attentionJeremiah dealt with this in Jer 25:3-11Not Listening- 3 “From the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, even to this day, this is the twenty-third year in which the word of the Lord has come to me; and I have spoken to you, rising early and speaking, but you have not listened.Jeremiah 6:10  To whom shall I speak and give warning, That they may hear? Indeed their ear is uncircumcised, And they cannot give heed. Behold, the word of the Lord is a reproach to them; They have no delight in it.Jeremiah 13:10  This evil people, who refuse to hear My words, who follow[a] the dictates of their hearts, and walk after other gods to serve them and worship them, shall be just like this sash which is profitable for nothing.The First commandment was “Thou shalt have no other Gods before me”We read this stuff and we think of golden calves and asheroth poles. Serving a false savior or GodBut People serve many false Gods- A false God is anything that you 1. Love more than God 2. Trust more than God 3. Worship more than God 4. Give more attention than God 5. Desire more than God 6. Give allegiance more to than God Look at the idols of America:

1.Americanism- the identity and protection of our national identity. Not bad to be proud of your country- its bad to love your country more than Jesus and have your loyalty to it than HIM

2.Materialism- The amassing of stuff- needless trinkets and consumer purchases- Nothing wrong with having or liking nice stuff, but to what end? An expense that you don’t need?

Think about this- what new clothes have you bought specifically during this time to be able to show someone at work, school, or church if you’ve been on lockdown?

3.Money and wealth- The innate focus on how much you do or don’t have, worry about future purchases. Trust in the stock market, gas prices, real estate market, business trends etc- what about our national economy? What will we do?

Who do you trust? God can make deserts in the wilderness?

4.Family- The love of and protection of family or the love and support at the expense of the truth of the Gospel- deep desire for intimate love relationships

5.Sports. Professional and kids sports. The idea that a person who is good at a sport has some inherent spiritual value higher than a person in your life. Deep desire for kids to excel

6.Education- Learning is key- more knowledge- more influence- more power- more money

7.Fantasy- being stuck in a fantasy world in your mind fueled by social media and TV

8. Careers- What is my job, identity, to get materialism, money, family, education, and fantasies!

Those are just a few- I could go on and on- Those are IDOLS- Things that people LOVE above the LORDAll of them are barley fields- Something that needs to be burned down to get our attentionGod will do it. He’ll burn down anything he needs to get our attention-31 Then Joab arose and came to Absalom’s house, and said to him, “Why have your servants set my field on fire?”Some people are saying that right now? Why Has God set my field on fire? What did I do wrong?

Why Does God burn barley fields?

https://youtu.be/U84j8FUF270

Small Group Questions

Describe a time when your faith was tested?

Describe a time when God answered your prayers? Was it the answer you wanted? How did it turn out?

Have you ever felt there was a time that God protected you? Describe that situation.

Is your faith strong enough to face the big trials of this life? If not what things could you do the strengthen your faith?

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“Tested, but not defeated” - Sermon, Marcus Ford

- Speak about context

At this point of scripture, Paul and others escaped the ship they were sailing to Rome on,  that crashed into Malta. This ship had 276 people on it, there were soldiers, a Roman centurion, the helmsman, an owner, and Paul (who is a prisoner) with others.

The ship became stuck, hitting land or rocks of the island and was torn apart by the waves of the storm. All 276 men had to escape and swim to shore, on different objects and broken parts of the ship.

Reaching the shore, they noticed that the people of Malta were showing unusual kindness. It says, the natives saw the rain, knew it was cold, saw the ship wreck, so they started a fire for them to keep warm. On shore, and as the fire is going, Paul goes to add more wood to the fire… and a viper bites his hand. The people said, “No doubt this man is a murderer, whom though he escaped the sea, but justice does not allow him to live”. But Paul shook the snake off and suffered no harm.

They expected Paul to die. As time passed, they were all watching… Like any moment now… this man, this prisoner will soon be dead. But Paul didn’t die. Then after, the people of Malta concluded, that Paul was a god.

These are the versus we are covering tonight, of his voyage to Rome. But I also, want to include some details of the back story, to why, and how he gets here.

Paul is sailing to Rome to appeal his case matter to Caesar, because he was arrested back in Jerusalem, in Acts 21. He was arrested because, Jews of Asia, stirred up an entire crowd in a temple, with cries and false allegations against Paul… to have him arrested.

From that arrest, before getting to this point of scripture, he faces roman guards, faced a board of council members with pharisees and Sadducees, he faced governor Felix…and governor Felix sided with the Jews and wanted to do them a favor, and left Paul in prison for 2 years! During that time, Felix tried to get money from Paul for early release, but Paul wouldn’t be bribed. Then Felix was replaced by governor Porcius Festus, Then Paul faced Festus. Then soon after, he faced Herod Agrippa 2nd, (This is SON of Herod Agrippa 1st) the one who killed James, and arrested Peter Back in Acts 12. After facing Herod, Paul then sets sail to Rome, through a messy storm, spending days on the water, with others that thought they were going to die, but they made to this point, of ship wrecking in Malta.

That is the quick back story of why he is a prisoner, who he has faced so far, where he is going and how he got to this point. But the plan is to reach Rome.

All these series of events going on in Paul’s life, is God’s will and plan for him.

If you read through the chapters of Acts, you notice that, throughout Paul’s journey and mission he shares his testimony and preaches the gospel…all while continuously facing trials! Trials with Jews, Gentiles, Seduces, Pharisees, Council members, Governor Felix & Festus,

https://youtu.be/O5Ehm6KUeYM

Today is Easter- The day we set aside to commemorate the day that Jesus rose from the deadIf you don’t know the Easter story- let me give you a quick synopsisJesus Christ, born of the Virgin Mary, had about a 3 year ministry in which he performed Signs and Miracles to draw people to hear the good news- That was- God was reconciling himself to man through his son, Jesus Christ- Jesus spent most of his ministry preaching to people that the Kingdom of God was here and that they should turn to GodThe Jewish religious leaders at the time brought legal charges against him because he claimed to be God and broke Jewish law- He had committed no crime because he was God in the flesh. They crucified him even tho he was innocent of all charges.Jesus crucifixion was the blood penalty paid to God on our behalf for all the sins of mankind.How do we know this? Upon his death, they put Jesus in a tomb and 3 days later he came back from the dead and proved he was God and that we could live forever with him.Jesus declared it, the prophets declared it, the word of God declares it.Today for Easter- I want to focus on one scripture that to me encapsulates the promise of todayMany a Easter has been spent saying WHAT happened and WHY it happened, but we do we do NOW? What do we do the day after Easter?We talk about the tomb, the resurrection, the players. Most if not all of you know the story of the death burial and resurrection of our savior- its central to our faith- but not central to our experience. Jesus commanded us to remember him during communion- but his promises went far past the cross, tomb, and the resurrection.That resurrection power of Jesus was there on that first easter and its still here for us TODAYHow do we live in Jesus the day after Easter? Now that the tomb is empty- now what?(We as Americans are very goal, graduate, get the job, spouse etc, but then what?)John 14:19 “A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also.- BUT HOW DO WE LIVE? we’ll get to it in a minute

THAT’S A PROMISE- BECAUSE HE LIVES WE WILL LIVE ALSO- A GREAT LIVING LIFE IN HIM

Jesus wants you to LIVE after the resurrection- not just exist but to LIVE

There were a lot of statements Jesus made prior to this in John 14He promises mansions in heaven v2 In My Father’s house are many mansions;He promises that he is preparing a place for us I go to prepare a place for you.He promised that he would come back  3 I will come again and receive you to Myself;He Promises that we will go with him to heaven that where I am, there you may be also.He declares he is the only way to heaven- v6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.He declares that he is God in v7 “If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him.”v9  He who has seen Me has seen the Father;He declares the disciples will do greater works than him v12 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do,He declares that HE will answer prayer-  13 And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you [c]ask anything in My name, I will do it.He promises the Holy Spirit-  16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—He promises that he will come to us- 18 I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.And then the greatest promise- “Because I live, you will live also”What a promise! That we will LIVE because of HIM!He loves us and we love HIM by keeping his commandments- 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.

1 Corinthians 15:3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,When Paul  says “First of all” he says “this is the most important”This is the most important message for the Christian and the world to hearGOOD FRIDAY- The BEST DAY EVER-What happened this day changed the course of humanitySome people don’t believe this day- they don’t believe in God, the Bible, or JesusThis is one of the most accurate events in human history. This and the resurrection.We can have full faith and assurance in this story.Rom 5:6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.Christ died at the exact time that God wanted him to. Thousands of years before for US

Today is the day we commemorate “Good Friday” the day that Jesus Christ was crucified for our sinsIt has been called “Good Friday” For hundreds of years. Some say it’s a change from “God’s Friday” some sources see its origins in the term "God's Friday" or Gottes Freitag, while others maintain that it is from the German Gute FreitagMy Favorite is that Greek liturgy "the Holy and Great Friday"We come into Good Friday knowing that Sunday is coming- Knowing that our Savior will rise from the dead, proving that he is God and that he has overcome death for our benefitIn the back of our mind, we see and reflect on the cross but we see it through the lens of the empty tombIt wasn’t the case for the early disciples. Put yourself in their shoes. Here’s a man they gave up everything to follow, who promised them eternal life, and a place with him in paradiseNow he’s arrested, flogged and beaten before their eyes. If I’m them, my hopes and dreams are crushedJesus had spoke to them cryptically Mark 14:58 “We heard Him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands, and within three days I will build another made without hands.’ ”I don’t think the Disciples were the quickest group of men. They struggled with a lot of what Jesus said- this was probably no different- They didn’t understand that Jesus was going to come back from the deadI’m guessing on Friday that they thought it was the end of the story. Their rabbi and teacher put in a tombBut that’s not us. Today is GOOD. Its GREAT. Its hard to celebrate someone’s death, but we CAN celebrate it- We can rejoice in it. We SING about it and LIVE because of it. THE CROSS.Thousands of songs written about the power of the Cross, but it wasn’t the CROSS that had the powerIt was the BLOOD shed on the cross that was the power. We celebrate and rejoice in the GOOD of that day

Its Good because we receive the blood of covering

Romans 3:25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed,The blood that Jesus bled on the cross was payment for our sins.Romans 5: 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.This covering covers all of our, your sins. Everything wrong you’ve ever done and everything you ever will doThat’s GOOD. Its GOOD that your past sins are paid for. Every bad action thought or deed. PAID FORThat’s forgiveness. When you hear things like “Student loan forgiveness” or car or house note forgiven you’d get pretty excited.You’d JUMP UP AND SHOUT- You’d TELL YOUR FRIENDS. Some people don’t realize the guilt and shame they have escaped through the crossThat you’re not going to have to pay what you OWE. I OWE on my house. I OWED on my cars.Weight LIFTEDIts good because of justificationRomans 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.How good it is that we have been justified before God and we can live righteousl...

“No weapon formed”

https://youtu.be/UtoXn_931k8

Small Group Questions

Describe a time when you went through a horrible situation but still had the joy of the Lord?

What actions do you take to combat fear, depression, sickness, the feeling of abandonment, disappointment, and affliction?

In what ways have you died to yourself as a Christian?

What is an area of your life you need to be less selfish in and give over to God?

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Acts 27:39-44

Lots of studies on this portion of Scripture and all agree that the length of this narrative seems out of proportion to its value.

What then is the lesson we can learn from it?

First, it illustrates the providence of God

In bringing Paul safely to Rome circumstances seemed to make this impossible.

Acts 23:11 New King James Version (NKJV)

11 But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, [a]“Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.”

Paul expresses his intention to head straight to Rome from Jerusalem, yet he was arrested in Jerusalem, subjected to endless trials, imprisoned in Caesarea, threatened with assassination, nearly drowned in the Mediterranean, nearly killed by soldiers and bitten by a snake (as we shall soon see). Each incident seemed to be designed to keep him from his God-planned destination. Since Luke concentrates on the storm, remember that the sea in OT represents evil powers in opposition to God. It was not the forces of nature, (water, wind and snake) or the schemes and plans of man which were arrayed against Paul, but the demonic forces at work through them.

Scripture is full of examples of the devil seeking to thwart God’s saving purpose through his people and His Christ. He tried through Pharaoh to drown baby Moses, through Haman to annihilate the Jews, through Herod the Great to destroy the infant Jesus in Bethlehem, and through the Sanhedrin to stifle the Apostolic witness and smother the church at its birth. And now the storm at sea attempted to stop Paul bringing his gospel to Rome, “Paul, you must stand trial before Caesar”

But God obstructed the enemy’s plan and kept him from his purpose.  Luke lets us in on the excitement of his story by letting us into his secret, mainly that Paul in advance would reach Rome. We know from the beginning that he will get there. But as the narrative proceeds and the storm becomes more violent, until all hope is lost, we wonder how on earth he will be rescued. Will he make it? Yes, God said He would and no weapon of the enemy would or could stop him.

Isaiah 54:17

No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord.

What does this mean to you?

Security and final victory are the heritage of each faithful servant of the Lord. The righteousness by which we are justified, and the grace by which we are sanctified, are the gift of God, and the effect of his special love.

There will be weapons formed- Scripture declares it, we have a common enemy that seeks to devour you, deceive you, lie to you, twist God’s Word. The enemy comes to steal kill and destroy,