Grace Bible Church, of Seabrook, MD Sermons

Malachi 2.1-9

A Heart Healed (Malachi 2.1-9)

1. Honor God’s Character (Heart/Affections) (1-6)

2. Preserve Clear Instruction (Mind) (7-9)

3. Gather . . .

Malachi’s Path to Clear Thinking: Who Doesn’t Want Life, Peace, Awe, Honesty, Uprightness, and Mentoring? (2.1-6)

1. Guard Knowledge (2.7a)

2. Seek Instruction (2.7b)

3. Accept the Need for a Messenger/Mediator (2.7c)

4. Avoid Stumbling People (2.8)

5. Reject Partiality (2.9)

Romans 11:33-12:21

Acquaint Ourselves with Malachi’s Situation
Trust God’s Affections (Heart) (Malachi 1.1-5)
Own Our Empty, Cheating Heart (1.6-14)
Honor God’s Character (2.1-6)
Preserve Knowledge and Instruction (Head) (2.7-9)

Revelation 21.1-5; 22.1-7

1. Don’t Minimize the Curse (Gen. 3.1-6; Isa. 1.5-6; 53.4-5)

2. Do Maximize Grace (Gal. 4.1-7, 2 Tim. 2.1)

3. Show People Light IN the Darkness (1 John 2.1-10)

   IF we don’t minimize the curse,

   IF we do maximize grace,

   IF we show people light IN the darkness, then we can

   Span the Agonizing Gap!

Isaiah 9.1-7

1. Contrast Two Princes of Peace (Isaiah 9.1-7)

2. Pursue Well Being, Avoid Self-Medicating (Ecclesiastes)

3. Achieve a Peacemaker’s Heart (James 3.13-18)

Luke 2.1-20

1. Respect Joy’s Power (Nehemiah 8.8-12)

   1. Accept God’s Diagnosis of Our Core Problem (8-9)

   2. Nurture Joy by Celebrating Simple Things (10a)

   3. Affirm Joy’s STRENGTH to Transcend Grief (10b)

   4. Believe That Joy is Holy (11-12)

2. Learn from the Original Temptation

3. Shepherd Hearts to True Joy (Luke 2.1-20)

   1. Celebrate Good News (10)

   2. Identify Our Deepest Need (11)

   3. Seek God’s Favor (14)

   4. Act on the Message (15)

   5. Treasure the Incarnation (19)

   6. Ponder the Incarnation (19)

   7. Give God Glory (20)

   8. Give God Praise (20)

Hab. 1.12-2.4

1. Address the foundation (Hab. 1.12-2.4)

   1. Our problem: we cross examine & judge God by our reason.

   2. His Response: trust in the prophecies.

   3. The needed bridges between our reasons and God's prophesies: faith.

2. Prepare for the Advent. (Matt. 3.1-12)

   1. Be willing to be a little weird for Jesus. (3.4)

   2. Embrace change.

   3. Who you think you are is not enough compared to who you need to be.

3. Fix their eyes on the unseen. (2 Cor. 4.16-18)

   1. Faith connects with a reality that reason cannot attain by itself.

   2. Faith is essential to all relationships. Relationships are gambled placed on the character of the one we choose to open up to.

   3. Sooner or later your decisions will reveal whether you value faith enough to gamble on God's character.

4. Overcome their egos. (1 John 1.19-27, 3.22-36; Matt 3.13-15)

   1. Reject pride and the need for your name to be known.

   2. Push through insecurity.

   3. Reject false humility. Who are you to shrink back from who God has called you to be and what He has told you to do?

5. Accept that faith requires faith. (Luke 7.18-28)

   1. Doubt by itself is not the problem. Even John the Baptist doubted.

   2. Doubt is a problem when we require more evidence then we really need to step out and trust God, even with our lives.

Luke 2.25-35

1. Intro: Renounce Lies That Kill Hope (Prov. 13.12)

   1. Lie #1: Something new, naughty, nice, or ‘needed’ will restore my energy

   2. Lie #2: My world is inevitably, inexorably getting better.

   3. Lie #3: “Identity Politics” Will Save Me

   4. Lie #4: The flawed coping mechanism of “Safety-ism”

2. Apply a Prophet’s Insight (Simeon) (Luke 2.25-35)

   1. waiting for the consolation

   2. a light for revelation to the Gentiles

   3. for glory to your people Israel

   4. this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many

   5. a sword will pierce through your (Mary’s) soul also

   6. so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed

3. Follow a Prophet’s Process (Paul) (Rom. 5.1-5)

   1. Choose to rejoice in suffering (remember Simeon’s insights)
      (The fight for your attitude is the first fight you must win. If you have a bad attitude, you are fighting yourself and whatever the actual challenge is)

   2. Suffering produces endurance

      (“Suffering “ is meager rations, hardships, restrictions, anxieties)
      (Safety-ism weakens our constitution)

   3. Endurance produces character

      (validation, dependability)

   4. Character produces hope

4. Gain a Prophet’s Hope (John) (Rev. 19.9-10)

   A Prophet’s Hope Changes Attitude and Perspective

2 Timothy 2.1-13

1. Understand the Generational Dynamic (1 John 2.12-14) “I am writing - I have written”

   1. Children: Know forgiveness - Know the Father

   2. Fathers (Old): Know the Father - Know the Father

   3. Young Men (Young): Overcome the Devil (Flesh, Eyes, Pride) - Be strong. Remain in the Word

2. Pass the Baton (1 Tim. 2.1-13)

   1. Be strong in grace

   2. Commit to faithful men

   3. Endure hardness as a good soldier (Athlete) (Farmer)

   4. Affirm the Uniqueness of the Apostolic Writings

3. Find a Way to Pass the Baton (Sinek Video)

   As in any trial, ask for wisdom (James 1)

   1. ProVision & Culture – Challenges for Millennials

   2. Housing

      1. 58% increase since 2012

      2. 450% increase 1950-2005

   3. Health Insurance – 125% increase since 1999

   4. Education - 213% Increase 1988-2018

   5. Discipleship/Transformation – the True, the Good, and the Beautiful

   6. Strategy – What is the Strategy?

4. Control Your Own Attitude

   Be Willing to Be a Slave for Jesus

   Philippians 2.1-11

   1 Corinthians 9.19-23

   1 Peter 2.11-21

   FAULT versus

   RESPONSIBILITY

Matthew 6.19-34

1. Jesus’ concession to our warped hearts (19-21)
2. A single eye/simple heart is a generous heart (22-23)
3. The binary choice is God or money. Why? (24)
4. We overthink things because of anxiety (25-31)
5. We do have basic physical needs, but only humans stress so much when our basic needs are already met. Why? (32)
6. Learn the manna principle (33-34)
Summary:
Give 10%, Attack Your Debt, Save 10% Long Term
and See God Heal Your Heart!

Psalms 24:1-10

1. Seek Good Examples of Leadership

2. Keep Imitating Jesus

3. Manage Key Vulnerabilities

   1. The AAA Club (Acceptance, Agreement, Attachment)

   2. Catastrophic Thinking/Fear of Evil

   3. Managing Problems (Head) versus Leading People (Heart)

   4. Perspective – The Arrogance of My Point of View

   5. Initiative – Ask, Seek, Knock

   6. Sorrow, Grief, and Repentance

   7. Methodology – Don’t Theologize Your Methodology

4. Follow Well