Sermon notes:

No second chance!  (Matthew 25:1-13)

I.     How you welcome Him does not determine your salvation, it ________________ it (vv.2-12; Luke 8:17). 

A.  The bridegroom represents Jesus (v.1; Mark 2:18-20; John 3:29; Ephesians 5:25-32). 

B.  The __________________________ represent all those who claim Christ as Lord (2 Corinthians 11:2; Revelation 14:4). 

1.  Not everyone called to the wedding feast will share in it (vv.10-12).

2.  The bridegroom’s __________________ will reveal the foolishness of some and the wisdom of others (v.5).

3.  Among the _________________ company of Christ’s disciples, not all will be found to be true followers when He returns (v.11; Matthew 7:21-23).

C.  His return is so sudden, you cannot get ready; you just need to ____________ ready (v.10).

II.    The ______________________ of Christ’s return is essential to Christian living. 

A.  Hypocrites _______________ it; believers ____________________it.

B.  In Scripture, Christ’s return is always a ______________________ to action, never a reason to cease action (v.4; 1 Corinthians 15:58; 1 Thessalonians 5:6).

1.  His _________________ do what they say (v.13a; Mark 1:15-17, 22-27).

2.  Some things we are better off not knowing (v.13b; John 16:12).

C.  “As Christians, we profess, not only to believe and look for, but to live and long for, the _______________________ of Christ, and to act in our whole conversation with a regard to it” (Matthew Henry).

Sermon notes:

Speaking like Jesus (Matthew 23:1-12)

I.     The _____________________ were highly regarded as influencers in Jesus’ day (vv.2-3, 6-7; Matthew 5:20; 16:12; Luke 12:1). 

A.  They went far beyond God’s Law, and often neglected ________________ (v.4; Matthew 27:4; Luke 18:9-14). 

B.  They had come to ________________ the attention their piety had brought them (vv.5-7).

II.    If pride is the problem, Christ is the prescription.

A.  “________________” respect (vv.8-10).

1.  No disciple should be placed on a pedestal (Romans 3:10,23).

2.  Such admiration is spiritually _____________________ (John 12:43).

B.  Speaking like Jesus.

1.  We have __________Teacher, __________ Father, __________ Leader (vv.9-10).

2.  Just as we learn to place God at the center when we speak of salvation, so we should place God at the center of all our conversation (James 4:13-15).

3.  Paul never thanks _______________________.  He thanks God for other disciples (Romans 1:8; Philippians 1:3; Colossians 1:3, etc.).

4.  Pride _____________; humility builds _____________ (vv.8-12).

C.  Jesus makes humility ______________________ (vv.11-12; Philippians 2:5-11).

Sermon notes:

Christ has you covered!  (Revelation 7:9-17)

I.     Clothing ____________________: 

A.  who you are;

B.  how you see yourself.

II.    Clothing was invented ________________.

A.  Nakedness and guiltiness require the same solution:  __________________.

B.  We cannot _______________ ourselves nor _______________ ourselves (Genesis 3:7, 21; Deuteronomy 29:5; Isaiah 61:10; Matthew 6:25-33).

III.   Our clothing in heaven communicates _______________ (v.14).

A.  We are clothed with ________________ (v.14; Galatians 3:27).

B.  Washing our robes in Christ’s blood is not a meritorious work but a picture of ______________. 

C.  White is the color of _____________________: the complete absence of sin and presence of righteousness (Daniel 7:9; Mark 9:3; Revelation 1:14).

Sermon notes:

Truth truly frees (John 8:31-32)

I.     Verse 32 has been called the most __________ verse in the Bible.

II.    Christ’s audience heard verse 32 as an ____________.

A.  Martin Luther defined sin as _______________________.

B.  _____________, not Caesar, is the most despotic master.  

III.   Freedom is not liberty to do _____________________________, but the liberty to do ___________________________.

A.  Freedom results from knowing _______________ (v.32; John 14:6).

B.  Baptism unites you to Christ’s death and His resurrection life (Romans 6:1-4).

IV.   Jesus emancipates you from ____________ tyranny.  “Anything that is not ______________ will not set me free.”  (Martin Luther on verse 36.)  

Sermon notes:

The whole world in His hands (Matthew 22:15-22)

I.     God is _____________________________ (v.21).

A.  “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (v.21).

1.  Caesar’s things = God’s ______________________ authority (civil government/enforce laws/maintain order).

2.  God’s things = God’s _______________________ authority (church/forgiveness of sins/restoration/eternal life).

B.  Neither obligation interferes with the other!  They __________________ (Romans 13:1-7).

II.    The Pharisees employ _____________________, which ironically expresses the truth about Jesus (v.16; cf. John 11:49-51).

A.  Jesus is the __________________ of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15).

B.  He is the firstborn of many brethren (Romans 8:29).

III.   “Render” means to “_________________________,” implying that taxes are a _________________ that is owed.

A.  “If we avail ourselves of the lawful protection [of Caesar], we cannot complain if we are required to render” (Hilary of Poitiers).

B.  The Lord _________________, and the Lord ________________ (Job 1:21; cf. Luke 12:20).

IV.   God is _______________________ dominant (Psalm 98:1; 118:15-16; 138:7; Isaiah 41:10; Acts 7:56; Romans 8:34).

Sermon notes:

Equal pay for unequal work: God’s stewardship examined (Matthew 19:29-20:16)

I.     Would God’s “payroll practice” be illegal today?

A.  The Equal Pay Act (1963).

B.  Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (1964).

C.  Answer: _____________, but . . . .

II.    The problem is __________________ treatment (v.12). 

A.  The default/natural religion of humanity:  you receive what you __________________.

1.  This law is written on our hearts (Romans 2:15).

2.  It takes an ____________________ parable for the Lord to reveal how gracious He is (vv.1-15)!

B.  The religion of the gospel:  you receive what God ___________________________ through faith alone in Christ (Romans 3:28).

1.  “God wants to deal with us not according to our works but according to His __________________” (Luther).

2.  The last become first through no merit of their own.  The first       become last by their ____________________ to grace (vv.9-12).

C.  God is not only steward; He is __________________ (v.15).

D.  God’s goal of _____________________ (vv.39,16; Exodus 16:18; Acts 4:34-35; Luke 1:52,53).

III.   Application.

A.  Pledge Sunday.

B.  The _______________________ of good works.

Sermon notes:

Managing God’s mercy  (Matthew 18:21-35)

I.     Background.

A.  ___________ is the refusal to give what one owes (v.30;  Matthew 6:12; Romans 13:7; 15:27; Ephesians 5:22,25; 6:1-2). 

B.  To forgive is to _______________ someone from the retribution and retaliation they deserve (v.27).

C.  The immediate context: forgiving personal offenses (Matthew 18:15-20).

II.    What limits should we place on love/forgiveness (v.21; Matthew 18:15-18)?

A.  The rabbis: you should forgive up to _____________ times.

B.  Peter: up to seven times?

C.  Jesus:  _________________ forgiveness (v.22).

III.   Why?

A.  Our debts are so immense that they are humanly _________________ (v.24).  

B.  God’s heart is moved by our need (v.27).

IV.   The parable teaches the _____________________ of the forgiven (v.33).

A.  Brotherly love is not the cause of salvation, but it should be a ____________________ of it (Ephesians 2:8-10).

1.  The less we appreciate God’s forgiveness, the less we will forgive (vv.28-30).

2.  The threat of judgment reminds us of our continual need for _________________ (vv.32-35; Matthew 6:15; Galatians 3:24).

B.  We are __________________ of God’s mercy/money/resources.

V.    The practicalities of forgiveness.

A.  Face your pain (Matthew 5:4).

B.  Understand the truth:  see yourself as the offender (v.33; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:10).

C.  Verbalize/write down your choice to forgive (Matthew 18:15).