Sermon notes:

It’s dangerous to believe (Matthew 10:5a, 21-33)

I.     Jesus defines success as ___________________, even in His suffering (v.25).

II.    Your fears have no foundation.  

A.  ___________ will not remain hidden (v.26; Luke 8:17). 

B.  Men are not worthy of your fear; __________ alone is (v.28; Proverbs 29:25).

1.  Fear of God _________________ the fear of men (Genesis 39:9; Daniel 3:16-18).

2.  “Perfect love casts out fear” (1 John 4:18).

A.  Servile fear (v.28; 1 John 4:18).

B.  Filial (childlike) fear (Ephesians 4:30). 

C.  You are never without _______________ (v.29).

III.   A heart that ___________ and ___________ God cannot help but to confess publicly what Jesus has done and said (vv.27,32; Matthew 12:34b).

Sermon notes:

Compassion in action (Matthew 9:35-10:20)

I.     Israel’s suffering (9:35-38).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

A.  “harassed”= ________________ (v.36).

B.  “helpless”  = ________________ (v.36).

II.    Jesus responds (9:36ff.; Ezekiel 34:1-16).   

A.  He __________ (v.36; Genesis 16:13; Exodus 3:7).  

B.  He was ____________ (“compassion,” splanchnizo:  a tug at the heart, an inward, visceral distress).

1.  Compassion is _____________________ of Christ (14:14; 15:32; 18:27; 20:34; Philippians 2:1; Isaiah 63:9).

2.  His compassion is ____________________ (Matthew 1:21; Romans 5:8; 1 John 2:2).

3.  His compassion is the ______________ of all mission.

C.  He ____________ of Israel’s need (v.37).

D.  He commands ____________ (v.38).

E.  He ____________ (vv.5,16; Exodus 3:10; Matthew 28:18-20; Isaiah 6:8). 

1.  Acceptance of the messenger = acceptance of the message (vv.12-13a; Matthew 25:34-40).

2.  Rejection of the messenger = rejection of the message (vv.13b-15; Matthew 25:41-46).

3.  This division of humanity is already underway.

Sermon notes:

Sinners need a physician also (Matthew 9:9-13)

I.     The healing ministry of Jesus (Matthew 9:1-8) is an illustration of His most important mission—healing ____________ broken by sin (vv.10-12). 

A.  Forgiveness matters because of what it accomplishes—the restoration of _________________  (vv.9-12; Luke 15:11-24).

B.  It is often those who are _____________ physically, emotionally, and             relationally who recognize their need for God’s help (Matthew 11:5).   

C. It is the socially and morally ______________ who often humble themselves more readily than religious people. 

II.    Jesus is not ashamed to be associated with those most _____________ by their peers (vv.10-12; Luke 19:5-7).

A.  Nor is He ashamed to be associated with __________ and ____________________.

1.  Like the best schools, Jesus is very ______________, but not in the way  we expect. 

2.  Jesus came to lift the _____________ (Luke 4:18-19; 1 Corinthians 1:26ff.). 

B.  The good physician goes where He is ____________, yet He reaches out to those who assume they are “well” (v.13).

Sermon notes:

The whole world in His hands (Matthew 28:16-20)

I.     Christians live between ____________ and doubt (v.17; Matthew 14:31). 

A.  Jesus ________________our doubts (v.18).

B.  Our doubts do not disqualify us from __________________ (v.19).

II.    “________________” is Matthew’s favorite noun to describe Jesus (v.18; Matthew 7:29; 8:9; 9:6, 8; 10:1; 21:23,24,27).

A.  “_______” authority means there is simply no other power to speak of (Deuteronomy 32:39; John 19:10-11).

B.  “one like a son of man . . . was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an   everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed” (Daniel 7:13-14).

III.   Universal authority enables universal mission (vv.19-20).

A.  We have been saved to _______________ (Exodus 7:16; 8:1; Ephesians 2:8-10).

B.  “Make disciples.”

1.  _________________ in the Trinitarian name (v.19).

2.  _________________ all that He has commanded (v.20).

3.  Through these means, God is restoring His ___________ in us (Genesis 1:26-27; Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:10).

C.  Jesus is “________________” (v.20; Matthew 1:23

Festival and fulfillment (John 7:37-39)

I.     Promises made.

A.  The Lord will make rivers flow out of ________________ (Isaiah 43:19-20)

B.  The Lord will pour out His Spirit on all Israel’s offspring (Isaiah 44:3-4; Joel 2:28-29).

C.  The Lord Himself is the __________ of living waters (Jeremiah 2:13; Isaiah 55:1) and  living waters will flow out from Jerusalem and the Lord’s Temple (Ezekiel 47:1-12; Joel 3:18; Zechariah 14:8-9; John 2:21).

D.  Festivals traditionally look backward, but God’s festivals also look _____________.

II.    Promises fulfilled.

A.  Jesus invites to Himself all who ____________ (v.37; Matthew 5:3-4,6; Luke 4:18-19; 5:31-32; 18:13) 

B.  “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (v.38) may refer both to the ___________ and to the ______________.  Either way, Jesus is the source of the living water/Holy Spirit (v.37; John 4:10-14).

1.  Punctuation and meaning.

a.  Let’s eat, Grandpa!

b.  CANYOUREADTHIS

2.  Throughout Scripture, ____________ and the Holy Spirit are inseparably bound together (vv.37-39; Genesis 1:2; Isaiah 44:3-4; Ezekiel 36:25-27; John 3:5; Acts 2:38; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Revelation 22:17).

C.  The Holy Spirit comes only by means of _______________ (v.39; Exodus 17:6 and 1 Corinthians 10:4; John 19:31; 1 John 5:7-8).

D.  The Spirit flows __________ Jesus and ____________ us to others (Galatians 5:22; 1 Corinthians 13:4-7; 1 John 4:19).

Sermon notes:

Familiarity and the Fatherhood of God  (John 17:1-11)

I.     Christ’s High Priestly Prayer (John 17:1-26).

A.  It’s context:

1.  Christ’s Farewell Discourse (i.e. His Word; John 14-16);

2.  Christ’s Prayer (John 17:1-26)

B.  It’s structure:

1.  Jesus prays for ________________ (vv.1-5).

2.  Jesus prays for ________________ (vv.6-19).

3.  Jesus prays for ________________ (vv.20-26).

C.  Its importance:  by His Word and prayer, Christ sanctifies ___________ (“Everything is sanctified by the Word of God and prayer,” 1 Timothy 4:4-5; John 15:3).

II.    The forms of address you employ reveal your ____________________ with others.

A.  Humanity and a growing intimacy with God.

1.  “God Almighty” (El Shaddai) (Exodus 6:3a).

2.  “LORD” (Yahweh) (Exodus 6:3b). 

3.  “Father” (vv.1,5,11).

B.  Jesus addresses God as Father because He is the one and only____________.

1.  Fathers _____________.

2.  Sons _____________.

C.  Christ’s work is to reveal God as Father so that we might be sanctified as God’s ____________ (Luke 15:11-32; Galatians 3:26).

Sermon notes:

Satan’s pink slip:  what Christ’s ascension means (Revelation 12:1-2)

I.     A “great” sign appeared in heaven (vv.1-2).

A.  The Lord’s people are often symbolized by a _____________ (v.1; Isaiah 54:1; 62:1-5; Galatians 4:26; Ephesians 5:25-32; Revelation 21:2).

B.  Twelve and multiples of twelve are associated with God’s _____________ (v.1; Genesis 35:22; Mark 3:14; Acts 1:26; Revelation 7:4-8).

II.    Another sign appeared (vv.3-6).

A.  The dragon symbolizes ______________ (vv.3-9).

B.  Diadems were worn by kings claiming ______________.

C.  He seeks to destroy the woman’s Child, but the Child ascends to God’s throne (v.5; Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9).

D.  The dragon vents his wrath against ___________________ (vv.6,12b).

III.   War arose in heaven (vv.7-12a).

A.  “Devil” means _________________; “Satan” means _________________(v.9).

B.  He is defeated and cast out of heaven by the blood of the Lamb (vv.8-9).

C.  Christ’s death has turned all of Satan’s true accusations into ____________!

IV.   Heaven determines ______________ (v.12b).

Sermon notes:

Life in the age of the Spirit  (John 14:1, 15-23)

I.     Christ ______________, He does not question, His disciples love for Him (v.15).

A.  Christ’s disciples are those who let themselves be loved by Him (John 13:1-8).

B.  Faith makes love possible, and love expresses itself in __________________ (vv.1,14; Galatians 5:6; 1 John 4:19).

II.    Christ’s departure inaugurates the coming of the Spirit (John 7:39; 16:5-7).

A.  The Son ________________ the Spirit’s presence (v.16).

B.  “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you ________________ Helper (v.16).

III.   Our need of the Spirit (John 16:7).

A.  The time for our God-given _________________ guidance system is past (i.e. the Law; Galatians 3:24-27).

B.  The time for our God-given _________________ guidance system has come (i.e. the Spirit; vv.17,23; Galatians 4:1-6; 5:18-25).

1.  The world _______________ truth (v.17; John 2:23-25; 3:19-20; 18:38). 

2.  Believers are ___________________ to respond to truth (v.17; John 10:27; 16:13; 18:37).

C.  Jesus will reveal Himself to the world through ______________ (vv.17,22-23).

Sermon notes:

Heavenly homesickness (John 14:1-14)

I.     Why are the disciples so troubled (anxious/fearful) (v.1a)?

A.  “Yet a little while I am with you . . . Where I am going you cannot come” (John 13:33).

B.  “Truly, truly, I say to you [Peter], the rooster will not crow until you have       denied Me three times” (John 13:38). 

C.  Pre-emptive homesickness: anxiety over an anticipated _________________.

1.  Christ has become the disciples’ surrogate ________________(Matthew 12:46-50).

2.  They have ____________ everything for Him (Matthew 19:27).

II.    ____________ is the antidote to anxiety.

A.  “Believe in God; believe also in Me” (v.1b). 

B.  Heaven is the ultimate _________________ (v.2).

C.  Jesus departs temporarily only to return ________________ _ (vv.2-3). 

1.  ______________ has no place in God’s house until Christ’s work of  preparation (Genesis 3:22-24).

a.  Jesus is the Father’s ____________________ of Himself (vv.7-11). 

b.  Jesus is the __________________ of the Father (vv.10-11; John 5:23). 

c.  What the prophets looked forward to, we experience firsthand (v. 7; Isaiah 11:9; 40:5; Jeremiah 31:34; Habakkuk 2:14).

2.  “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man” (Revelation 21:3-4; 22:1-5).

3.  Our destination is _______________ (v.6; Luke 23:43; Philippians 1:23).

Sermon notes:

If Jesus is our shepherd, we are His ___________?  (John 10:1-10)

I.     ________________ are vulnerable (Matthew 9:36-38; 10:16-18).

A.  Anti-Christian bigotry (It’s Dangerous to Believe, by Mary Eberstadt; etc.).

B.  Thieves, robbers, and other strangers (vv.1,5,8,10a). 

C.  A sheep’s greatest enemy is _______________ (Isaiah 53:6a; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:10).

II.    Jesus is the ____________ Shepherd (v.11; Isaiah 53:6b).

A.  He calls us into His _______________ (v.1; Matthew 18:20; Malachi 3:16; “The mutual conversation and consolation of the brethren” Martin Luther).

B.  Jesus is ___________ Door (vv.7,9; John 14:6; Acts 4:12).

C.  Voice-recognition spirituality (v.3; the man born blind—John 9:1-41).