TITLE: Incarnation Hope

TEXT: John 1:14a

“Incarnation”

“Incarnation is the word used to explain how the second member of the Trinity entered into human history in flesh as the God-man Jesus Christ.”

Incarnation Hope…

1 – FOR EVERYONE LONGING FOR A MIRACLE – V.14a

JI Packer – “The incarnation is more of a miracle than the resurrection because in it somehow a holy God and sinful humanity are joined, yet without the presence of sin. Nothing in fiction is so fantastic as this truth of the incarnation. In Jesus, God enters the human realm. He walks on water, calms storms, heals the sick, feeds the hungry, raises the dead, and conquers the grave.”

The hypostatic union:

- Jesus Christ Has Two Natures: Humanity & deity

Colossians 1:19 says, “In him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell…”

- Jesus is NOT two persons: Both natures are mysteriously & miraculously united in one person

Isaiah 9:6 - “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given ; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”

Hebrews 4:15…“we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.”

Hebrews 4:16 – “ Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”…

2 – FOR EVERYONE LOOKING FOR MEANING – V.14a

Isaiah 57:15 – For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

Ligonier Ministries - “The incarnation is a deep mystery, for we cannot fully understand how God could take on our humanity without giving up any of His deity. We can, however, understand that the incarnation reveals God’s infinite love and grace. He did not leave us alone in our sin but entered into the misery of this fallen world without becoming a sinner Himself in order to rescue us from eternal damnation. We will never tire of thanking and praising Him for this throughout all eternity.”

TITLE: MARVELOUSLY DISTINCT MEANING

Text: 1 Pet 2:9-10

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1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

1 Pet 1:1-5

YOU HAVE A MARVELOUSLY DISTINCT

1) IDENTITY: A PEOPLE CALLED INTO MARVELOUS LIGHT (V9)

Sam Storms: Irrespective of ethnicity, believers have been united by faith in Jesus to be a new people, a new race. This kind of “race” (genos) has nothing to do with ethnicity precisely because this race is composed of every ethnicity. It is a spiritual race, a chosen race, defined not by color or culture but by creed. This race is defined by the One in whom we believe: Jesus.

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6 “For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 7 It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the LORD set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, 8 but it is because the LORD loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.

Deut 7:6-8

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John Piper: “What gives us our identity is not colour or culture. But CHOSENNESS”

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D. H. Wheaton: Throughout the OT, kings and priests were separate individuals. Only Melchizedek and the Messiah combined both offices. Saul sinned when he tried to discharge both functions (1 Sa. 13:5–15). In Christ the Christian can be both.

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ROYAL PRIESTS OFFER SACRIFICES:

a) Of Holy Living (Rom 12:1-2)

12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

b) Of Praise & Generosity (Heb 13:15-16)

15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

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John Piper: You are called now to minister in the presence of God. All your life is priestly service. You are never out of God’s presence. You are never in a neutral zone. You are always in the court of the temple. And your life is either a spiritual service of worship (Romans 12:1–2), or it is out of character.

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5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”

Ex 19:5-6

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21 They will pass through the land, greatly distressed and hungry. And when they are hungry, they will be enraged and will speak contemptuously against their king and their God, and turn their faces upward. 22 And they will look to the earth, but behold, distress and darkness, the gloom of anguish. And they will be thrust into thick darkness. – Is 8:21-22

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The people who walked in darkness have seen a great lig

TITLE – The Family: Restored by the Gospel

TEXT – Matthew 1:18-2:16

Adoption…

1 – REFLECTS THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD – Matthew 1:18-25

Matthew 1:18-25 - Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” … When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.”

Ephesians 1:5 – “…he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will…”

2 – RESISTS THE PLANS OF SATAN – Matthew 2:1-16

​​What can you do today?

Attend the Adoption Info Night: Friday Dec. 2nd @7pm

Give to the Hope Adoption Fund: Christmas offering online/In person Dec.24th

Pray for the orphans of the world: Prayer Meeting, Sunday, Dec.4th

TITLE – The Family: Devastated by Sin

TEXT – Psalm 139:13-16

What is Abortion?

Abortion is the procuring of premature delivery so as to destroy offspring.

- Oxford English Dictionary

Foundational to the health of the family & the society is the understanding that all human beings are made in the image of God, all human life is precious to God and all human life begins at conception

From the moment of conception…

1 – GOD IS CREATIVELY FORMING THE EMBRYO – V.13-14

2 – GOD IS INTRICATELY BUILDING THE FRAME – V.15

3 – GOD IS SOVEREIGNLY ORDAINING THE DAYS – V.16

Nancy Pearcey - “Virtually no professional bioethicist denies that life begins at conception.”

Two arguments/lies at the center of the abortion debate today…

ARGUMENT/LIE #1 – There may be life in the womb, BUT there’s no personhood

ARGUMENT/LIE #2 – The issue is mainly about a woman's right to choose

Joni Erickson-Tada - “Our society has a fundamental fear of disability, and we are letting that fear drive everything from laws and policies to the quiet hints in ob-gyn offices that an unborn child is ‘better off dead than disabled… True, disability is hard – but it can also powerfully unite a family. It can refine a family’s character and set of values. It can force one to see the joy in simple achievements and pleasures. A disability can foster faith, a deeper prayer life, and a respect for God and his Word. Most of all, it can force us into the arms of the Lord of grace. And that’s a good thing. A very good thing.”

Need Help?

Email: [email protected]

TITLE – The Family: Commissioned to Have Children…Physically & Spiritually

TEXT – Genesis 1:28

Jefferey Johnson – “The family as God has designed it, is the backbone of society. How is the next generation to be properly raised up to maturity? How will society function without responsible, disciplined, educated citizens? It is the family that God designed to raise up, discipline, and educate the proceeding generations of individuals.”

The Family: The Foundational Institution of Society….Commissioned to have children:

1 – HAVING CHILDREN IS GOD’S GOOD & NORMAL PLAN – V.28

Three countercultural truths from God’s Word for families:

1A. Children are a blessing, NOT a burden – Psalm 127:3-5

Psalm 127:3-5a - Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.4 Like arrows in the hand of a warrior are the children of one's youth. Blessed is the man who fills his quiver with them!

1B. Jesus loves the little children – Mark 10:13-16

Mark 10:13-16 - And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them.”

Mark 9:36-37 - And he took a child and put him in the midst of them, and taking him in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me, receives not me but him who sent me.”

1C. Parents must bring their children to Jesus – Mark 10:13, Deuteronomy 6:4-9

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 - “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

2 – HAVING PHYSICAL CHILDREN IS NOT ULTIMATE, HAVING SPIRITUAL CHILDREN IS – Genesis 1:28, Matthew 28:19

​​Genesis 1:28 - “…Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth…”

Matthew 28:19 - “Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations…”

Genesis 12:2-3 - And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

Galatians 3:13-14 – “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’—so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit [notice] through faith.”

TITLE – The Family: Established through Marriage

TEXT – Genesis 2:18-25

Jefferey Johnson – “The family as God has designed it, is the backbone of society. How is the next generation to be properly raised up to maturity? How will society function without responsible, disciplined, educated citizens? It is the family that God designed to raise up, discipline, and educate the proceeding generations of individuals.”

George Gilder – “The condition of marriage and family in any given society describes the condition of the entire society. If the family is troubled, then society is troubled. Encouraging and building up the God-ordained institution of marriage and family is, therefore, critical to society.”

The Family: The foundational institution of society, established through marriage…

1 – DESIGNED, ORDAINED & BLESSED BY GOD – V.18-20

Bruce Watke – “Why does God determine that it is not good for Adam to be alone and then give him animals? Should he not have given the woman first? In fact, Adam must realize that it is not good to be alone. Rather than squandering his most precious gift on one who is unappreciative, God waits until Adam is prepared to appreciate the gift of woman.”

2 – ONE BIOLOGICAL MAN, ONE BIOLOGICAL WOMAN – V.21-23

Genesis 1:27 – “So God created man in his own image in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”

Alistair Begg – “In order to build a woman, God had to make man incomplete. He took something out of the man so that the man was now incomplete. He was then made complete by receiving back what was taken out of him.”

Bruce Watke – “The intimacy and harmony that should support the marriage relationship is captured perfectly with this image. In the famous words of Matthew Henry, ‘the woman is not made out of his head to top him, not out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and near his heart to be beloved…. Just as the rib is found at the side of the man and is attached to him, even so the good wife, the rib of her husband, stands at his side to be his helper-counterpart, and her soul is bound up with his.”

3 – MARKED BY LEAVING ONE AUTHORITY STRUCTURE & FORMING A NEW ONE – V.24-25

4 – A POWERFUL PICTURE OF CHRIST & THE CHURCH – Ephesians 5:22-25

Ephesians 5:22-25 – “Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. 25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…”

TITLE – What’s up with Giving?

TEXT – 2 Corinthians 8:1-9, 1 Corinthians 16:1-4

John MacArthur – How people view money is an effective barometer of their spirituality. Money is neither good nor bad in itself; corrupt people can put it to evil uses, while good people can put it to righteous uses. Though it is morally neutral, what people do with their money reflects their internal morality. In the words of Jesus, ‘Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.’”

The Heart that Gives…

1 – IS AMAZED BY GRACE – V.1

2 – IS NOT HINDERED BY DIFFICULTIES – V.2a

3 – IS FILLED WITH JOY & OVERFLOWING – V.2b

4 – IS EARNESTLY SACRIFICIAL – V.3-4

5 – IS AMAZED BY GRACE – V.9

Fred Craddock – The offering for the saints in Judea was for Paul a definite implication of the Incarnation. It is no surprise that the discussion of the one should bring to mind the other. The offering, in fact, provided an occasion for teaching the meaning of Christology, and Christology informed and elicited the offering.”

What we need to know about giving that glorifies God & advances His purposes:

Where to start? Everything belongs to God – Psalm 24:1

Psalm 24:1 , "The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein...”

1 Corinthians 4:7 - "What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?"

- When to give? Consistently – 1 Corinthians 16:1-2

1 Corinthians 16:1-2a– “Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.”

- Who should give? All Believers – 1 Corinthians 16:2

1 Corinthians 16:2b– “Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.”

- How to give? Through the local Church – 1 Corinthians 16:2c

1 Corinthians 16:2c– “Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.”

- How much to give? Amazed by grace, you decide- 1 Corinthians 16:2d

1 Corinthians 16:2d– “Now concerning the collection for the saints: as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you also are to do. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put something aside and store it up, as he may prosper, so that there will be no collecting when I come.”

TITLE: What is Baptism?

TEXT: Various Scriptures

John Piper – “Baptism gets its meaning and its importance from the death of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, in our place and for our sins, and from his triumph over death in the resurrection that guarantees our new and everlasting life. Baptism has meaning and importance only because the death and resurrection of Jesus are infinitely important for our rescue from the wrath of God and our everlasting joy in his glorious presence….We are not mainly talking about religious ritual here. We are not mainly talking about church tradition here. We are mainly talking about Jesus Christ and his magnificent work of salvation in dying for our sins and rising for our justification.”

2 questions to help us understand baptism:

1 – WHAT IS BAPTISM? – Various Scriptures

Ephesians 2:8-9 say - “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

What exactly is Baptism? Baptism is…

1A - An Ordinance of the Christian Faith – Matthew 28:18-20

Matthew 28:18-20 – “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”

1B - A Symbol of Salvation through Water - Various Scriptures

Genesis 8:1-3a - “But God remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided. The fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained, and the waters receded from the earth continually.”

Exodus 14:21-22 - “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.”

Joshua 3:14-17 - “So when the people set out from their tents to pass over the Jordan with the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people… and the feet of the priests bearing the ark were dipped in the brink of the water… the waters coming down from above stood and rose up in a heap very far away…And the people passed over opposite Jericho. Now the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firmly on dry ground in the midst of the Jordan, and all Israel was passing over on dry ground until all the nation finished passing over the Jordan.”

Tim Chester – “John the Baptist has been baptizing people – immersing them in water. We’re told he was ‘proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.’ Gentiles had not been part of the nation that had passed through the waters of the Sea with Moses, nor through the waters of the river with Joshua. So they had to pass symbolically through the water to join God’s people – a kind of accelerated catch-up. But now John is baptizing Jews. These Jews recognize that, in effect, they are like Gentiles. They are wicked. They face God’s judgment. They need forgiveness. They need to be re-born by the Spirit through water. They need to reenter a renewed land. Then Jesus steps forward from the crowd… He is perfect, sinless, spotless…He doesn’t need to repent. He doesn’t need forgiveness. He doesn’t need to be reborn. And yet he steps into the water – the water that symbolizes our sin and our judgment. Jesus steps into our mess, our wickedness, our judgment. He identifies with us….Jesus is symbolically engulfed by the waters of judgment. All those stories from the Old Testament were setting us up for this moment. In his baptism, Jesus identifies with his people and expresses his intent to take the judgment we deserve.”

Tim Chester – “In

Craig Turnbull | 1 Corinthians 11:17-22

TITLE: What is the Purpose of the Church?

TEXT: Acts 2:42-47

The Purpose of the Church is…

1 – THE EXALTATION OF GOD – Various Scriptures

Our Mission – “To glorify God through the fulfillment of the Great Commission in the Spirit of the Great Commandment.”

Isaiah 43:7 – [bring] everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.”

The Westminster Catechism

“What is the chief end of man?”

ANSWER: “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.”

Ephesians 1:3-6 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace…”

Ephesians 3:20-21 – “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

2 – THE EDIFICATION OF THE SAINTS – V.42-47a

The assembly of the saints grow & are edified through:

2A. Right Preaching – V.42a

John Stott – “The Church depends on the truth for its existence; the truth depends on the Church for its defense and proclamation.”

1 Timothy 3:15 – “The church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.”

2 Timothy 4:1-2 – “I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.”

2B. Intimate Fellowship– V.42b,44

2C. Fervent Prayer– V.42c

2D. Generous Mercy – V.43-45

​​Matthew 25:31-40 - “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’”

2D. Authentic Worship – V.47a

3 – THE EVANGELIZATION OF THE WORLD – V.47b

Matthew 28:18-20 –”And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Romans 10:14-17 – “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’ But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

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