A study through the Old Testament

The final sermon preached by Jeremy Meeks as a pastor of Hope Community Church. The title of this sermon is Love One Another.

John 13:31-38  When he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him.  [32]  If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and glorify him at once.  [33]  Little children, yet a little while I am with you. You will seek me, and just as I said to the Jews, so now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’  [34]  A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.  [35]  By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”  [36]  Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow me now, but you will follow afterward.”  [37]  Peter said to him, “Lord, why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.”  [38]  Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? Truly, truly, I say to you, the rooster will not crow till you have denied me three times.

A study through the Old Testament

1 Corinthians 10:1-14  For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea,  [2]  and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea,  [3]  and all ate the same spiritual food,  [4]  and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.  [5]  Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness.  [6]  Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did.  [7]  Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.”  [8]  We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day.  [9]  We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents,  [10]  nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer.  [11]  Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.  [12]  Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.  [13]  No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.  [14]  Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

A study through the Old Testament.

1 Corinthians 9:1-27  Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are not you my workmanship in the Lord?  [2]  If to others I am not an apostle, at least I am to you, for you are the seal of my apostleship in the Lord.  [3]  This is my defense to those who would examine me.  [4]  Do we not have the right to eat and drink?  [5]  Do we not have the right to take along a believing wife, as do the other apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?  [6]  Or is it only Barnabas and I who have no right to refrain from working for a living?  [7]  Who serves as a soldier at his own expense? Who plants a vineyard without eating any of its fruit? Or who tends a flock without getting some of the milk?  [8]  Do I say these things on human authority? Does not the Law say the same?  [9]  For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned?  [10]  Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop.  [11]  If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you?  [12]  If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more? Nevertheless, we have not made use of this right, but we endure anything rather than put an obstacle in the way of the gospel of Christ.  [13]  Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings?  [14]  In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.  [15]  But I have made no use of any of these rights, nor am I writing these things to secure any such provision. For I would rather die than have anyone deprive me of my ground for boasting.  [16]  For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!  [17]  For if I do this of my own will, I have a reward, but if not of my own will, I am still entrusted with a stewardship.  [18]  What then is my reward? That in my preaching I may present the gospel free of charge, so as not to make full use of my right in the gospel.  [19]  For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them.  [20]  To the Jews I became as a Jew, in order to win Jews. To those under the law I became as one under the law (though not being myself under the law) that I might win those under the law.  [21]  To those outside the law I became as one outside the law (not being outside the law of God but under the law of Christ) that I might win those outside the law.  [22]  To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all people, that by all means I might save some.  [23]  I do it all for the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings.  [24]  Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.  [25]  Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.  [26]  So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.  [27]  But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

1 John 1:5-10  This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.  [6]  If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.  [7]  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.  [8]  If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  [9]  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  [10]  If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

A Study through the Old Testament

2 Corinthians 8:1-15  We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia,  [2]  for in a severe test of affliction, their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part.  [3]  For they gave according to their means, as I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord,  [4]  begging us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints—  [5]  and this, not as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then by the will of God to us.  [6]  Accordingly, we urged Titus that as he had started, so he should complete among you this act of grace.  [7]  But as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in all earnestness, and in our love for you—see that you excel in this act of grace also.  [8]  I say this not as a command, but to prove by the earnestness of others that your love also is genuine.  [9]  For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.  [10]  And in this matter I give my judgment: this benefits you, who a year ago started not only to do this work but also to desire to do it.  [11]  So now finish doing it as well, so that your readiness in desiring it may be matched by your completing it out of what you have.  [12]  For if the readiness is there, it is acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have.  [13]  For I do not mean that others should be eased and you burdened, but that as a matter of fairness  [14]  your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness.  [15]  As it is written, “Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack.”

Assurance of Salvation in the book of 1 John