North Main Street Church of God Sermons

Always Enough

(1 Kings 17:1-16)

Yearly Theme:  “Joy is…”

Series Title:  “Joy in Returning Home”

August 23rd, 2020

Here is the passage from 1 Kings we’ll be talking about today:

1 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe[a] in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.” 2 Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah: 3 “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 4 You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravens to supply you with food there.” 5 So he did what the Lord had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook. 7 Some time later the brook dried up because there had been no rain in the land. 8 Then the word of the Lord came to him: 9 “Go at once to Zarephath in the region of Sidon and stay there. I have directed a widow there to supply you with food.” 10 So he went to Zarephath. When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” 11 As she was going to get it, he called, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.” 12 “As surely as the Lord your God lives,” she replied, “I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die.” 13 Elijah said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. 14 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land.’” 15 She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. 16 For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah.

Always Enough when: 

Anything you do in life: Jesus is always Enough!

“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”  

Isaiah 40:31 NLT

08/02/20, 11:00:00

August 9th, 2020

Title: “The Altar”

Yearly Theme:  “Joy is…”

Message 2 in the Series: “Joy in Returning Home”

(Ezra 3:1-6)

Follow along in the Bible app @ http://bible.com/events/28997190

God is in control!

The altar was a place of sacrifice for a person or for the people.  It represented an act of worship to a god for the purpose of making atonement for the sins of the people.

The altar of GOD (YAHWEH) is also a place of worship.  It’s a place of surrender and submission to God’s will and ways, and a place of atonement for the sins of the people. Where do you make the most sacrifices in life?  Who, or what do you worship?  Have you allowed the promptings of God through His still small voice to change you and move you in the direction of His will, His ways, and His purposes for your life?  Have you willingly submitted your desires, wants, and hopes to the One who desires, wants, and hopes that you will submit to the freedom He has for you? 

Fear in Focus

(Matthew 10:24-33)

Yearly Theme:  “Joy is…”

Series Title:  “The Joy of Wisdom”

June 28th, 2020

Something to think about:

Where are your allegiances?  When under pressure, where is your focus?  In whom or what do you trust when truth seems so far out of reach in an information overloaded world?  When push comes to shove, and all the chips are down, what is it that you’re willing to risk your life for?

As we conclude our series on “Fear” today, we will be leaving the book of Proverbs in the Old Testament to look at the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew.  In Matthew 10 Jesus makes some very stark and poignant comments about subjects of persecution and fear.  In the verses on fear, Jesus contrasts the two types of fear we have been discussing over the month of June.  As we close today, let’s take a look at what Jesus has to say about the subject of fear:

Matthew 10:24-33 (ESV),

24  “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master. 25  It is enough for the disciple to be like his teacher, and the servant like his master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.

26  “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 27  What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. 28  And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. 29  Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. 30  But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. 31  Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. 32  So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, 33  but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven.

In his discussion on fear in these few verses there is a common running theme of faithfulness and focus which boils down to proper perspective.  A healthy fear of God, Jesus seems to say, puts all other fears to rest.  And, this brings us to our key point today:

Key Point:  “The wise person has a proper perspective of fear that keeps them focused on what’s most important.”

Let’s break down and contrast the two types of fear that Jesus focuses on in this passage:

Something to take home:

When fear is in focus, and our fear of God reigns supreme, our faith can be put to the test without fear of faltering.  When we are able to look at things from a bigger perspective, we can see that the most important things that matter are related to our obedience, allegiance, and love toward God above all else.

Today, where is your allegiance?  What holds the most sway over you?  What are you focused on the most?  What do you give your obedience to, and is that something that has your best interest at heart?  What is your perspective on life, on God, on the world, and do you need a change of perspective to get a bigger picture?

God’s perspective is always perfect because He can see everything perfectly.  Our perspective is imperfect because of the effects of sin, which leads us to imperfect perspectives that cause doubt, denial, depression, and distraction.  The only way to see from God’s perspective is to be completely surrendered to Christ, heart, soul, mind, and strength, and to trust Him completely even with the things we cannot see.  If God’s true nature is “love,” our trust in Him would not be unfounded.

Key Point:  “The wise person has a proper perspective of fear that keeps them focused on what’s most important.”