Orchard Baptist Church

2 Corinthians 4:7-12 NASB

Great treasure in a humble container

What Treasure?

The great gospel of Jesus Christ

Earthen Vessels

Not very durable, but they served a purpose

Sometimes, we think the more beautiful the better

Why would God use such a common vessel for His treasure?

The contents of the vessel is what matters

Hard pressed

Not crushed

Persecuted, forsaken, stuck down

But Not Destroyed

Always carrying the death of Christ

The suffering is part of the process

His life might be manifested in you

What is inside is greater than the outside

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Deuteronomy 6:4-7 NASB

Hear, O Israel

Shema

“The Lord our God is One”

Being One, the Lord our God cannot be represented by other things

Echad

A compound unity

Evening and morning, Husband and wife, The parts of the Tabernacle

All of these things come together to become one

The Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Elohim

Verse 5

The great commandment

Verses 6-7

The words must live in your heart

Teach them diligently to your children

Mother’s love is shown as she diligently teaches her children

Hear, My children, the Lord our God is One

Mothers, Grandmothers, Great-Grandmothers

Your love never stops as you teach the children to Love God

We all would do well to make certain, each day, we Hear our God

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Haggai 1:5-6 NASB

Consider your ways

You have sown much, and bring in little

You drink, but are not filled

Verses 7-11

Go up to the mountains

That I may take pleasure in it and be glorified

You looked for much, but indeed, it came to little

For I called for a drought on the land

It is time we stop putting self first

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Endurance

There are more products than you can count sold for endurance

To withstand hardship, pain or stress without giving up

As a believer in Jesus, why do we need endurance?

2 Timothy 4:3-8 NASB

This time, talked about in this passage, is now

Think about how much Paul suffered

It would have been easy to turn away from the suffering

It would be easy today to simply follow the path of least resistance

We must endure so we can carry the gospel to all

For many of you here today you may be like Paul

You know you are approaching the end of your work here

YOU AREN’T DONE YET!

How was Paul able to endure such suffering

2 Corinthians 12:9 NASB

Perhaps you are reaching the finish line. Pass the torch!

Pour into others all you can while there is still time

It is the faith that fills you with the endurance of Christ

We all need to continue to endure

For Paul and for all that trust him the crown awaits

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Philippians 3:4-14 NASB

Paul began this letter confirming his credentials

Often we want to know what gives a person the authority to say what they are saying

Paul knew what he was talking about

Today we recognize that God’s Word is the authority

Too often even believers get their priorities mixed up

We want to put those earthly treasures up equal to God

What we do and how we live in this world does matter

The goal however is to do all things for Christ

Paul understands that the greatest things we gain in this world are nothing compared to Christ

Every day people are faced with the same decision the rich young ruler faced

Whom will you serve

Not having a righteousness of my own

Righteousness from God through Faith

Paul isn’t saying he has to work for His salvation but that He works because of it

“Not that I have already attained it”

“But I press on”

“The prize”

“The goal”

If you know Jesus today press on toward the goal of the prize

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Resurrection Sunday is amazing to celebrate

What follows the resurrection? 

Galatians 3:24-29 NASB

I want us to understand, through the resurrection came faith

The law was fulfilled and was not needed to teach us anymore

The Resurrection destroyed the divisions and unified the sons and daughters of  Christ

Sometimes I think people believe the division in humanity today is a new thing

These divisions and disunity has always existed even in the lives of believers

Verse 26

This is Paul talking to the Galatians but it could just as well be spoken today

As believers in Christ we must embrace that we are now one with Christ, no differences

Our country especially likes to emphasize the differences and teach hatred for those differences

When I joined the army they gave me all new clothes the same as everyone else

The uniform was green.  They taught me this was the color of everyone in the Army, we were all the same

If we as believers all put on the same clothing of Christ, we must understand we are all the same

 Verse 28

Paul is emphasizing that the differences disappear when we are unified in the Risen Savior

I have said this before that the 11 o’clock hour on Sunday is the most segregated hour in the country

Brothers and sisters, we have to be the ones to tear down racism in America

Christ’s resurrection  provided the unity, we must embrace it

Verse 29

This verse shows us that we as Christ followers are grafted into God’s chosen people

Not because of our ethnicity, culture, geographic birth or anything like that

We become unified as one people, the children of God

Unified as one through the resurrection of Christ

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Today we celebrate the fact that Jesus is risen!

He is not dead, but sitting at the right hand of the father.

He is interceding on behalf of all those who call Him Lord.

The number one thing today is; do you know Him?

Disciples of Jesus during that day struggled after His  crucifixion.

Just like some of the disciples, we struggle with doubt today.

Scriptures fulfilled.

The disciples knew these things, but were experiencing doubt.

The biggest doubt buster is to understand that scripture is true.

Sometimes we need a reminder.

The disciples were reminded of Jesus.

For believers, when doubt creeps in, we need a reminder.

How has God worked in our lives in the past?

If you have never met Him, scripture fulfilled opens your eyes.

When they recognized Him, they were moved.

You can hear the story a hundred times, but until you recognize It never moves you.

Go and tell!

Just like the disciples, once we recognize, go and tell.

The greatest message today is, He is alive, spread the Word!

Jesus died and rose again so you could have salvation.

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Perhaps you don’t know, but this is a highly debated question.

Some say nothing, it is just the end.

Some say you come back to live another life.

Others say you can go on to become a god.

Several things to see in this passage:

Jesus asked the question, “do you believe?”

The same question is being asked daily

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