Notes: I am in Christ

 

I am in Christ

Ephesians 1:1-14

 

Intro: does location really matter?

A crucial component of knowing who we are is understanding where we stand. Being in Christ is the constant and unfailing atmosphere of our lives as believers. All the blessing we experience is a result of being in Christ. Therefore, all of our days can be marked by joy because of our location in Christ.

1. In Christ, In Adam

Romans 5:12-21

In Adam In Christ

Sin Free Gift of Grace

Disobedience (one trespass) Obedience (one act of

righteousness)

Death (Adam’s spiritual seed) Life (Jesus’ spiritual seed)

Condemnation Justification

 

2. In Christ, Living Union

Habakkuk 1:13 – You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong

Justification

2 Corinthians 5:21 – For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Faith

A living union

Hebrews 11:6

Galatians 2:20 – I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

 

3. In Christ, Heir

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

Conclusion:

The enemy’s attack seeks to use our experience to deceive us about our position. Our position in Christ is secure…we should look for the experience of God’s presence continually.

Proverbs 18:10 – The name of the LORD is a strong tower;

 the righteous man runs into it and is safe.

Notes: I am Called

2 Thessalonians 2:13-14

 

Intro: bringing calling near

The Call of Moses:

Exodus 3:4 – When the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.”

The Call of Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 1:4-5 – Now the word of the LORD came to me, saying,

5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,

and before you were born I consecrated you;

I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

Specific calls find their place within general calls.

The Call of Abraham:

Genesis 12:1-3 – Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 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.”

Genesis 15:1-6 – After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” But Abram said, “O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” And behold, the word of the LORD came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

God calls us to himself.

1. God Calls

‘The Hound of Heaven’

Psalm 23:6 – Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.

‘It is a pursuit, patient but purposeful, affectionate but relentless.’ R. Moffat Gautrey, quoted in Why am I a Christian

The mouse’s searching for the cat

 

2. God calls to Himself

The Summons

Calling death back to life (John 11)

Calling of authority (Isaiah 43:1)

Called to him (2 Thessalonians 2:13)

‘To this he called you’

3. Apprehending God

‘We apprehend the physical world by exercising the faculties given us for that purpose, and we possess spiritual faculties by means of which we can know God and the spiritual world if we will obey the Spirit’s urge and begin to use them.’ A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God

Spiritual Faculties:

Worship

Words

Work

Service – Romans 12:1

Walk

Notes: The Goal for 2017 and Beyond

The Goal for 2017 and Beyond

Philippians 3:7-14

Introduction: New Year’s Resolutions

Only 8% of people who make resolutions follow through with them.

Resolutions teach us two important things about people:

People are in touch with their basic need to change for the better

Without the right motivation for change we will become discouraged and give up

Why are you a Christian? What’s the point of your salvation?

The goals we set in our Christian lives are to further our experience of joy.

1. The Goal of Change

Self-improvement or Self-emptying

Knowledge

2. Pressing On

John 17

Knowledge –> Love –> Joy

When Two Equals One

The Goal and the Prize

Conclusion: practical steps to press on

Commune with God

Sacrifice

Treasure Christ

Daniel 12

Intro: recap of our journey through this book

The vision of Jesus still sustains God’s people amid troubling times as we obey toward deliverance and the reward of an inheritance alongside of Jesus.

1. The End of Time (v.1-4)

Trouble

Deliverance

Revelation 3:5, 13:8

‘In a time when God’s people will be viewed as trash, scum and faceless protoplasm, they are assured that their names are known and precious to God.’

Dale Ralph Davis, The Message of Daniel

Judgment

Preservation

2. The How and Why of the End (v.5-9)

How long?

Why?

3. Standing in the End of all Things (v.10-12)

Wicked

Wise

Romans 8:29 – For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.

2 Corinthians 3:18 – And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

Romans 8:26-28 – Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

2 Corinthians 4:7-18

James 1:2-8 – Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

‘Our heavenly Father brings trials into our lives and exposes our brokenness in a variety of ways for exactly the right period of time. He knows what challenges are necessary to move his work forward in our hearts, and for how long they need to be applied. What is more, the right period of time for our tials to continue is the one that makes sense to him, not to us – just as the right period of time for the dentist to drill is determined by him and not by the patient. The end will come when God is done with the process, not when we think he should be done. Yet at the same time, when it finally does arrive, the time of the end will be perfect for us, even though we cannot see how it should be so.’

Iain Duguid, Daniel

The reward for the wise

Ephesians 1:11-14 – In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory. In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.

Conclusion:

What’s your present trouble? What is it revealing about your wisdom?

What’s your role to fulfill in your life of preserving the truth of God for coming generations?

Are you waiting for understanding before obeying or are you obeying in faith awaiting God’s understanding?

[...]

Guest Speaker: Allan Dicharry

Notes: How God Helps Us Stand Firm In The Day Of Opposition

MAIN POINT: Confidence in God’s work in your life will help you stand firm in the day of opposition.

Remember Your Inheritance (v. 32-24)

A.W. Pink: “It is by weaning us from the things of earth that he fits us for setting our affections on things above. It is by drying up creature-streams of satisfaction that he makes his children thirst for the Fountain of living water.”

Don’t Throw Away Your Confidence (v. 35-38)

Hab. 2:1-5

When God delays, it never means that he fails to keep his promise.

Matt Perman: “Knowing where we are headed gives us the confidence and the direction to live as we ought to live. That vision helps us see that our purpose here is not to abandon the practical affairs of life and only seek to ‘save souls,’ nor is it to ignore spiritual realities and live as though only this life matters. Rather, it is to live in this world from the perspective of the next.”

Heb. 11:6 “without faith it is impossible to please God.”

Recognize Who You Are (v. 39)

Heb. 10:39 “we are NOT of those who shrink back.”

“not of the world, but sent into the world” (David Mathis)

Conclusion

Eric Metaxas said that Bonheoffer preached to the church that “God had given them the power as his church to be a prophetic voice in the midst of the world, and they must take up their God-given authority and behave like the church that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, was God’s answer to the problems of the world.”

Notes: Standing As Lights In Darkness

Daniel 11

Intro:  stuck in the weeds

The chapter before us today once again gives us a picture of the supremacy of God who governs the rulers of the world surrounding his people while giving instruction for his people on how to live as lights in the midst of darkness as they seek an eternal land.

1. Sovereign over Details (v.1-20)

Standing to confirm and strengthen

Colossians 3:1

Acts 7:56

Details Fulfilled

Fourth shall be richer than all of them (v.2) – Xerxes (Ahasuerus) – husband of Esther

Then a mighty king (v.3) – Alexander the Great

Kingdom plucked up and go to others (v.4) – Greece divided into 4 kingdoms

The king of the south (v.5) – Ptolemy in Egypt

An alliance, the daughter of the south given to the king of the north (v.6) – Berenice

Not retain strength of her arm (v.6)

A branch from her roots (v.7) – Berenice’s brother Ptolemy III attacks the north and wins

Back and forth attacks (v.10-13) – between Antiochus III and Ptolemy III & V

King of the north (v.14-20) – Antiochus III (Antiochus the Great)

Begins attack on the glorious land, with destruction in his hand

Terms of an agreement/daughter of women to destroy – Antiochus’ daughter Cleopatra (the first not the famous ruler of Egypt). Cleopatra loved her husband (Ptolemy V) and Egypt so she didn’t bring the south into her father’s hands

Commander – Roman commander defeats Antiochus at the Mediterranean Sea and Antiochus now has to pay tribute

On one of his excursions to raid temples to pay the tribute, he was assassinated and died

‘This summary gives us a profound perspective on history. On one level, it is the continual story of wars and rumors of wars, as one human ruler and empire after another seeks to gain power by cunning or force. Yet though the tide of affairs of men comes in and goes out, in the end it accomplishes precisely nothing. The balance of power in earthly politics may shift but it never comes to a permanent rest. On the one hand, therefore, Daniel 11 shows us that fallen world pursuing the wind and finding it elusive. What do power and politics gain for all their toil? All this, as the writer of Ecclesiastes noted, is vanity.’

Iain Duguid, Daniel

 

2. Sovereign over Desolations (v.21-35)

Contemptible Person

Characteristics of Desolation

Flatteries (v.21)

Deceitfulness (v.23)

Sharing the bounty (v.24)

Attack on holy covenant (v.28)

Seduction (v.32)

Embarrassment in the Circle of Decision

Standing in the Desolation

Knowledge of God

Wisdom during persecution

Stumbling for refining

Shining in Desolation

Daniel 12:3 – ‘wise shall shine like the brightness above…like stars forever and ever’

 

3. Standing as Lights in Darkness (v.36-45)

Characteristics of future darkness

Do as he wills (v.36)

Speaking astonishing things against the God of gods (v.36)

Self-exaltation (v.37)

Honor the god of fortresses (v.38) – self-might

Twisted honor (v.39)

Attention paid to glorious land (v.41)

Ruler of treasuries (v.43)

Pitch his palatial tents between sea and holy mountain (v.45) – valley of Megiddo

Standing as lights

Know God

Walk in wisdom

Refined to shine

Conclusion: we stand because Jesus’ stands for us

Notes: Standing In Time

 

Standing in Time

Daniel 8

Intro: alerts and real time events

This passage was to comfort the people of God so they would know that even though times would get worse, God was still in control. He wanted them to be armed with knowledge so they would not lose hope when all looked snuffed out. This passage offers us comfort today as well. We are reminded of the sovereignty of God as we consider prophecy that was fulfilled. God is working his plan today as he was when he gave Daniel the vision. We can trust his plan even though it seems he’s conquered by the pride of people.

1.    According to Plan (v.1-14, 20-25)

The Ram

The Goat

The Little Horn

 

2.    The Effect on God’s People (v.13-18, 27)

Israel

How long?

2,300 mornings and evenings

Daniel

Romans 12:1 – 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.

John 15:18-25 – “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. [19] If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. [20] Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. [21] But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. [22] If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. [23] Whoever hates me hates my Father also. [24] If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. [25] But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’

3.    The Plan of God

Shepherd

Truth

Hero

No Human Hand

Time

1 Peter 1:12 – It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.

Conclusion:

God’s word is true.

God is sovereign.

God’s plan is Jesus’ preeminence in our time.

 

There are three great truths, 1st, that there is a God; 2nd, that He has spoken to us in the Bible; 3rd, that He means what He says. Oh, the joy of trusting Him!

Hudson Taylor

Notes: Standing With The Son Of Man

Daniel 7

Intro: the missing pages from kids’ books on Daniel

Chapter 7 of Daniel is the crucial component of the entire book. Jesus has been revealed alongside of his people in the first 6 chapters. In this chapter, Jesus is revealed high above all rulers and authorities and nations as the One exalted by God to reign in judgment.

1.    The Cruelty of Man’s Kingdoms (v.1-8)

The Winds and Sea

The Four Beasts

Perspective

 

2.    The Superiority of the Son of Man’s Kingdom (v.9-14)

Ancient of Days

Characteristics of His Reign

Holiness

Wisdom

Judgment

Audience

Reckoning

Little horn, Big mouth

Son of Man

Acts 1:10-11 – And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

 

3.    Standing in the Kingdom with the Son of Man (v.15-28)

Anxiety and Approach

Interpretation of the Beast

Revelation 13:1-10    – And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. [2] And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear’s, and its mouth was like a lion’s mouth. And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. [3] One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast. [4] And they worshiped the dragon, for he had given his authority to the beast, and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who can fight against it?”

[5] And the beast was given a mouth uttering haughty and blasphemous words, and it was allowed to exercise authority for forty-two months. [6] It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven. [7] Also it was allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, [8] and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain. [9] If anyone has an ear, let him hear:

[10] If anyone is to be taken captive,

to captivity he goes;

if anyone is to be slain with the sword,

with the sword must he be slain.

Here is a call for the endurance and faith of the saints.

 

Judgment is Sure

 

Conclusion: empowered by the future

Acts 1:6-11 – So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

Notes: Standing With Faithfulness

Daniel 6

Intro: an appeal for the future of CCC

Walk in a manner worthy

 

1.    Faithful Through and Through (1-9)

Because he was faithful – Integrity

John 15:19 – If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

The conspiracy of the enemy:

Jealousy

Lies

Hostility

Offer another mediator

1 Timothy 2:5 – For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

 

2.    Pattern of Prayer (10-15)

Sustaining effects of habitual prayer

3.    Preserving the Blameless (16-28)

Genesis 15:6 – And he believed the LORD, and he counted it to him as righteousness.

Romans 1:16-17 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. [17] For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”

faithfulness + prayer (mediator) + blameless = salvation

Colossians 1:21-22 – And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,

The guarantee

‘God is not committed to our comfort. He is not committed to making our path through life smooth. He is committed to sanctifying us and demonstrating his own glory in and through us; and, very often, that commitment means he will subject our earthen vessels to pressures that would certainly shatter us, were his grace not sufficient for us. The Lord will take you into the eye of the storm, to show that he is the storm’s master and that he can make your fragile vessel float safely through to the other side. His wonderful plan for your life is to sanctify you through trials and tribulations (1 Peter 1:6-7).’

Iain Duguid, Daniel

Hebrews 11:32-38 – And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

The warning

Conclusion: prospering after praise sustained in prayer