Sermons of Christ the King Church

God is Love — 1 John 4:7-5:5
7Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
8He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9In this the love of God was manifested toward us,
that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10In this is love, not
that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has seen God at any time. If
we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.
13By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son as Savior of the world.
15Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16And we
have known and believed the love that God has for us. God is love, and he who abides in love
abides in God, and God in him.
17Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment;
because as He is, so are we in this world. 18There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear,
because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. 19We love Him
because He first loved us. 20If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he
who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21And
this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.
1Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves
him who is begotten of Him. 2By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep
His commandments. 3For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments
are not burdensome. 4For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has
overcome the world— our faith. 5Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the
Son of God?
I. The Self-Sacrifice of God who is Love (4:7-12)
“Love” in 1 John: 2:5, 10, 15; 3:1, 10, 11, 14, 16-18, 23 – 46x
II. Abiding in the Triune God – God Is Love (4:13-16)
III. Perfected Love (4:17-19)
IV. Overcoming Love: Obedience and Faith (4:20-5:5)

Behold the Lord — Isaiah 6
I. The Lord is Lord of all
II. The Lord is most-glorious
III. The Lord is most-holy
IV. The Lord is most-merciful

Behold the Lord — Isaiah 6
I. The Lord is Lord of all
II. The Lord is most-glorious
III. The Lord is most-holy
IV. The Lord is most-merciful

Straight Paths — Mark 1:1-4
1) The straight paths of John the Baptist
2) The straight paths of Jesus
3) The straight paths of a Christian

Luke 1:68-79 – The Benedictus

A. 68 Blessed is the Lord God of Israel,
For He has visited and redeemed His people,
B. 69 And has raised up a horn of salvation for us
In the house of His servant David,
C. 70 As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets,
Who have been since the world began,
D. 71 That we should be saved from our enemies
And from the hand of all who hate us,
E. 72 To perform the mercy promised to our fathers
F. And to remember His holy covenant,
E’. 73 The oath which He swore to our father
Abraham:
D.’ 74 To grant us that we, Being delivered from the hand of our
enemies, might serve Him without fear, 75 in holiness and
righteousness before Him all the days of our life.
C.’ 76 And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest;
For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways,
B.’ 77 To give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins,
A.’ 78 Through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has
visited us; 79 To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death; To
guide our feet into the way of peace.
I. Context and Summary
A. Context – The circumcision of John:
Gabriel who spoke God’s promise ! Zacharias who spoke unbelief ! Zacharias who could not speak !
Zacharias who spoke praises to God ! John, the child of promise who will speak
B. Summary – A-B-C-D-E-F-E’-D’-C’-B’-A’
II. The Benedictus
Greater context – The Holy Spirit – Luke 1:67,80
F. Luke 1:72b – God who has kept covenant with us = the heart of the matter – Ge 12:1-3
E./E.’ Luke 1: 72a, 73 – ...by means of His mercy and oath – By His Word, promise and merciful character!
A. Luke 1:68 – God who has visited His people – Not exactly a social call!
B./B.’ Luke 1:69,77 – God who has saved us - Ps 18, 2 Sam 7 – This salvation is by remission of sins!
C./C.’ Luke 1:70,76 – God who has spoken to us - Ps 80:4-7 – You are now His prophets in the world!
D./D.’ Luke 1:71,74-75 – God who has delivered us – Ex 23:22, Jn 12:31, Is 48:22, Da 7:13-14, Mk 1:4, Ac 13:24, Mt
3:7-12, He 2:14-18, He 2:8, 1 Jn 4:18 – Will you be an enemy of God in 2019?

A.’ Luke 1:78-79 – God who has visited the world – Ex 9:17, Ps 47, Is 49:6, Ps 23:4, Is 9:1-2, Ha 2:6-7, Ac 15:14-17,
Lk 3:3-6, Ro 8:21 – How should you spend your time, money and creative energy in 2019?

Test The Spirits — 1 John 4:1-6
3:23-24And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love
one another, as He gave us commandment. Now he who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He
in him. And by this we know that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
A. 1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God;
B. because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2By this you know the Spirit of
God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3and
every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God.
And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the
world.
C. 4You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you
is greater than he who is in the world.
B’ 5They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. 6We
are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us.
A’ By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

I. Knowing & Abiding In Him
To “know” (i.e. to be assured of, or experiencing fully): 2:3, 4, 5, 11, 18, 20, 21, 29; 3:1, 2, 5, 14, 15, 16,
19, 20, 24; 4:2, 6, 7, 8, 13; 5:2, 13, 18, 19, 20.
To “abide” (i.e. remain in place – intimate fellowship with God, communion “shared life”): 2:6, 10, 14,
17, 24, 27, 28; 3:6, 14, 15, 17, 24; 4:12, 13, 15, 16.
The Holy Spirit: 3:24; 4:1, 2, 6, 13; 5:6, 7, 8; Jn. 14:15-17; 26; 15:26; 16:13
II. False Prophets (v. 1)
Matt. 7:15-23; 24:9-13; 1 Jn. 2:18-23; 2 Pet. 2:1-2
III. Testing/Discerning the Spirits (vv. 2-3 & 5-6)
The Truth & Faithfulness Test: Deut. 18:20-22; 13:1-5
The Theological Test (vv. 2-3): 2:18, 22; 1 Cor. 12:3; 1 Thes. 5:19-22; Mk. 1:24; 3:11; 5:7-8; Jn. 15:26;
16:13-15
The Hearing test (vv. 5-6):
IV. Overcoming Them (v. 4)

1 Peter 2:18-25 – Submission for the Lord’s Sake - Part 2: Masters
I. Review – Living to the Will of God – 1 Peter 4:1-2
II. WHAT? – Be Submissive! — 1 Peter 2:18
A. Application: Employees must serve their employers…BUT employers must serve everyone!!!
B. A Word Or Two From Our Strong’s Concordance
1. “Servants”
2. “Submissive” = To rank yourself in an orderly fashion under another
3. “Masters” = Despotai (despot) = Very strong word denoting ‘absolute ownership and uncontrolled
power
4. “Fear” = phobos = terror or respect…for their position as master, or out of reverence for God and His
Sovereign control, and providential ordering of the circumstances of men’s lives
5. “Good” = WHAT THEIR CHARACTER IS LIKE -of good constitution or nature, useful, salutary,
pleasant, agreeable, joyful, happy, excellent, distinguished, upright, honorable
6. “Gentle” = WHAT THEIR ACTIONS ARE LIKE – equitable, fair, moderate, forbearing, “..that
considerateness that looks humanely and reasonably at the facts of a case”
7. “Harsh” = scolios = bent , curved, crooked (scoliosis = crookedness in the spine) – one who is perverse,
unfair, awkward to deal with
III. WHY? – Glory, Grace, and Gratuity — 1 Peter 2:19-20
A. Glory
1. Out of Fear of God, and Not Out of Fear of Man - Cor. 3:22, Eph. 6:5-7
2. Out of a Love For God and a Great Desire to See His Name Glorified and His Kingdom Made More
Manifest in the Earth – 1 Tim. 6:1-2
B. Grace and Gratuity – Phil. 2:5-11, 2 Cor. 5:20, Rom. 5:6-8, Ep 6:5-8, Col. 3:23-24
IV. HOW? Grateful Obedience, the Godly Appeal, and the Gracious Exit – 1 Peter 2:21-2
A. Grateful Obedience: Our example is Christ – 1 Peter 2:15, Rom. 13:5, Her. 13:17, Rom. 12:19-21, 1 Peter 4:19
B. The Godly Appeal - Is. 59:1-2, Deut. 9:26-28, 1 Sam. 17:45, Ex. 23:1, Prov. 22:11
1. We must be in “right standing” with those in authority over us – “Our Father, which art in heaven…”
2. We must have right motives – “…Hallowed be Thy name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done…”
3. We must appeal at the appropriate time “Give us this day our daily bread…”
4. We must give accurate information
5. We must have right attitudes – “Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors”
6. We must use appropriate words
7. We must display the right reaction to our employer’s response to our appeal – “For thine is the
Kingdom…”
C. The Gracious Exit – When might it be appropriate to leave an employer?
1. To pursue a better opportunity - Prov.22:29
2. When you cannot financially support those under your care at your present position - 1 Tim. 5:8
3. When you are asked to participate in business practices that violate the Word of God and your appeals
have gone unheard – Heb. 11:24-26, Acts 5:29
V. Conclusion… Jesus didn’t come to suffer and die primarily to give us an example of how to
suffer righteously —1 Peter 2:24-25, Tit. 2:9-14