Love Rules - A Study of Ephesians

Part 21

Last week's rules:

Love Rule #35

Everyday, we must ensure that we are relying on God's strength, by making conscious efforts to do so.

Love Rule #36

Daily remember that satan is the enemy of God, therefore, he is our enemy.

Eph. 6:13-14

Love Rule #37

Daily, deliberately, immerse yourself in the truth before you enter the battle.

Eph. 6:14

Jer. 17:9

Love Rule #38

Daily, deliberately, ensure that you are guarding your heart by walking in righteousness by being obedient to the truth.

Eph. 6:15

"Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you're not saved yourself, be sure of that!" - Charles Spurgeon

Love Rule #39

Daily, deliberately, ensure you are prepared by, and for, the gospel of peace.

Love Rules - A Study of Ephesians

Part 20

Love Rule #33

As servants (employees, workers, etc.) our sincere obedience to those over us should be unwavering as we serve "as unto the Lord."

Love Rule #34

Masters (bosses, leaders, employers, etc.) must maintain a high regard for their servants as they lead "as unto the Lord."

Eph. 6:10

To be strengthened in His might:

1. We must not rely on our strength (our wisdom, our fleshes resolve, etc)

2. We must set aside sin that besets us.

3. We must mortify our flesh (not give it any strength - don't nurture it's sinful appetite)

4. We must rely on Scripture, and Holy Spirit's prompting in our life.

Love Rule #35

Everyday, we must ensure that we are relying on God's strength, by making conscious efforts to do so.

Eph. 6:11-13

Part of the enemy's scheme is to attempt to focus our battles on people.

Love Rule #36

Daily remember that satan is the enemy of God, therefore, he is our enemy.

Who Do You Say That I AM?

A Journey With Jesus - Sermon 39

Pharisaic Problems

1. External righteous show

2. Greed

3. Disregard for justice and righteousness

4. Hypocrisy

5. Pride

6. Self-righteous

7. Stumbling blocks

"On what does the Christian argument for Immortality really rest? It stands upon the pedestal on which the theologian rests the whole of historical Christianity--the Resurrection of Jesus Christ."

Luke 11:45-46

Matt. 11:28-30

Is. 53:3-12

2 Cor. 5:21

I. Christ is the Burden Bearer

Luke 11:47-52

II. Truth is the Key of Knowledge

2 Tim. 3:1-9

Luke 11:53-54

Love Rules - A Study of Ephesians

Part 19

Eph. 6:5

Ps. 75:6-7

Dan 2:19-21

Rom 13:1-2

Three "p's" that hinder:

1. Pride

2. Preference

3. Prerogative

Eph 6:6-8

Love Rule #33

As servants (employees, workers, etc.) our sincere obedience to those over us should be unwavering as we serve "as unto the Lord."

Eph 6:9

Love Rule #34

Masters (bosses, leaders, employers, etc.) must maintain a high regard for their servants as they lead "as unto the Lord."

Who Do You Say That I AM?

A Journey with Jesus - Sermon 38

"The pharisees minded what God spoke, but not what He intended. They were busy in the outward work of the hand, but incurious of the affections and choice of the heart. So God was served in the letter, they did not much inquire into His purpose; and therefore they were curious to wash their hands, but cared not to purify their hearts."

"The Pharisees broke Moses' tables into pieces, and, gathering up the fragments, took to themselves what part of duty they pleased, and left the rest alone."

Luke 11:37-41

"A pharisee is hard on others and easy on himself, but a spiritual man is easy on others and hard on himself." - AW Tozer

Pharisaic Problems

1. External righteous show

2. Greed

Luke 11:42

3. Disregard for justice and righteousness

4. Hypocrisy

They were so microscopically focused on what was right to them that they passed up what was right to God.

Luke 11:43

5. Pride

"My last. Some tears; yet I fear some like the messenger, not the message; and I fear I am so vain as to love that love. Lord, let it not be so. Perish my honor, but let thine be exalted forever." - McCheyen

Prov. 1:5-7

Prov. 23:9

Luke 11:44

6. Self-righteous

7. Stumbling blocks

Numbers 19:16

Luke 9:23-25

Luke 14:25-35

1 Cor. 6:19-20

Christian Characteristics

1. Internal righteousness (manifesting externally)

2. Sacrificial

3. Sincerity

4. Regard for justice and righteousness (obedience)

5. Humility

6. Humbleness

7. Stepping Stones

When will Christ be enough for His own people?

When will His program be more important than our own?

Who Do You Say That I AM?

A Journey With Jesus - Sermon 37

Luke 11:29-32

Heb. 11:1

Jn. 20:29

Rom. 10:17

I. The power of the Word of God must never be underestimated.

They had made the word of God a 'religious' existence versus a relational endeavor.

Hebrews 4:12

Luke 11:33-36

II. The power of witnessing must never be underestimated.

2 Cor. 5:18-21

2 Cor. 4:3-6

John 10:9-10

John 10:27-30

2 Peter 3:9

1 Tim. 3:4

Love Rules - A Study of Ephesians

Part 18

Eph. 6:4

Effective leadership is servant leadership.

If you hold your kids to higher standard than you keep yourself, you are cultivating rebellion and failure.

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2StRNNnBh4k

Love Rule #32

Fathers' and Mothers' primary responsibility to their children is to point them to Christ by example and instruction.

What we teach, or don't teach, the next generation about Christ and His Church, might be the difference of another great awakening and the great apostasy.

Who Do You Say That I AM?

A Journey With Jesus - Sermon 36

Luke 11:14-23

I. Unity is the recipe for power.

Without unity with Christ, there is only enmity with Christ.

Luke 11:24-26

II. Unrepentance is the recipe for destruction.

Rom. 8:28-31

2 Chron. 20:15

Luke 11:27-28

III. Unwavering obedience is the recipe for blessings.

Our obedience displays our alignment with Him as Lord.

We must maintain a grace perspective of God's blessings.

Who Do You Say That I AM?

A Journey With Jesus - Sermon 36

Luke 11:14-23

I. Unity is the recipe for power.

Without unity with Christ, there is only enmity with Christ.

Luke 11:24-26

II. Unrepentance is the recipe for destruction.

Rom. 8:28-31

2 Chron. 20:15

Luke 11:27-28

III. Unwavering obedience is the recipe for blessings.

Our obedience displays our alignment with Him as Lord.

We must maintain a grace perspective of God's blessings.

Who Do You Say That I AM?

A Journey with Jesus - Sermon 35

Luke 11:1-13

Heb. 4:14-16

Heb. 10:19-22

I. Instructions for prayer - Vs. 2-4

Address

Praise & humility

Eternal perspective

Submission

Reliance

Repentance

Relationship

Make prayer a priority with a time and place.

"Don't pray just when you feel like it.

Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it.

A believer is powerful on his knees." - Corrie Ten Boom

"The battle of prayer is against two things - wandering thoughts and lack of intimacy with God's character as revealed in his Word. Neither can be cured at once, but both can be cured by discipline" - Oswald Chambers

II. Importunity in prayer - Vs. 5-10

In prayer we find our connection with God, our communion with God, and our conduit with God.

III. Investment of prayer - Vs. 11-13

Investment - an act of devoting time, effort, or energy to a particular undertaking with the expectation of a worthwhile result.

"Beware in your prayers, above everything else, of limiting God; not only by unbelief, but by thinking that you know what He can do. Expect unexpected things 'above all that we ask or think." - Andrew Murray

Faith prompts prayer and prayer fuels faith.