Pastor's Message

                                      “EXPECTATION”

                                          Matthew 11:3 

Other words for expectation: _Faith__, __Trust_,

   _Belief__ and

HOPE:            something wished for (verb)

                                    something _assured___ (noun)

·        WHAT DO WE EXPECT FROM GOD?

1.     God promised Abraham… (Psalm 62:5)

2.     God promises us…

a.     __hope__

Romans 15:4; Hebrews 6:19; 1 Peter 1:3

b.     _salvation___

John 3:16; Romans 8:24; Proverbs 24:14

·        WHAT DOES GOD EXPECTS FROM US?

1.     _Faith_____    Hebrews 11:1, 6

2.     _Obedience__    John 15:14; Matthew 19:17

3.     _Love_______    Matthew 22:37-39

4.     _Prayer_____    1 Thessalonians 5:17;

       1 Timothy 2:8; James 5:16

5.     _Study the Bible__   2 Timothy 2:15; 3:16-17

6.     _Witness____   Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:19;

       1 Peter 2:15; Matthew 10:32

7.     _Worship_______ Revelation 4:10;

       Matthew 4:10; Philippians 4:8

THEN, WE CAN EXPECT FROM GOD…

Matthew 25:21

      DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME

·        Created by _GOD__ (Genesis 1)

·        Defined by the earth’s __rotation__

and __revolution___

·        Not affecting  _rural__ life

·        Not invented by _Ben__   _Franklin____

·        Established in 1966__ by the Uniform Time Act

The word “time” in Scripture usually refers to a

            __season___ or appointed time

Genesis 4:3; Judges 15:1; Proverbs 25:13;

    Ecclesiastes 3:1-8; Hosea 10:12

No animal other than humans has a perception of time

Clocks are instruments that measure and show time

WHAT TIME IS IT?

Jesus said, “We must work the work of Him Who sent me

as long as it is day, night is coming when no man can work”

          (John 9:4)

·        _Specialized____ Work

    “The work of Him (God)”…His_ will___

            Jesus’ work? Matthew 1:21; 18:11

            Our work? Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:18-20

·        _Seriousness___ of Time

1.     Day -“As long as it is still day”

2.     Night – “The night is coming”

Esther 4:13-14, “For such a time as this…”

It is “time for us to do “the work”    John 9:4

         “REMORSE or REPENTANCE?”

                       2 Corinthians 7:8-10

   Remorse: Sorry for what sin does to me

           “Sorrow of the world (remorse)

produces __confession____”

   Repentance: sorry for what sin does to God

“Sorrow, according to the will of God

             produces a repentance without __regret____,

   leading to __salvation____”

Luke 13:3, “Unless you repent, you will __perish_____”

2 Peter 3:9, “God is not wishing for any to perish,

   but for all to come to repentance”

Acts 26:20, “Repent and turn to God,

   performing __deeds___ appropriate to repentance”

Luke 24:47, “Repentance for forgiveness of sin

should be proclaimed in His name”

  Luke 18:10-14, “Two men went to pray…”

    One was repentant and thus _justified____

 Both Simon Peter and Judas Iscariot sinned;

    Peter – __repented_____

    Judas - __remorse____

David’s sin resulted in dire consequences,

    David’s ____confession____

“Against Thee, Thee only, I have sinned” (v.4)

 Repentance: sorry for what sin does to God

                     “MAKE AMERICA GODLY AGAIN”

                                   Ezekiel 37:1-14

Israel was _spiritually_ dead…in need of __revival_

   “They say, ‘Our bones are dried up

and our _hope__ has perished’” (v.11)

God wants to _heal__ our land (2 Chronicles 7:14)

    “Nothing is too _difficult_ for God” (Genesis 18:14)

He asked Ezekiel, “Can these bones live?”

   He asks us, “Can…?”

When God speaks He _creates__ and __re-creates__

 Ezekiel spoke the _word__ of the Lord,

and the dead became alive

‘We were dead in our _sin_ (but) God made us alive

together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:5)

God calls us “out of _darkness__” (1 Peter 2:9)

“We must “be born _again__” (John 3:3)

God said to resurrected, revived Israel,

 “I will put My _spirit___ within you

   and you will come to life” (v.14)

Ezekiel 37 is a message for our Nation, but there is also

   a message through Ezekiel for each of us:

1.     __Go____ where God leads

2.     __Trust__ God

3.     __Speak_ God’s word

4.     __See___ God work

   THE CHARACTER OF A CHRISTIAN

                           2 Timothy 2:1-26

“God has not given us a spirit of timidity (fear), but of

power, love and discipline” (1:7); therefore, live in that

 gift of grace

· __STRONG_____ (1-2)

“Be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus”

· _SINGLE-MINDED__ (3-4)

“Suffer hardships…not entangled in the affairs of everyday

life…please the one who enlisted you”

· __STRICT_ (5-10)

“Endure all things…that others my obtain the salvation

 which is in Christ Jesus, and with it eternal glory”

· __SECURE_ (11-13)

“A trustworthy statement…we died with Him…

He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself

· __SOUND__in __FAITH__ (14-19)

“Don’t wrangle about words…avoid worldly, empty chatter

(instead) be diligent to present yourself approved to God,

as a workman who does not need to be ashamed,

handling accurately the word of truth" 

· __SANCTIFIED__ (20-23)

“A vessel for honor, useful for the Master, prepared for

every good work” [“We are His workmanship created

in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared

beforehand, that we should walk in” (Ephesians 2:10)

· __SERVANT_ (24-26)

“Bondservant (serving God __voluntarily__)

not quarrelsome, but kind to all”                       2-16-20

                                     “BE A WITNESS”

                                 Acts 1:8; 1 Peter 3:15

WHAT IS A WITNESS?

   Greek: martus – one who _Shares_ evidence

obtained by _Personal_  _Experience__

   “Make a defense” – a doctrinal answer of belief

   “About hope” - _Confidence, Faith, Trust, Expectation_

            “I will hope in Him” (Job 13:15)

            “My hope is in Thee” (Psalm 39:7)

            “Hope does not _Disappoint___” (Romans 5:5)

            “Born again to a Living_ hope through

      the _resurrection___ of Jesus” (1 Peter1:3)

“Christ in you the hope of __Glory_” (Colossians 1:27)

EXAMPLES OF WITNESSES

·        _Stephen_____ (Acts 7)

·        _Phillip_______ (Acts 8:25-40)

·        _Paul_________ (Acts 22:1-15; 26:9-20)

ASPECTS OF A PERSONAL WITNESS

·        There is a God

·        I have a  need___

   Romans 3:23, “all have _sinned___”

    Romans 6;23, “wages of sin is_death____”

    Ephesians 2:1, “dead in trespasses and sin”

·        God has a  __Plan__________

    He wants all to “_Repent__” (2 Peter 3:9)

    His rich _Mercy_ and _Love__

makes us alive with Christ” (Ephesians 2:4-5)

    He saves us by His _Grace_ (Ephesians 2:8)

·        God is at work _NOW___

    I am to do good _works__ (Ephesians 2:8)

      for His good _Pleasure__(Philippians 2:13)

                                      WHAT IS FAITH?

“To the extent you did it to one of the least of these,

you did it to Me” (Matthew 25:40)

Is faith…?

_Knowing__ or _Doing__

_Belief__ or __Behavior__

Passive_ or _Active_

FAITH: (pistis) _Trust__, __Confidence__, _Behavior__

   “Comes by hearing God’s __Word__” (Romans 10:17)

   “Hearing without doing is _Delusional___” (James 1:22)

   “Without faith it is impossible to _Please__ God”

         (Hebrews 11:6)

   “The _Just___ live by faith” (Hebrews 10:38)

   “Without _Action_, it’s useless” (James 2:20)

Is there a conflict between Paul (Ephesians 2:8-10)

    and James (2:14-26)?

Paul: “By grace you have been saved through faith,

   and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;

   not a result of works that no one should boast”

            Saved by grace, not by works?

James: “Can faith without works save?

Faith without works is dead…useless”

   “_Abraham___ was justified by works”

   “_Rahab___ was justified by works”

Living faith meets _Needs___ (Matthew 25:35-37)

1-12-20                       LET’S GO FISHING

                                         Luke 5:1-11 

The story

APPLICATIONS

·        BOAT/FISHING

Psalm 90:17, “Confirm for us the _WORK_ of our hands”

Ecclesiastes 9:10, “Whatever your hand finds to do,

do it with all your _MIGHT_”

    The Angelus, by Jean-Francois Millet

    Michelangelo’s ceiling of the Vatican Chapel

Colossians 3:17, “Whatever you do in word or deed,

     do all in the name of the Lord Jesus”

·        DEEP

How deep are you willing to go for God?

“I’ve worked all night and caught nothing”

·        NETS

Having nets is of little value if you don’t use them

“Nevertheless, AT THY _WORD_”

Roy Angel, “Let Down Your Nets”

·        _GOLDEN_ nets

“God loves a __CHEERFUL_ giver” (2 Corinthians 9:7)

“Have __COMPASSION__ on the needy” (Psalm 70:13)

·        __INTELLECTUAL__ nets

“Lack _WISDOM__? Ask of God” (James 1:5)

·        _WORK-WORN_ nets

JOYOUS NEW YEAR

Isaiah 61:1,2

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me and has anointed me

to bring good news…to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord”

ANOINT: CONSECRATE

PROCLAIM: PREACH “God Things”

GOOD NEWS: (Luke 2:10)

FAVORABLE: Acceptable, Desire of God

YEAR

Proverbs 16:9, Man plans, God Directs

Jer 19:21, God’s plans are to help not harm

NEW

New in time or new in kind

Ezekiel 11:19, “I will put a new spirit within them”

2 Corinthians 5:17; “Behold, new things have come”

Ephesians 4:22-24, “Lay aside the old self…

    put on the new self- likeness of God”

Joyous

John 15:11, May…your joy be made full

Joy is a “fruit” of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22)

To be joyous this new year, resolve to:

·         Bear Fruit (John 15:5)

·         Obey Jesus’ Commands (John 15:10, 12, 14)