We are spending time defining and celebrating the different aspects of our Sunday gathering so that we will grow in seeing how glorious and important Sunday is to God. Lord willing, the fruit being a deeper joy in God and a greater commitment to our gathering. Today, we look at Worship. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES:  The Gathering: Why Sunday Matters
TEXT: John 4:21-24
TITLE: Worshiping God, God’s Way
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: True Worship is Worshiping God, God’s Way

POINTS:
1. The Biblical Fundamentals of Our Worship
2. The Biblical Expressions of Our Worship

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Romans 12:1 exhorts us to offer our body and soul as a living sacrifice to God as worship. For the Christian, all of life is worship. Today, we look at a narrow expression of Romans 12 worship—the 20-25 of our gathering when we sing together.”

“The woman at the well was a Samaritan. The Samaritans were Israelites who intermarried with non-Israelites. By the time Jesus came on the scene, the Samaritans had their own theological system, including Mt. Gerizim, not Jerusalem, as the place where God was to be worshipped.”

“When Jesus says You worship what you do not know— he is calling the woman and her religion out. She does not worship God in truth because she does not worship Him according to His self-revelation but according to their man-made revelation. It’s not that she was worshipping a false God; she was worshipping the true God falsely.”

“Jesus points the woman to his sacrifice that will transform where and how God’s people will worship Him. Since Jesus is the way, the life, the TRUTH (Hebrews 1:3), his words in verse 24—those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth—become the new order and formula he will create for all Christian worship under the new covenant.”

“To worship God in truth is to worship Him according to who He is and how He has prescribed we worship Him in Scripture. To worship God in truth is to worship Him according to and for His eternal character, sacrificial love, and gospel promises. It’s not that we can only sing God’s Word (Regulative Principle), but God’s Word must be the basis of our singing. Our theology informs, permeates, and fuels our Sunday morning worship. This is why the songs we sing are so important.”

“Simply put, to worship God in Spirit is to worship Him from a heart of faith in Christ. We are God’s people, not because of ethnicity, geography, or outward work. We belong to God because, by His grace, we have an inward faith in Jesus.”

“When we worship in faith, not concerned with pleasing or impressing others, but believing from hearts of gratitude that God is good and the pinnacle of His goodness is providing Jesus as our Savior, no matter where you are, who you are with, or how off tune you sing, God is magnified because you are worshipping him in spirit, from a heart of gratitude and in truth, according to who He is.”

“This isn’t optional. You can’t have one without the other. They go together. To worship only in truth can be hard and cold. To worship God only in Spirit can lead to fleeting and shallow emotionalism. But to worship God with the head and the heart, that is true worship.”

“Is true worship about the heart? Absolutely! From beginning to the end of Scripture it’s clear—above all things, God is concerned with the heart. But don’t fall into the trap of thinking that means what I do with my body when I worship is unimportant and irrelevant. It is very important and relevant.”

“The Bible says much about physical expression when we worship God. What do we mean by physical expression? Expressive worship is using appropriate physical motions that manifest the attitude and reflect the proper response to what we are singing about God.”

“Ultimately, the exhortation in 1 Corinthians 14:40, when we gather things should be done decently and in order, is our guiding principle. Our priority in corporate worship is not our individual expressiveness; it’s encouraging and serving one another in Christ. This is why pastors should teach, encourage, and model God-honoring expressive worship.”

“This shouting isn’t a rock concert—Hey SGC! We’re in the house. Are you ready for this? Connect the content to the shouting. These are shouts of praise fueled by the theology of God that is on fire in the hearts of His people in a way that cannot be contained.”

“Clapping in Scripture is a God-ordained response of appreciation, honor, and exaltation to the Lord for who He is and what He has done for us.”

“The point of Psalm 47 is that God is the King who reigns over all. He has defeated the enemy and delivered His people. So His people clap—Thank you God! How much more on this side of the cross do we have to clap as a worshipful response to the God of our salvation? He is worthy, isn’t He?”

“In the Bible, raised hands are associated with blessing. To bless the Lord is to exalt and celebrate Him. David expresses his hunger and need for the Lord, who is powerful and glorious and whose unfailing love is better than life itself. So he doesn’t just sing; David also raises his hands to express gratitude for who God is and how He loves him.”

“As a desperate child runs to their father with outstretched arms—Help me!—David raises his hands as an expression of need and surrender to God.”

“Again, connect the content with the expression. This is not— Raise your hands in the air like you just don’t care. This is theology that grips the heart so much that it overcomes our personalities and fears and pours forth through physical expression because it is too marvelous to be contained.”

“Bowing down is a posture of humility and submission. It reflects an inward attitude of reverence and respect before the Lord. As the people consider and praise God as the Rock of their salvation, their Holy Creator and sovereign Lord over all things, they bow down in awe and wonder. Isn’t He worthy of our bended knee?”

“Important distinction: No physical expression is worship itself. No expression makes our worship more genuine. No expression makes the individual holier than the next. Someone can raise their hands in exuberance on Sunday and be committing adultery or stealing from the boss on Monday. But when these physical expressions are fueled by theology and flow from a heart of gratitude, adoration, wonder, and awe, they are God-honoring responses to true worship taking place in our hearts.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Romans 12:1
1 Corinthians 14:40

There are numerous physical expressions in Scripture that God has commanded and commended to us:
Voices
- Sing: Psalm 96:1-2, Psalm 47:6:7
- Shout: Psalm 33:1-3, Psalm 100:1
Hands
- Clapping: Psalm 47:1-2
- Raising Hands: Psalm 63:1-4, Psalm 134:1-3, Psalm 143:6
Legs
- Bow Down: Psalm 95:1-7

QUOTES:
Martin Luther - “A person who gives this [singing] some thought and yet does not regard it as a marvelous creation of God, must be a clodhopper indeed and does not deserve to be called a human being; he should be permitted to hear nothing but the braying of [donkeys] and the grunting of hogs.”

D.A. Carson - “Christian worship is new covenant worship; it is gospel-inspired worship; it is Christ-centered worship; it is cross-focused worship.”

Bob Kauflin - “God wants our worship to be intelligent and informed. He wants to stretch our minds to the limits as we consider the greatness of his being and the wonder of his works….Obviously, intellect can become an end in itself. We can become more impressed with our doctrinal formulations than we are with Jesus. We can end up leading a theologically orthodox but emotionally dead church. God receives no glory from that combination….God intends for us to remember that neither biblical truth nor deep emotion is out of place when we worship God; they’re meant to go together.”

Matt Boswell - “The Scriptures resound with singing. There are over fifty direct commands for us to sing, and singing is mentioned over 400 times in the Bible. Singing doesn’t merely play a one-dimensional function in the life of the church; it plays a multi-faceted, invaluable role as we worship God. We sing as an act of worship. We sing to disciple one another. We sing as a declaration to the world.”

APPLICATION:
Q) Are there any physical expressions of worship God has given in Scripture that I refuse or have never displayed?

• Not my personality to raise my hands

• Not respectable to shout (shouting in my heart)

• What will others think if I bow down? (fear of man)

• Expressions are cultural (their not)

• Didn’t grow up clapping 

What hinders you on Sundays? Fear of man? Personality? Warped sense of being reverent or respectable? Tradition?

The Bible doesn’t command we do every expression every time we worship. But if God has commanded and commended certain physical expressions, and I refuse some because I want to worship God my way, at my comfort level, well, I need to revisit my theology of worship. Because worship is not about me; it’s about Him.

In heaven, one thing we will do is sing. We will see our Savior, and with the angels, we will sing. We will sing loud, free of pride, fear, and ignorance. We will sing with clear minds and genuine hearts that can take in the glory of God unhindered by sin. We will sing with the strength to keep singing forever. It will be glorious! Until then, Be here on Sunday so we can sing together. How God made you will be reflected in your worship. But he gave us all a voice, hands, and legs to worship Him.

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and Paul’s apostolic authority over this [Corinthian] Church, what arises from this highly corrective letter, helps us understand what matters to God about His local Churches. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES:  The Gathering: Why Sunday Matters
TEXT: 1 Corinthians 11:17-34
TITLE: Communion: A Holy Celebration
PREACHER: Tim Lambros
BIG IDEA: The Sunday Gathering Matters to God because gospel proclamation matters to God.

POINTS:
1. The Sunday Gathering Matters
2. The Communion Celebration Matters
3. The Communion Posture Matters

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Paul is bringing a rebuke, a correction concerning when they gather on Sundays. He doesn’t waste time and is very clear. Your  Sunday gatherings are not for the better but for the worse. …[These are] God’s people gathering as Christians, saved by grace, saved by the power of the gospel – yet their Sunday gathering is not commendable. …It’s not even neutral. It’s for the worse. When you gather it’s not good, it’s not healthy, it’s not productive. In fact, Corinth, it’s for the worse.”

“God is using the Apostle Paul to speak into a messy situation in the Corinthian Church on numerous fronts – earlier in this letter Paul dealt with sexual sin, later he will deal with the pride of exalting of a spiritual gift like tongues – here God is concerned with the Sunday gathering. Are you getting the idea that the Sunday gathering  matters to God?”  

“Paul will move on to instruction concerning the Lord’s Supper next but clearly the Corinthian Church and all local Churches would know from this rebuke that the Sunday Gathering Matters to God.”

“The early Church met in rich people’s homes. The unity the gospel brought was still  being worked out in the Churches – Jew/Greek, rich/poor, master/slave, male/female.  The tradition and institution of the Lord’s Supper was getting lost as the rich people  were more concerned about their meal while drinking their wine while others were not  eating anything. Societal discrimination was being cultivated when they met and the  sacred observance of the Lord’s Supper was getting lost.”

“Paul directs their attention to the communion celebration. One of two sacraments. A  sign. A particularly important celebration commanded by the Lord Jesus Christ to be  done regularly because it’s one of the richest pictures and reminders of the gospel of  Jesus Christ.”

“Paul draws their attention to the tradition of this institution. This is too rich and too meaningful a tradition to confuse it with mealtime or to come hoping to get your stomach satisfied or to drink wine. The Church is to come together for a communion  celebration that reminds them of the significance of what Christ had done.”

“During the Lord’s Supper, we preach the death of Christ that paid the cost for discriminating one another, paid the price for selfishness and self-centeredness in the Church. Can you see why Paul brings correction and in fact is  saying “this is important to get right, the communion celebration matters!” this rich  and meaningful and important celebration means something – look at v. 26 – you are  proclaiming the Lord’s death until He comes.”

“Bottom line, if you participate in the Lord’s Supper in an unworthy manner you will be guilty concerning the body and blood of Christ. In other words, if you are self-centered when the Church gathers for this sacrament and sin against your brothers and sisters  you disrespect Jesus Himself.”

APPLICATION:
- Does the Sunday gathering of this local Church matter to you?
- In what ways can you fight our heart getting cold about the Sunday Gathering?

Our section of text today can easily be described as one of the most clear and instructional portions of scripture that frames the Christian heart of giving and we will see that at the bottom of it all is the Gospel. This text is a GIFT to the church for clarity on giving. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES:  The Gathering: Why Sunday Matters
TEXT: 2 Corinthians 9:6-15
TITLE: Gospel Generosity
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: The Gospel Forges Generous Givers

POINTS:
1.   Gospel Freedom
a. Purposeful Giving
b. Cheerful Giving
c. Faith-filled Giving
2.   Gospel Mission
a. God Funds the Gospel Mission
b. God Secures the Gospel Mission success
c. God is Generous toward us so we will be generous in the Gospel Mission
3.   Gospel Glory

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Giving, for the believer in Jesus, must not be disconnected from the Center of our faith – The Gospel of Christ.”

“God’s people give. A simple survey of our Bible reveals this is the case. Verse 7 may be misunderstood as allowing giving as an option as one “has decided” BUT don’t miss the clear imperative to “give.” The text is not instructing us on whether or not we can or should give but, rather, giving is assumed and it begins to instruct us on HOW and WHY we are to give.”

“These words in the original carry the meaning that can be described as the Purpose of the Heart. Not simply moved by the whims of the heart or the mind and certainly not from whatever we feel like in the moment.

“This ‘decision in his heart’ carries with it intentionality that is motivated by a deep sense of conviction – the fountainhead and morality of the mind/the will.’”

“Purposeful, intentional giving is what the Spirit of God in verse 7 teaches us. Packed in the meaning of this is thoughtful planning, and consideration. NOTE: giving did not begin with the budget, the ledger, the spreadsheet, the pen and napkin. The Purpose of giving begins in the heart.”

“In addition to the purpose, there is the disposition of the heart… one of cheer and joy! Without joy, we find that our giving can be pragmatic and mechanical. How strange it would be for the believer in Christ to be filled with joy in his salvation and yet not his giving!”

“In verse 6, the Cheerful Giver is illustrated in the sower who sows bountifully. Imagine the hopeful, happy farmer with a sunbaked smile sowing happily into the field.”

“‘God is able!’ - these are trust-anchoring words. They move our faint hearts from our circumstances and uncertainty places us upon the very promises of God, His power. He promises to provide, and He will provide EVERYTHING that we need at ALL TIMES, enabling us to do what we originally thought was impossible.”

“This grace of giving comes from the fountainhead of the heart that is purposeful and joyful BECAUSE its faith is grounded on God himself.”

“Our sinful nature wrestles deeply with the “desire of having.” If we have much, we desire to hold on to it selfishly. If we have little, we desire to hold on to it selfishly… And in both cases, with much and with little, we selfishly do not want to let it go.”

“Loosed from the shackles of selfish reluctance, dread, and mechanical compulsion the GOSPEL CHANGES THE SOWER: FREEDOM flows from our hearts with purpose, joy, and faith.”

“This sower sows bountifully, burying his hand into the supply he casts GENEROUSLY with an open hand. Yes, with wisdom and intentionality but nothing is holding him back. The sense of the text likely imagines the unwilling white-knuckled grip on the gift being now WILLINGLY and FREELY opened and the gift being hurled into the field.”

“One act of God’s grace for the giver in Gospel mission is that God Himself is the one who funds the Mission! ‘He supplies the seed to the sower.’”

“HE IS NOT RELUCTANT! He freely gives to us GENEROUSLY! But, he does so so that we would turn and be ‘generous in every way.’"

“In Mattew 6, Jesus instructs us not to give in such a way that we draw attention to ourselves (and easy temptation). Without contradicting Jesus, the Apostle in the original language of Vs 12, along with what he writes in 8:1-7, reveals that this act of giving was corporate. Humble Gospel giving at the Gathering is an act of corporate worship. It is witnessed BY the church because it was done AT church.”

“Generosity is not about dollar amounts nor about percentages. It’s about the Grace of God at work in their hearts that empowered them even in the face of severe affliction in such a way that Gospel joy met their extreme poverty and the result was an overflowing ‘wealth of generosity’ that measured beyond their normal means! Their generosity was measured by sacrifice, not dollars!”

“God has given dearly to us! Romans 8:32 ‘He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?’ There was nothing more valuable to the Father than His only begotten Son, Jesus, and HE GAVE HIM for us.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 12:34
2 Corinthians 8:7

QUOTES:
John Calvin- “...for nothing is more famished and starved than the distrustful, who are tormented with an anxious desire of having.”

Randy Alcorn - “Another benefit of giving is freedom. It’s a matter of basic physics. The greater the mass, the greater the hold that mass exerts. The more things we own – the greater their total mass – the more they grip us, setting us in orbit around them. Finally, like a black hole, they suck us in… We think we own our possessions, but too often they own us…”

APPLICATION:
- Survey the wondrous cross on which the Prince of Glory died
- Study the Gospel and probe the depths of our Generous God and Savior.

Let the Gospel in your right hand preach to your tightly closed left hand until it loosens its grip and let that seed fly!

A man made happy and grateful by the Gospel will give generously and freely.

Sundays Matter because Sundays are for serving. But pastor, I thought Sundays were for worship? Exactly. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES:  The Gathering: Why Sunday Matters
TEXT: 1 Peter 4:10-11
TITLE: The Glory of Serving on Sundays
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: When we serve on Sunday, God’s power and grace are displayed, and His glory is revealed.

POINTS:
1. Your Gifts Are From God
2. Your Gifts Are For God’s People
3. Your Gifts Are Used To God’s Glory

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Today is not about discovering your gift. There will be no job fair or personality testing will be in the lobby following the service. Today is about The Glory of Serving on Sundays. WHY serving on Sunday matters? Here it is: In a word—Worship! When we serve on Sunday, it is an outward display of an inward reality meant to draw attention to upward glory.”

“Peter begins with an assumption in 10—As each has received a gift. Every Christian has a spiritual gift or gifts. You may not know what your gifts are. You may not currently be using your gifts. You may not know how to use your gifts. …’ungifted Christian’ is an oxymoron. There’s no such thing—If you’ve been saved, you’ve been gifted.”

“Peter makes a stunning statement about your gift. No matter how public or private or how dazzling or dull your gift is, your gift is a MANIFESTATION of God’s GRACE.”

“When the gospel came into your heart, Christ took your sin away. He imputed His righteousness to you. He gave you hope in life and death. AND—He gave you gifts.”

“Your spiritual gifts are not simply about what you can do FOR Christ; they are an expression of the GREATEST gift you’ve ever received—Christ IN you.”

“And our Master’s desire for the gifts He’s entrusted to us (10)—to serve one another. Your gifts are for your church, not EXCLUSIVELY, but PRIMARILY. Is it ok to serve outside your local church—ABSOLUTELY! But just as Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 12:7—the gifts are for the common good of the local church, and that’s what Peter has in mind here—serving begins IN your church because your gifts are primarily FOR your church.”

“Paul uses the imagery of a human body and all its parts to make this point: In the local church—Everyone is needed, and everyone matters.”

“Your gifts are outwardly focused, but they have an upward purpose—the glory of God. We are not kings building personal kingdoms. We are stewards in the kingdom of God.”

“God desires and requires us to serve humbly, aware of our dependence on Him to get anything done, bear any fruit, or do any good.”

“Our Sunday gathering is meant to display God’s extraordinary power through ordinary people serving one another for one ultimate purpose—make much of our Savior to the praise of God’s glory.”

“This is why Sunday Matters: This makes a gathering of ordinary people extraordinary. The gathering is a unique and powerful act of worship that celebrates and displays God’s grace and glory to one another.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Ephesians 2:10
1 Corinthians 10:31
1 Corinthians 12:7
1 Corinthians 12:14-26
Isaiah 48:9-11

QUOTES:
Paul Tripp - “God has designed corporate worship not just to expose my need of help, but to remind me over and over again, that I have been called to be one of God’s helpers. We need to be reminded that we are not just the recipients of God’s amazing grace, but have been drafted by him to be instruments of that grace in the lives of others.”

Donald Whitney - “At the moment of salvation when the Holy Spirit comes to live within you, He brings a gift with Him.”

Jerry Bridges - “We all know people, even unbelievers, who seem to be natural servants. They are always serving others one way or another. But God does not get the glory; they do. It is their reputation that is enhanced. But when we, natural servants or not, serve in dependence upon the grace of God with the strength He supplies, God is glorified.”

John Piper - “The most passionate heart for the glorification of God is God’s heart.”

BOOK RECOMMENDATION:

Sunday Matters: 52 Devotionals to Prepare Your Heart for Church

By Tripp, Paul David

Buy on Amazon

APPLICATION:
- Study 1 Corinthians 12:14-26 this week!

- Now, Peter’s exhortation demands some self-evaluation:

1. Are you aware of your gifts?  

2. Are you connected to your church with your gifts? 

3. Are you encouraging others in their gifts?

Here’s our application: Be here on Sundays. Be here serving your Savior by serving one another with the gifts God has graciously given you to use for His glory!

Sunday is not a day of religious rules; it’s a day of purposeful praise. On Sundays, we change our pattern to have our eyes filled with the glory of Jesus, who has given us true rest! Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES:  The Gathering: Why Sunday Matters
TEXT: Exodus 20:8-11
TITLE: Sunday: Holy Day? Or Holiday?
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: Sunday matters.

POINTS:
1. The Sabbath Commanded
2. The Sabbath Transformed
3. The Sabbath Practiced

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”The demise of the Sunday gathering is a modern-day expression of the idolatry in Judges that created a society defined by—everyone did what was right in their own eyes. For this reason, convictions about Sunday are critical.”

“If you don’t have convictions that define your Sunday, other things will define your Sundays. Work emails will define your Sundays. The culture will. Youth sports will. Leisure will. Your emotions will. A long, exhausting week will define your Sundays.” 

“Sadly, Sunday doesn’t matter enough. Here’s what your pastors are convinced of: We need a bigger vision of our Sunday gathering. We need to recapture the glory and privilege of gathering as people saved by grace, empowered by the Spirit, and waiting for our final home in heaven. How everything we do when we gather accomplishes this is what The Gathering series is about.”

“The fourth commandment was simple—Remember the Sabbath. What does that mean? It was more than mere mental exercise. If I say to Donna—It’s our anniversary, and that’s the extent of it, I’m in trouble. Israel was to remember the Sabbath by—(8) keeping it holy or setting it apart.”

“After 400 years of living under the tyrannical slave masters in Egypt who brutally worked them endlessly, taking a day off would have been welcomed. But taking a day off was not an end in itself. There was a much deeper significance than just physical rest—read verse 11.”

“God rested, not because He needed rest, but to take pleasure in the goodness of His creation, especially the goodness of the fellowship He had with Adam and Eve. God is delighting in them. He is caring for them. God is talking with them. He is shining His face down upon them. In other words, God is reveling in His presence with His people. Just as God rested to revel in His presence with His people, Israel is to rest to revel in God’s presence with them.”

“Simply put, it was a day of unique worship. That’s what the Fourth Commandment was about.”

“By the time of Jesus, what was a gift to God’s people, what was supposed to be a day of worship and delighting in God for their deliverance from Egypt, the Sabbath had become unrecognizable due to the crushing legalism of the Pharisees.”

“Jesus came to obey and fulfill the law perfectly because we could not. Now, IN CHRIST, we can rest from the impossible laboring of pleasing God through works. We can rest from the futile laboring of earning God’s saving love. We can rest from our useless laboring at securing forgiveness through our goodness. We can rest from the crushing weight of performance. The reality is that we can’t make ourselves right with God. We enter God’s Sabbath rest by believing in the atoning and all-sufficient life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ by which we are justified and forgiven.” 

“The OT Sabbath was rooted in the pattern of God’s creation work then rest. But Christ coming to do the work of salvation changes that pattern. Jesus did the work necessary for our forgiveness on the cross—It is finished. His resurrection on Sunday ushered in the New Covenant. Now, in Christ, we don’t work then rest; we begin with spiritual rest provided for us in the gospel, and then we work out of that rest by living and worshipping to the praise of God’s glory. The gospel transforms the 6-1 into 1-6.”

“There are differences between the Old Covenant and New Covenant Sabbath. But continuity is there: 1) We physically come together to worship 2) We intentionally rest from our usual activities in some way.”

“Sunday is not a day of religious rules; it’s a day of purposeful praise. On Sundays, we change our pattern to have our eyes filled with the glory of Jesus, who has given us true rest!”

“What are your convictions about the Lord’s Day? Is it just another day? What are your children learning about the priority of Sunday as they grow up in your home? Are they being taught there is no other day like the day we go to the house of the Lord to worship God? Or is it that church fits in if nothing else is pressing in? Over the next six weeks, we will unpack Why Sunday Matters. Be here. Don’t miss it. The Lord has something for all of us as we take back Sundays for our good, the testimony of our church, and God’s glory!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Genesis 2:2-3
Psalm 121:4
Deuteronomy 5:15
Matthew 11:28-30
Revelation 1:10
Acts 20:7
1 Corinthians 16:1-2

QUOTES:
C.J. Mahaney - “Sunday is the best day of the week because we celebrate the risen Christ of the cross in the local church, the dearest place on earth.”

BOOK RECOMMENDATION:

What If I Don't Feel Like Going to Church? (Church Questions)

By Gundersen, David

Buy on Amazon

APPLICATION:
Five ways to prepare for this series:
1. Be Here on Sundays
You won’t grow if you don’t go. Do whatever you need to do to be here. Orient the rest of your week to ensure you can be here on Sunday. And come even if you don’t want to come.
2. Take this series to heart
Humbly allow God’s Word to function as a mirror in your life. See the next few weeks as a time to evaluate your Sunday convictions and habits.
3. Think Corporately
The Christian life is you, God, and His people. We aren’t just saved from something; we are saved to something—the Church. That has implications for us, beginning with Sundays.
4. Hold your personal preferences graciously
Romans 14 and Colossians 2 warn us about self-righteously judging others because, among other things, their practice of the Lord’s Day doesn’t look just like ours. Beyond the NT pattern of setting Sunday apart to gather in worship and taking time to rest in some way—those should be non-negotiable for every believer—there is gospel freedom for personal preference.
5. Consider attending the SGU class in May: “Doctrine of the Church”

For all of us, here’s the bad news: You can’t avoid death. Everyone eventually dies, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. But Easter changes everything. Easter is the remedy for death. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

EASTER 2024
TEXT: 1 Corinthians 15:20-26
TITLE: The Ultimate Hope of Easter
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: Because death is our greatest enemy, Easter is our greatest hope.

POINTS:
1. The Resurrection of Jesus Guarantees Our Resurrection
2. The Resurrection of Jesus Guarantees the Renewal of All Things

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”I read a study titled—What We Fear More Than Death. Does anyone think they know the answer? 75% of people polled answered public speaking. That means most of you would rather die than get up here and speak. If that’s you, here’s the good news: You can avoid public speaking. For all of us, here’s the bad news: You can’t avoid death. Everyone eventually dies, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. But Easter changes everything. Easter is the remedy for death.”

“Easter is our greatest hope because the resurrection of Jesus guarantees our resurrection and the renewal of all things.”

“Paul is correcting bad theology in 1 Corinthians. But in that, he is giving the Corinthians hope. There is safety and hope in sound doctrine.”

“In Corinth, there were some in the church rejecting a bodily resurrection. There is no hope in that perspective. If there is no resurrection, then not even Jesus is resurrected. And if Jesus has not been raised from the dead, if the tomb is not empty on Sunday, then all that happened on Good Friday doesn’t matter. We are still in our sins. The Christian faith is meaningless, even blasphemous. This life is all we have, so we are to be pitied above all. Why? Because if the tomb is not empty, the gospel unravels.”

“What are first fruits? The first fruits were the first crops the farmer gathered from their harvest. They would take the first fruits of their crops and give them to the Lord as an offering of gratitude for His provision. The first fruits also gave the farmer hope because they acted as a promise for a good harvest. The first fruits were a sign of good things to come. In the analogy, Paul says Jesus’ resurrection was the first fruit, the first spiritual harvest that will lead to many resurrections. Christ’s empty tomb guarantees a bountiful crop of resurrections to follow.”

“Paul says you have believed the gospel, which is of first importance. You believe that Jesus died for your sins on the cross, and after three days in the grave, he was raised from the dead and was seen alive by over 500 people, including ME. Now, if Jesus is the first fruit, the necessary implication of your faith is that his resurrection, which you believe in, guarantees your resurrection. Be hopeful!”

“Because Adam was the first man, he was the representative of mankind. The way he goes, we all go. Adam’s sin affected and infected us all. Because Adam sinned, we are sinners. We are sinners because we inherited Adam’s sinful nature. This is called Original Sin. You can read more about it in Romans 5. In Adam, we have all sinned, making physical and spiritual death the inescapable reality for us all.”

“We know sin—Anger, lust, greed, gossip, dishonesty, bitterness. We know pride, selfishness, judgementalism, coarse talk, sexual sin. We have been freshly reminded by the Book of Judges just how well we know idolatry, which is simply finding our purpose and joy in anything other than God. Why? We were born on Team Adam. But our text tells us there is another team.”

“This text tells us there is another representative whose actions affect us. In Adam, all die, but those IN CHRIST live! Isn’t God merciful and gracious? We deserve death—He gives us life.”

“The Hope of Easter is not that if you clean up your life, God will accept you. The Hope of Easter is not a personal commitment to diversity, equity, or inclusion. The Hope of Easter is not a disciplined approach to tradition or ceremony. The Hope of Easter is not found in politicians. The Hope of Easter is that all who believe in Jesus will live forever in his glorious presence. To be IN CHRIST is to have CHRIST IN YOU, and CHRIST IN YOU is the hope of glory! Such is the profound nature of the gospel and the guarantee of the resurrection.”

“In the resurrection of Jesus, God has the final word over sin and death. Jesus paid the price for our sins at the cross, crying—It is finished. Through the empty tomb, God makes the cosmic proclamation—It is sufficient! And on that glorious day when the trumpet will sound, and Jesus returns in all his glory, we will finally, fully, and forever realize our Easter Hope.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Romans 3:23
Romans 6:23
Colossians 1:27

QUOTES:
David Garland - “Graveyards remind us of the brevity of life. Jesus’ resurrection reminds us of the brevity of death.”

APPLICATION:
If you have never placed your faith in Jesus, you are still on Team Adam. Eternal death and judgment await you. But today, you can believe in Jesus and live. You may say—Pastor, I am living. I’m good. You’re not living. The Bible says because of your sin, you are a dead person walking. You may be alive physically, but you are dead spiritually, and that’s what matters eternally. But Jesus is not dead—He has risen! That means if you believe in him today, you lean all your trust on him for salvation, you will be raised to life and truly live, not only today but forever. Will you come to Jesus this morning?

For the believer, Paul tells us exactly how we should respond to our Easter Hope—read 58. Our Easter hope is that one day, we will rise from the dead and reign with Jesus. But that resurrection promise, in a sense, is ours now. It’s in part, but we live the resurrection life today. 

In this topsy-turvy world, what is testing your faith today? The resurrection spurs you on to gospel steadfastness, knowing the best is yet to come. Are you becoming fearful of trying to live the Christian life in your country? You can stand immovable in the face of increasing hostility because what can man do to us—IN CHRIST, death is the door to life!

Are you growing weary of doing gospel good in an unresponsive community? You can throw ourselves into our gospel mission because Jesus is not dead; he is alive and advancing His kingdom purposes through us from the throne of God. As Christians, we aren’t living our best lives now, but we live now knowing that our best lives are yet to come.

“Bad news” is an inevitable part of our life on this earth but let’s look to see how a King of Judah, named Jehoshaphat, responded to uncertainty and some devastating news. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

TEXT: 2 Chronicles 20:1-24
TITLE: God is Trustworthy: The Prayer of Jehoshaphat
PREACHER: Trey Richardson
BIG IDEA: God is trustworthy, Trust God and Pray

POINTS:
1. When news brings fear (1-4)
2. When Fear brings prayer (5-12)
3. When Prayer brings praise (13-24)

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Through this passage, we want to see that it is possible to live our lives in a world full of uncertainty and not be controlled by the fears that come with it.  We need to know that it is possible to live our lives in 2024 in a way that keeps our thoughts and minds above the fray of fear, regardless of what is going on, and regardless of the news that comes our way. It is possible because of where we place our trust.”

“A great multitude made of three different nations - the Moabites, the Ammonites, and some of the Meunites - were discovered marching toward Judah to destroy it.  How many were coming is unclear, but what is clear is that it is a ‘multitude’ or a ‘great horde’, are terms used to designate a numerically superior army.”

“How did Jehoshaphat respond to the news he received about these three different nations, now combining their armies, coming to destroy Judah? He was facing the genocide of his nation. He was the King and leadership in this was up to him.  His decisions would shape the nation’s success or the nation’s demise.”

“Jehoshaphat was genuinely afraid. There was an overwhelming force that was coming, but what he did in his fear is important to see - Jehoshaphat then took his fear to the Lord in prayer.”

“He decided to seek the Lord. The phrase ‘he set his face’ to seek the Lord indicates his full attention, and commitment was given to seek the Lord. It was a decision to go to God with his need in prayer. His decision to pray was a godly result of his intense feeling of fear. Fear itself will tempt us to recoil into ourselves, running from the source of that fear, trying to figure it out on our own, just talking it out with others, or distracting ourselves with something else. But Jehosaphat’s decision was based on the truth he knew and believed … that God was his and his nation’s only true rescue and refuge.” 

“Jehoshaphat led the nation in prayer. He began with praise for God, acknowledging his authority exercised from heaven, his rule over the kingdoms, and his sovereign power.  In his prayer, he then reviewed his history of how God drove out the nations before them as they occupied the promised land. He calls on God to defend his people again against the invading enemy trying to remove Judah from the land God has given to his people for their possession.”

“Listen to the attitude, his approach to solving this national issue and the way that Jehoshaphat expressed his trust in God. He could have put his eyes in so many different places at this moment, but he didn’t.

• He could have looked to other nations to become his ally, but he didn’t.  

• He could have looked to the invading army’s vast superiority and just surrendered, or negotiated a peace treaty, but he didn’t. 

• He looked to God and kept his eyes on His Lord Jehovah.”

“Remember, we have more reasons to trust God than Jehoshaphat did: We have a nearer God and a better prophet. We do not have to go to a place to meet with God.  He is with us. Yes, we have full access through Christ to God the Father in heaven.”

“Jehoshaphat did not stop when he heard the prophecy and the promise of deliverance, he instructed them to now praise God through singing, praising God for this promised deliverance.  They had not experienced it yet but trusted God with their lives and futures.  Their trust in God that led them to pray now leads them to express the assurance of the coming victory in song!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
1 Corinthians 6:19
Romans 8:34
Romans 8:26–27
John 16:33
Matthew 28:20
2 Corinthians 12:9
Acts 16:25–27
Proverbs 3:5
Colossians 4:2

QUOTES:
Joni Rickson-Tada- “It may only be seven o’clock in the evening when I am put to bed, and I may not go to sleep until eleven.  That leaves me with hours each day to still myself….and pray.  Sometimes I’m amazed that, from my bed, I can help set into motion the cogs and wheels of God’s workings in the life of the world.  Through my prayers, I may change the destiny of a life – or even a nation.  Lying on my bed, I can hasten the day of the Lord’s return.  I don’t move a muscle in those hours, but I help move the hand of God here and abroad.”

Charles Spurgeon - "There is help in God for your present trial, whatever form it assumes. Infinite wisdom understands it, and infinite power can help you through it.”

APPLICATION:
Q. How are we tempted to respond when we hear news that brings genuine fear into our lives? What action does our first decision lead us to take? 
We will not have the calamity that Jehoshaphat experienced, but in 2024 how often will news come your way from a doctor visit, a news item on TV, or from a phone call, or seeing a Facebook post, or from a text message, from Instagram, or even your own thoughts, that brings news that starts a cascading response in your heart of fear or anxiety.
Where does fear lead you?  Let it lead you to seek the Lord, to prayer as Jehoshaphat did.  Let us be like Jehoshaphat, and let fear, lead us to seek the Lord, and encourage those around us to do the same.  Let’s trust God and Pray.

There are many challenges that are before us, let us trust God with them, pray to God through them, and praise God in the midst of them!

Spiritually speaking, that is God’s desire for us: that we would be ALL IN. He saved us to be His own, and He desires that we make Him our all-in-all. This has been the calling of God’s people from the beginning. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Christ in the Chaos
TEXT: Judges 10:1-12:7
TITLE: All In!
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”The Bible is brutally honest. It does not cherry-pick the best examples but gives us warts and all. Nowhere is that more evident than in the Book of Judges. Over and over, we have witnessed an idolatrous Israel. Today is no different. What is different is the degree of Israel’s idolatry.”

“One thing Judges has repeatedly shown us is that idolatry always leads us away from God and into oppression. Pick your idol: Money, looks, lifestyle, position, the praises of people, or the perfect family; it doesn’t matter; the effect of idolatry is always oppression.”

“You may be blind to it, but whatever you want more than you want God will oppress you. Whatever you serve, meaning live for, becomes your master (Matthew 6:24), leaving you empty and dry because it’s not meant to replace God—it’s meant to point you to God!”

“We are all guilty of bombshell religion to some degree—It’s a reality of living in a fallen world. But there are some whose relationship with God is characterized by a break-the-glass-in-case-of-emergency attitude. If that is you, you are not a healthy Christian. You need help, so turn to the Lord in repentance now. God is merciful.”

“They didn’t earn God’s rescue. They didn’t deserve God’s deliverance. The text makes it clear: it’s not their repentance; it’s their misery that moves God to mercy. The God who loves His people with steadfast love hates to see His people in misery.”

“God’s mercy is expressed in Chapter 11, where we are introduced to the next Judge—Jephthah. In 1-3, we get Jephthah’s bio: He is a mighty warrior. He is the son of a prostitute. For this reason, he was disowned and disinherited by his family. As an outcast, he started hanging with the wrong crowd. All this to say, Jephthah is an unlikely candidate to be the deliverer of God’s people. And yet, he went from the banished son to the ruler over all.”

“Jephthah negotiates with history, theology, and precedent. Good diplomacy, right? In 28, the king of the Ammonites didn’t buy it.”

“We know Jephthah will win the battle because 29 says the Spirit was upon Jephthah. That means the Lord’s power was with him to win the fight. And win he does, but his victory is overshadowed by a foolish and unbiblical vow—to offer whatever (whoever) was first to walk out his door and greet him as a burnt sacrifice. To his great dismay, that person was his only child, his daughter. And after a time of mourning by his daughter, Jephthah offered up to the Lord as a burnt sacrifice. Tragic. Hard to imagine. Hard to stomach. How bad can things get in Israel?”

“Some have tried to soften the moment by offering alternative views of how Jephthah fulfilled his vow. But they fail under the scrutiny of the broader context of Scripture and the clarity and purpose of the immediate context. The text is clear: Jephthah offered his daughter as a human sacrifice. How should we think about this? The passage never says God or the writer approves of or endorses this. On the contrary, God strictly forbids human sacrifice.”

“God says you must never worship me this way. So, how could Jephthah do this? Remember Chapter 10. Israel is steeped in pagan worship. It’s the air they breathe; it’s the life they live. This tragic moment illustrates the disintegration of their relationship with God and their assimilation into the world around them.”

“Jephthah’s story ends with another tragedy in 12:1-7, where, like with Gideon, the Ephraimites want to know why Jephthah didn’t include them in his battle, a fight breaks out, and Jephthah kills 42,000 fellow Israelites.”

“…it’s an imperfect salvation that points us forward to the perfect Savior—another man who was also forsaken and rejected by his people. In eternity past, God chose to offer up His only Son a sin for sacrifice. Jesus was all in (Phi 2:8), coming to us, giving His Father total loyalty and obedience by offering himself a once-for-all sacrifice and enduring righteousness for his enemies.”

“Jephthah would do anything for his power and success, but Jesus gave himself up for the eternal good of others. From the right hand of God, Jesus now holds forgiveness and righteousness out without price to all who come to him by grace through faith.”

“Come to Jesus today with your bombshell religion and syncretistic faith. Lay it at his feet. Repent. He is merciful, and His grace is sufficient for you be ALL IN on loving and living for him like you have never loved and lived for him before until he returns for us and we will indeed be ALL IN!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Romans 12:1-2
1 John 2:15-17
Philippians 3:20-21
Isaiah 63:9
Deuteronomy 12:29

QUOTES:
Dale Ralph Davis- “The theology of bombshell religion teaches that—of course—God will help you in your need, that he is—helpfully enough—incredibly naïve and hopelessly soft. He’s like a great warm vending machine in the sky into which you need only drop a token or two of repentance before he spits out the relief you currently crave. Religion is a great game—you only need to know a few rules. And Yahweh is a great God—if you happen to need him and want to use him.”

Robert Chisholm Jr. - “It is shocking to see that even a Yahweh-worshiper has become so paganized in his thinking that he would resort to human sacrifice to assure his success.”

APPLICATION:
What should be our takeaway from this tragic story?
1. We must vigilantly guard against being conformed to the world
Jephthah and Israel were completely conformed to Canaan. They looked more like Canaanites than Israelites. Jephthah knew redemptive history. He understood the theology of God’s sovereignty. Yet, he was living a syncretistic religion— professing Yahweh but living as a pagan—and it is devastating! We need to ask ourselves—where am I living a syncretistic religion? Where do my profession and my living not line up? Where are you blind to your syncretistic religion? TIP: Guarding against being conformed to the world is more about pursuing Christ than is resisting the world.  The more we pursue our glorious Savior the less attractive and satisfying this world becomes.

2. We must continually breathe the air of grace
We try to smuggle character into our relationship with God—If I do _______, you fill in the blank, God will pour out His favor on me more. The books of Job and Galatians remind us we don’t earn God’s blessings with our works. Are called to vigilantly guard against being conformed to the world—Yes! Is holiness our calling in Christ—Yes! Does our obedience matter to God—Yes! But how we live isn’t a bribe for God’s grace—it’s a grateful response to God’s grace, and that transforms our obedience into joyful, God-pleasing, Christ-exalting, Spirit-empowered worship!

Someone once said—We have seen the enemy, and the enemy is us. Welcome to Judges 9. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Christ in the Chaos
TEXT: Judges 9:1-57
TITLE: When Our Greatest Enemy is Us
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA:

POINTS:
1. Abimelech’s Rise
2. Abimelech’s Fall

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Abimelech breaks [the] cycle. Before we hit the repeat button once again, we get a close-up of just how evil Israel had become. Everyone in this story is an Israelite. They had become their own worst enemy.”

“My prayer is this close-up will produce 1) an appropriate fear of the Lord in everyone here 2) a deeper gratitude for God’s saving mercy toward us, and 3) a resolve to pray for the lost.”

“We learned at the end of Chapter 8 that Abimelech was Gideon’s son. He was an Israelite. He was part of God’s people. He wasn’t a judge, but he did hold a position of power—He became a regional king. The man whose name meant, My father is a king, had strong ambitions to be a king himself.”

“The trees went to the bramble—You reign over us. The bramble, a thorny, useless plant known for one thing—pain and destruction (think cactus) accepted the offer to rule over them. But with conditions. First of all, the bramble offered no shade—false promise. Second, the bramble says—Sure, I’ll be your king, but don’t cross me because I will reign down fire on you. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that making the bramble your king is pretty stupid. The bramble has no qualification; it brings no benefit to the trees and doesn’t care about the other trees, just itself.”  

“The point is that the leaders of Shechem have not acted in good faith but have been unfaithful to God by making an evil man like Abimelech king, and they, along with Abimelech, will face God’s judgment.”

“God is only mentioned three times in this story, but every time confirms it is His invisible hand that is behind the scenes, judging evil by using human rebellion against those who rebel.”

“Scripture teaches us that God cannot do evil (James 1:13), and Scripture never charges God with evil. God is infinitely good. The Bible also affirms that God is always in control and always at work, fulfilling His perfect purposes, here’s the mysterious part—even at times, bringing about evil through the voluntary acts of people in a way that never commits an evil act or compromises His holy character. Nowhere is this reality more clear than at the cross, where Jesus was killed by men to fulfill the saving purposes of God (Acts 4:27-28).”

“Abimelech is dead. The leaders of Shechem are dead. God has brought justice on Israel’s evil. Jotham’s fable fulfilled.”

“Hebrews 12 says God will discipline those He loves. Discipline is never pleasant, but it expresses God’s fatherly love for you and His promised faithfulness to draw you back to Himself and bring your life in line with gospel truth. It was a hard lesson, but just as Israel benefited from God’s fiery judgment on the bramble king and his makers, so we benefit from God’s discipline that draws us closer to Him and makes us more like him.”

“History shows the church survives and even thrives under persecution and oppression. What eats the church up is the church. It's our sin. It’s our civil wars. It's not the world’s fault and certainly not some failure on God’s part—it's our own evil.”

“While Abimelech’s story doesn’t make for a pleasant read, it is a gift to us. It teaches us that sin is serious and presuming on the grace of God is dangerous. More than that, it shows us we need God. And He has been faithful in giving Himself to us in His Son Jesus Christ. He disciplines us in this life, but one day, He will judge evil fully and finally one day. And if you believe in Jesus, your judgment has moved from the future to the past.”

“None of us are faithful to God, but He is faithful to us. God is for us. Look to Him today to find mercy and grace in your time of need.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Galatians 6:7
James 4:6

QUOTES:
Barry Webb - “Evil appears to be running rampant in Judges 9, but the truth is that God is directing it to a particular and just outcome. Men who have chosen evil are given evil in full measure as their just punishment.”

Augustine - “Save me from myself, O Lord. I’m my own worst enemy.”

APPLICATION:
Why are we spending time on this story? Why does it matter for our lives today? 
1. Warns us against testing God
Judges 9 is very much about man’s evil and God’s justice. The truth is God is not obligated to show any sinner grace. He owes us nothing but His eternal judgment. Yet, He gave His only Son to save us mercifully. That’s why we call it Amazing Grace! 

Now, in Christ, we exist to live for His glory. And God will stop at nothing to make Himself the center of our affections and the focus of our worship. So when we test God by pushing the envelope of idolatry and disobedience, God will act, not because He is a megalomaniac but because He is holy. 

Q) Is there an area of sin and rebellion you choose to ignore in your life? Don’t test God by choosing evil—Repent today.

2. Comforts us with God’s faithfulness

Guess how Chapter 10 begins—God sends a judge to save Israel. Who is God saving them from? Israel isn’t under oppression from any surrounding nation. Who does God deliver them from—Themselves!

Judges 9 isn’t about the surrounding nations—they aren’t in the story. It’s about God’s people. Their sin. Their idolatry. Their evil. Their unfaithfulness. They need to be saved from themselves. And because God is faithful, He does just that. They don’t deserve it from God. God doesn’t owe to them. God loves them because He loves them, and He promises to be faithful to those whom He loves.

Q. Where are you drifting away from God today? Repent and allow God’s love for you to draw you back to Christ.

Q. Where is God’s Word not informing your values, priorities, and fears? Repent and allow God’s saving grace to once again take center stage in your heart.

The Christian life isn’t complicated, but it is difficult in a world of distractions for hearts prone to wander from God. We live in a world constantly competing for our affection and demanding our loyalties. This makes the risk of spiritual amnesia real. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Christ in the Chaos
TEXT: Judges 8:29-35
TITLE: The Joy of Remembering
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: Remembering is Worship—Remembering the Lord, who he is, and all he has done and allowing that to shape our lives is worship. 

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”I would submit that remembering is critical in the Christian life. The Bible repeatedly calls us to remember.”

“In verses 29-32, the sun sets on Gideon’s personal life and ministry. Though he did not finish well, Gideon made his mark in redemptive history as God used him to deliver Israel from the Midianites and usher them into forty years of rest. But in verse 33, we learn what has now become a predictable cycle: Israel plunged headlong back into the idols and ways of the world. And verse 34 tells us why—Israel did not remember their God and all he had done.”

“They didn’t literally forget God. They just didn’t care about God. They had no regard for God. Their experiential and intellectual knowledge of God no longer affected them. It played no part in determining how they thought and lived. God’s character, provision, and promises did not influence them. It didn’t matter to their lives. They refused to honor, trust, and obey the Lord. Simply put—They forgot God.”

“Before we’re too hard on Israel, what about us? How forgetful are you? How forgetful am I? To what degree do you suffer from spiritual amnesia?”

“The truth is, we can read God’s active and living Word, sing theologically rich songs, and sit under sound preaching but have our minds and hearts somewhere else.”

“That is the careless forgetfulness of God, and it is destructive to our walk with Jesus. But it leads to an even more destructive forgetfulness.”

“…our hearts are prone to forget God and pursue the idols of respect, reputation, money, success, power, comfort, and convenience. Oh, church, how we need the Spirit’s help to remember because when we forget God, we forget the very one we need to remember most.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
1 Corinthians 11:24-25
John 14:26
Ephesians 2:11
Judges 2:10
Deuteronomy 4:9

ARTICLE LINK:
Click here to read “Forgetting God” - by Benjamin Shaw

In his article, Benjamin Shaw identifies two types of spiritual forgetfulness. 
1. Careless Forgetfulness - This forgetfulness is fueled by distraction and busyness, leading to a lack of intentionality and focus that fits the moment.
That is the careless forgetfulness of God, and it is destructive to our walk with Jesus. But it leads to an even more destructive forgetfulness. 
2. Deliberate Forgetfulness

APPLICATION:
So, how do we guard against spiritual forgetfulness? Motivated by Christ’s love for us and in the strength he supplies—we Remember.
1. Remember who you are
Ephesians 4:17-24 reminds you that you no longer have to think and live as you did before Christ. Why? Because in Christ you are a new creation created in the righteousness of Christ, forgiven by and justified before God who has filled with His Spirit so you may walk in His ways for His glory!
2. Remember God forgives
The work of Jesus in the gospel paid the debt and broke the power of sin, but the presence of sin remains and will until Christ returns. That means ongoing repentance is part of the believer's life, and John 1:9 reminds us that when we are faithful to confess our sins, the Lord mercifully and freely forgives. 
3. Remember the nature of God’s Word 
2 Timothy 3:16 reminds us that God breathes out all Scripture. The Word is God’s words that are profitable for us in every way, making us competent and equipped for everything God calls us to. And there is great joy for the one who walks according to it.
4. Remember why we gather
Hebrews 10:19-25 reminds us that the gathered church is not to be neglected because it is the fruit of the gospel that every believer needs to strengthen their faith and fuel their perseverance to the end. Church is about remembering and beholding the glory of our Savior!

We are about to witness the deterioration of a leader’s relationship with God. Gideon started well but finished badly. He went from courageously obeying the voice and trusting the promises of the Lord to pursuing his own agenda with no fear of the Lord. As we walk through Gideon’s story, we find two warnings for our lives and ministry. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Christ in the Chaos
TEXT: Judges 8:4-28
TITLE: A Tragic Ending
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

THE TWO WARNINGS:
1. Stay close to Jesus
2. Don’t idolize leaders

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”When Gideon follows them across the Jordan, he leaves the Land. That’s a problem. Midian has retreated. Israel has defeated the Midianites. As the Lord commanded, Gideon killed the enemy and drove the survivors from the Land. Mission accomplished! So, crossing the Jordan and leaving the Land goes beyond what God called him to do.”

“The second clue that something has changed with Gideon is how he treats his own people. …Gideon’s leadership isn’t helping them. He doesn’t give them a word of assurance from the Lord. He doesn’t challenge them to join him in trusting their all-powerful God. He doesn’t encourage them to stand with him for the glory of the Lord. He threatens them.”

“For the first time in Judges, we witness Israelite on-Israelite violence. Their unity is fraying, another sign of the depths of their spiritual decline.”

“It doesn’t say the Lord handed the Midianite kings into Gideon’s hands; it says Gideon captured them. It doesn’t say God threw the entire army into a panic; it says Gideon threw it into a panic. Now, we know this victory belongs to the Lord. The victory always belongs to the Lord. The point of the change in language is to draw attention to the change in Gideon.”

“Gideon’s agenda has changed. The fear and glory of God no longer drive him. His passions drive him. This isn’t God’s agenda; it’s Gideon’s agenda. The moment he crossed over the Jordan, Gideon was more committed to personal vengeance than the Lord’s holy cause.”  

“The men of Israel respond by trying to make Gideon king. You saved us. You defeated mighty armies with few men. You killed kings. Rule over us. Be our king. Establish a dynasty. We want a guy like Gideon ruling over us. We can follow this man! He is worthy!”

“Don’t miss the irony: this was the whole point of dwindling Gideon’s army to 300—7:2 lest the people boast! Again, God is nowhere to be found. This is about Gideon. Instead of a song of great praise like Deborah and Barak, the praises of Gideon are sung. Instead of saying isn’t our God awesome, they say isn’t Gideon awesome!”

“The ephod was holy. It was unique. It was central to Israel’s worship and the high priest's office. It was part of the high priest's mediation between God and His people. And Gideon decides to make his own. He is acting like a high priest. He is authorizing unauthorized worship in an unauthorized place led by an unauthorized man.”

“…in his God-given success and the misguided praises of people, two things happened: Gideon abandoned God’s agenda for his own and lost his fear of the Lord.”

“The road from starting well to finishing badly is subtle. It’s not one sudden giant leap away from Jesus; it’s many tiny steps over time. We become what we are becoming. Gideon’s story reminds us that between our own sinful hearts and the praises of people—it’s hard to finish well.”

“Leadership is God’s idea. We need leaders. Most of us want to be led. Eph 4 makes it clear that leaders are a gift to the church. In his letters, Paul calls us to follow, submit, emulate, pray for, and honor our leaders. But we don’t make them kings. We don’t turn them into personal ephods. We don’t idolize them. In the words of Paul—We follow them as they follow Christ.”

“Gideon’s story reminds us no earthly leader is good enough. There is only one man who started and ended perfectly. There is only one deliverer who always satisfies and never disappoints. There is only man whose life gives glory to God in every way at all times. Only one man has made God’s agenda his agenda without fail—Jesus! We look to Jesus. Gideon is meant to move us to Jesus.”

“Leader, lead with zeal, passion, and excellence. By the grace of God, allow His agenda to be yours. Christian, follow, submit, honor, imitate, and pray for your God-given leaders. Above all, look to the one who never disappoints, who is all your hope and alone gives you eternal purpose—Jesus Christ, the crucified and risen Lamb of God.” 

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Hebrews 12:2

APPLICATION:
In the strength of the Lord, we must stay close to Christ in our personal lives and our ministries. His agenda through his church must always be our agenda. Leading in the church doesn’t begin with leading others toward Christ; it starts with the leader following Christ—Godly leaders follow before they lead. We don’t build others into ourselves; we push them onward and upward into Christ as we press onward and upward into Christ.

• Am I leading from a heart that is growing in knowing, loving, and boasting in Christ more and more, or am I just getting things done? Ask that of yourself and of those you have the privilege to lead.

When leaders sin, we treat them like we do others—humbly correct and encourage them to repentance. Sometimes, a leader's sin is so egregious we must remove them from leadership. In these situations, we shouldn’t mindlessly look away; we should act according to God’s Word with humility and faith. 

But in those moments, we also don’t allow our leader's failures to shipwreck our faith and taint our perspective of the church. How many people have left the church, even the faith, because they were disappointed by their leaders? 

• I encourage you to talk to a pastor if you struggle with leadership.

At times God will “bare his arm” against pride and humble his people to the degree that we are NOT able to boast of our own strength. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Christ in the Chaos
TEXT: Judges 7:1-8:3
TITLE: Our Weakness and the Glory of God
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: God humbles his people so that we will boast in His strength alone.

POINTS:
1. We cannot boast of our own strength.
2. We should boast of God’s strength alone.

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”At times God will “bare his arm” against pride and humble his people to the degree that we are NOT able to boast of our own strength. We will be reduced by Him so that we can then only boast of God’s strength alone. We will be decreased by Him in order that He will increase. We will be made weak in order that he is known as strong.”

“The people of Israel are now facing this 130,000-strong Midianite army of men with abundant resources. This army is well-fed and equipped! Yet, God has clearly declared that this enemy has been given into Gideon’s hand. The Israelites will defeat this enemy!”

“Verse 2 IS the central verse to everything in our text today! So, HOLD ONTO this KEY verse.”

“Our hearts are the “worship center” of our being. We are going to boast! This is who we are! This is what we do! This is how we were made BUT sin has corrupted us, and we turn away from God and worship… we boast… ultimately in ourselves.”

“The idol of self-exaltation, boasting in oneself over God, is captured in the words from Vs. 2 ‘MY OWN HAND.’ This is their sin. This is our sin. Our things and our accomplishments lead us to boast over God, as we declare ‘My own hand has” done this!’”

“God will remove every single thing that we grasp for in order to boast of our greatness… reasons to marvel at our own power and pat ourselves on the back for it.”

“THE POINT is that God is intentionally and mercifully REDUCING their strength in order that they will glory in His strength.”

“It is here that we have the joy of acknowledging that our weakness has been brought on by our LORD in order that we see our salvation was His alone!  WE COULD NOT DO THIS, but GOD  HAS  DONE  THIS. It is here that his ‘reduction’ of us is gracious and good for us.”

“The gospel of our Lord Jesus converts glory-thieves into glory-givers!”

“Gideon boasts in God alone! The evidence of his readiness to lead this battle is not in the numbers and strength of his army but is found in his WORSHIP of YHWH!”

“Sinners bring nothing to boast about when they are met by the mercy of God in the Gospel, but boast we will… but only in the power and strength of our Savior!”

QUOTES:
Charles H. Spurgeon - “PRIDE is most obnoxious to God. As a sin, his holiness hates it; as a treason, his sovereignty detests it; as a rebellion, the whole of his attributes stand leagued to put it down. God has touched other sins with his finger, but against this vice, he has made bare his arm… Remember, the first transgression had in its essence pride. The ambitious heart of Eve desired to be as God, knowing good and evil, and Adam imagined that he should be lifted up to divine rank if he dared to pluck and eat. The blasting of Paradise, the sterility of the world, the travail of human birth, the sweat of the brow, and the certainty of death, may all be traced to this fruitful mother of mischief, pride… Against all [pride] has he furbished his sword, and prepared his weapons of war. The Lord, even the Lord of hosts hath sworn it, and he will surely stain the pride of all human glory, and tread all boasting as straw is trodden for the dunghill.”

Paul David Tripp - “Sin has made us glory robbers. We do not suffer well because suffering interferes with our glory. We do not find relationships easy because others compete with us for glory. We do not serve well because, in our quest for glory, we want to be served.”

Paul David Tripp - “...But the story of Scripture is the story of the Lord's glory. It calls me to an agenda that is bigger than myself. It offers me something truly worth living for. The Redeemer has come so that glory thieves would joyfully live for the glory of Another. There is no deeper personal joy and satisfaction than to live committed to his glory. It is what we truly need.”

Charles H. Spurgeon - “God has ordained that the only way in which he will save men shall be a way which utterly excludes the possibility of man’s having a single word to say by way of boasting.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Acts 9:15-16
2 Corinthians 12:10

APPLICATION:
Be like Gideon: though now weakened, worship…BOAST in God alone!

Our text this morning, as we continue to learn about this deliverer, Gideon will surprise us as we discover how far we will go when we doubt God and it will surprise us with how God responds. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Christ in the Chaos
TEXT: Judges 6:33-40
TITLE: Do Not Test God
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: Do not test God, but rather, willingly trust Him.

POINTS:
1. Made Ready
2. Willing To Test God
3. The One Who Was Willing To Trust God

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”The darkness of doubt in our relationship with God is a terrible enemy of the soul. Doubt is actually an enemy of God.”

“We will see, that when we will not trust him, in our faithlessness, doubt and hesitancy, we will actually test God, seek to negotiate with God, put God off, challenge him and demand that he prove himself to us!”

“Step by step, God has been preparing His man, Gideon, to lead His people on the offensive to attack and destroy this enemy. The army encamped in on the land is massive, and if God himself does not do something, this will be a suicide mission. Without God, Israel will utterly fail in a devastating defeat.”

“Gideon has been dressed in the overpowering/overwhelming Spirit of YHWH.”

“The situation they are facing is racing through Gideon’s mind. The impending horrific battle looms heavy in the air and in Gideon's heart. Yet, we find Gideon is still plagued by waves of doubt, distrust, and something worse. He was not ready. Gideon was clothed by God, yet… he remains ready to test God.”

“Here we see his worst enemy is not this Midianite army (as awful as they are). “IF…” the words reveal Gideon’s worst enemy is himself… his worst enemy is his heart, it is his will that is opposed to God’s will.”

“We should never test God! Allow me to be more blunt - Do not put a fleece before God! Here is the problem with “putting a fleece before God”: For many, placing a fleece before God has become a way to determine God's will. We are looking for a sign from God that will reveal what He wants us to do. False application of Gideon’s fleece: In the church, it has been believed that what Gideon is doing here with the fleece teaches how to discover what God’s will is.”

“Gideon obeyed God and pulled down the altar to Baal, but his test reveals that he still has the lingering effects of his sin, his worldview, and his beliefs regarding the pagan god. Baal has not been fully dislodged from his heart.”

“Samuel’s shift in the use of God’s name in this scene with Gideon helps see that the LORD remains less in his heart. We realize that Gideon is questioning who God is! He approaches with a pagan challenge seeking to negotiate with and manipulate God - seeking to move God over to His perspective!”

“Well, there is Good News! Gideon’s sinful hesitation and resistance toward God is met by the patience of God - TWICE!”

“Gideon, the deeply flawed deliverer, remains weak and even worse… willing to question the will of God. But, the cross of Jesus will reveal that Jesus is the Deliverer that we so desperately need.”

“JESUS, OUR DELIVERER, KNOWS HIS FATHER. OUR SAVIOR, JESUS, WILLINGLY SUBMITTED TO THE WILL OF THE FATHER. NO BACK PEDDLING, NO NEGOTIATING, NO DEMANDS FOR PROOF.”

QUOTES:
Saint Augustine, in anguish over his sin, spoke of his doubt in God becoming belief - “I was weeping in the most bitter contrition of my heart, when I heard the voice of children from a neighboring house chanting, “Take up and read; take up and read.” I could not remember ever having heard the like, so checking the torrent of my tears, I arose, interpreting it to be no other than a command from God to open the book and read the first chapter I should find. Eagerly then I returned to the place where I had laid the volume of the apostle. I seized, opened, and in silence read that section on which my eyes first fell… No further would I read, nor did I need to. For instantly… it seemed as if a light of serenity infused into my heart and all the darkness of doubt vanished away.”

Daniel L. Block - “At the outset, we should recognize that Gideon’s putting out the fleece does not represent an act of faith by which he seeks knowledge of God’s will. He already knows it—he is to lead the Israelites in throwing off the Midianite hordes (6:14). Instead, the fleece turns out to be an act of unbelief, an effort to get out of doing that will.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Luke 22:42

APPLICATION:
Q - Have you been testing God?

Q - Are you now discovering that the effects of your sin and your worldview still lurk in your heart? Does this often lead you to doubt and fill you with an unwillingness to do God’s will?

Q - In what area am I negotiating with God? “Lord, IF you will___________, then I will___________.”

The cross of our willing Savior, Jesus, is the very place that unwilling sinners must go. There, we repent of our sins and submit our will to His will. There, we find mercy and forgiveness. There, men, women, boys, and girls are born again by the Spirit of God. There, hesitating, unbelieving, and unwilling hearts are humbled and made willing to trust Jesus more and more.

In a few weeks, we will witness God use Gideon and his 300 men to defeat an army of 135,000 strong. But we are not there yet. Today, God continues to prepare Gideon. In the words of the anonymous poem—God is drilling and thrilling, molding and hammering him. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Christ in the Chaos
TEXT: Judges 6:25-32
TITLE: A Divine Mic Drop
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: Because God is for us, we have all we need to live for God.

POINTS:
1. What Do You Serve?
2. Who Do You Fear?

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”I believe God wants to break down idols this morning. God wants to relieve us of the fears that keep us from pursuing Him as His loyal subjects.”

“We are all Gideons in need of a greater vision for the sufficiency and faithfulness of God. We need Christ elevated in our minds and hearts. Today, Gideon’s drilling and thrilling, molding and hammering is our drilling and thrilling, molding and hammering, so we will know and believe and trust that: Because God is for us, we have all we need to live for God.”

“It’s been quite a day for Gideon, but as verse 25 indicates—That night the Lord said to him—the day is far from over. Before Gideon goes into battle with Midian, God calls him to battle with Baal in his own backyard.”

“What we see here is nothing short of shocking: Gideon’s dad built a shrine to Baal with an Asherah pole, a wooden pool with Asherah, the goddess of fertility, carved into it. That’s shocking—Gideon’s family dedicated space on their property for idol worship. Throughout Judges, God deals with Israel’s idolatry, but this is the first time we see it.”

“The message is unmistakable: Israel’s root problem was not pagan nations; it was their own idolatrous hearts. Their problem isn’t with Midian; it’s with God. They are forgetting about God. They are refusing to serve God. God has lavished blessings on them. He has been gracious beyond measure to them. His patience has known no bounds with them. Time and again, He has been faithful to them despite their unfaithfulness to Him. God has mercifully made them His people and called them to live as a light and testimony to His power and glory. And yet, they are chasing idols.”

“I’m confident no one here has pagan altars and poles in their backyard. But we all have them erected in our hearts. Politics and popularity, reputation and respect, money, and success, fashion and looks, accomplishment and education, personal comfort and convenience, no matter how public or private, be it traditional, family, or cultural gods, these and more are the 21st century Baals and Asherah’s. What is yours?”

“No one can serve two masters. It can’t be done. God’s nature won’t allow it. God’s glory won’t tolerate it. God will not share your heart. 

• You can’t put your hope in Christ for eternity but your hope in money for this life. 

• You can’t serve God, then put your trust in good health. 

• You can’t say Jesus is my all-in-all, but find satisfaction in stuff. 

• We can’t say Christ is my purpose but find our identity in politics, relationships, and work. 

• You can’t be on mission for God but in love with the world. 

• You can’t say I trust God when things are good but look to the world's ways when times are tough. “

“The fear of man is one of the most common and, I would submit, the ultimate expression of self-worship. It loomed large in Gideon’s heart—people were big, and Yahweh was small.”

“When we address the idols of our heart, whether it’s bringing them into the light where others can see them or it’s the new priorities and passions present in turning to God from our idols, i.e., repentance—what people may think about us, say about us, or do to us can rule our hearts. Gideon’s story reminds us that, like him, we must learn that overcoming the fear of man is critical to trusting God.” 

“Our mission is to unashamedly, unequivocally, and unapologetically share Christ, live for Christ, and, in the words of Jude 3—contend for the faith.”

“In the divine Father’s mercy and love, Joash, this was his pagan shrine, had his eyes opened to the greatness of Yahweh. And he torpedoes the pagan gods by challenging the people to allow them to contend for themselves—(31) If he is a god, let him contend for himself. It’s a divine mic drop. The situation is over. The people have no answer. Their gods are no God at all, just empty and useless idols made of wood and stone by the hands of man.”

“…in time, God’s sufficiency and faithfulness and glory would be revealed in His son Jesus, whose work on the cross would reduce the power and penalty of sin to nothing but rubble.”

QUOTES:
David Jackman - “You cannot have an altar to YAHWEH and an altar to a false God on the same property. The Lord is a jealous God. He will not share His territory or His glory with any other. Syncretism is an impossibility.”

CJ Mahaney - “Fear of man is an excessive, sinful concern with what others think about us. An inordinate desire for human approval or intense fear of being rejected.”

Ed Welch - “However you put it, the fear of man can be summarized this way: We replace God with people. Instead of a biblically guided fear of the Lord, we fear others.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 6:24

God’s inexplicable grace is magnified over and over again as He provides the proof that He is who he says He is and that He will do what He said He would do -  The LORD is a consuming fire. YET - our inexplicable defiance is met by God’s inexplicable grace. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Christ in the Chaos
TEXT: Judges 6:1-24
TITLE: Defiance Meets Grace
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: Our inexplicable defiance is met by God’s inexplicable grace.

POINTS:
1. They were brought very low
2. Their defiance is inexplicable
3. God responds with inexplicable grace

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Israel’s oppression is devastating. At length, Midian and their coalition’s siege is described as relentless. They are on the brink of annihilation! Their frightful isolation and oppressive desolation are described in vivid detail. No relief, day after day, season after season, just when the crops were ripe, just when they had acquired a few livestock, everything taken, the cup was about to touch their lips and the bite about to be taken, like a dark cloud of locus swooping in, their enemies would rush in and devour it all! The toll on them was too much! The progression of consequences of their sin has provoked the just and severe judgment and discipline of God.”

“Things seemingly could not have been worse for the people. And isn’t this the case for those who are running from God and clinging to this world of sin? When we hear a friend or a brother or sister exclaim, I am desperate, but they remain unwilling to cry out to the LORD for help. They say they are desperate but refuse to acknowledge their sin, still wanting the other person to change but will not humble themselves. Maybe the truth of the matter is that they are NOT desperate enough.”

“Here in vs. 1-6, we find the people of God DID become devastatingly desperate enough to cry out to the LORD for help. The LORD hears their cry! BUT, He begins to answer their cry for help in an unexpected way because He desires to teach them and help them see WHY they have been brought low.”

“Israel cries out for deliverance and when the LORD responds He sends in a prophet….Not what they wanted or expected! Oh, but what God has to say to them through this prophet is THE VERY thing… the first thing that they truly need!”

“When an OT prophet of God speaks, we had better listen up and what this prophet had to say was the first thing that these devastated people of God needed to hear! Those words (Vs. 10): ‘But you have not obeyed my voice.’”

“God’s voice, IN THIS CASE, is not simply a call to obedience - it’s the marrying of ‘I have been gracious to you’ to ‘you have not obeyed my voice!’”

“In light of who God is and what He has done for them, their defiance is inexplicable.”

“Immediately following verse 10, we rightly should expect this to be followed by the dreaded words “Woe to you disobedient people!” but instead we get something completely unexpected!”

“THE GREATEST THING THAT this deliverer needed to be assured that YHWH would not burn him alive… that would not consume him on the spot with the fire of The Holy Spirit’s powerful presence! Gideon was rightly terrified for he had caught a glimpse as it were of the Holiness of God and he immediately became aware that he was as good as dead (but not by the hand of Midian) in the presence of the Holy God!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
John 14:25-27

APPLICATION:
 - Have you been brought low… low enough… are you desperate enough to call out to Him for help… for repentance? Will you yet remember the LORD and cry out for help?

- After all that He is and what He has done for you, are you hearing and obeying His voice?

- Do you remember that He was your Deliverer?

Everyone here needs to hear THESE WORDS in verse (23): “Peace be to you! Do not fear! You shall not die!” Are you without Christ? You need Him! Cry out to Jesus and you will hear these words! Christian, you need to be reassured by these words!

Today, we get a surprise. Out of the dark and despairing stories of Judges arises a song of exuberant thanksgiving. It’s a surprise, but it shouldn’t be. God’s people are created, compelled, and commanded to sing. Singing is a mark of belonging to God. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Christ in the Chaos
TEXT: Judges 5:1-31
TITLE: A Song for the Ages
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: Knowing our Savior has won the victory, we love God and one another with enthusiastic gratitude.

POINTS:
1. Praise the Lord for His People
2. Praise the Lord for His Power
3. Praise the Lord for His Purposes

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Judges 5 is a song. It’s a song about God’s people, God’s power, and God’s purposes. It’s a heart response to their salvation in the Lord. Three thousand years later, we get to sing this song with them.”

“Let the culture call us extremists. Let the neighbor give us funny looks. Let some around us feel uncomfortable. So what. Our Savior and His people are worthy of our affection and thanksgiving.”

“Last week, we saw that God desires participants, not spectators, in His redemptive purposes. God wants to use us individually and collectively to accomplish His redemptive purposes. Simply put—You matter in God’s mission. This song highlights that truth as Deborah and Barak sing about God’s people as they sing to God. They celebrate how the people willingly offered themselves to God’s purposes, and they praised the Lord specifically for them.”

“The phrase—Bless the Lord, means to magnify God’s greatness, goodness, and glory. That’s important because it acknowledges that God is the source of the people’s faithfulness and courage. …This is important because some people have this unbiblical notion that we can’t celebrate and acknowledge God’s goodness and grace through Christ in one another. Of course we can! We must! Paul celebrated Christ in people every time he penned a letter. And when Deborah and Barak considered the faith-filled courage of God’s people, they celebrated them in a way that praised God.” 

“Deborah and Barak could have sung about the greatness and power of God without ever mentioning anyone else. They would have been right because God is the hero. But as the old hymn goes, God works in mysterious ways, including accomplishing His purposes through weak and inadequate people that He loves. Why? So they get the joy of participating in a heavenly mission, and He receives the glory uniquely.”

“So the implication is serious for us. If God loves to magnify His goodness and greatness through the efforts of His people, then when we refuse to acknowledge and celebrate God’s grace in one another, we refuse to acknowledge and celebrate God in a way He desires.”

“Is there any more significant way I can love you than reminding you in intentional and specific ways of the abundant grace of God I see in your life?”

“We are prone to [explain things like this in natural terms] because we are naturally averse to the supernatural. But that denies the very nature of the Christian life. We are born of the Spirit (John 3:8). We are empowered by the Spirit (Eph 3:16). We do not wrestle with flesh and blood but evil spiritual forces (Eph 6:12). The Christian life is undeniably supernatural. If you struggle with that reality, you won’t thrive as you should spiritually.”

“the imagery here is powerful. God marched up from Sinai to fight for His people. The titles in 5—the One from Sinai and the God of Israel—are this YAHWEH, Israel’s covenant-keeping God. The one who delivered them from Pharaoh and his mighty chariots at the Red Sea, this one has come again to deliver His people from Sisera and his 900 chariots, just as He promised. On that day, God saved His people, and their response was to sing of His greatness in their salvation.”

“While we were still weak (Rom 5:6) and while we were enemies (Rom 5:10), our Redeemer didn’t come through an overwhelming storm, Jesus came down from the throne of God to a hill called Calvary, where he endured the storm of holy wrath, bleeding and dying for our forgiveness that we might live in him. By faith in Jesus, our great warrior, we have complete salvation. We have true rest. We have complete victory because God is our sovereign Redeemer!” 

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
1 Thessalonians 5:14
Hebrews 4:14

APPLICATION:
- What comes to your mind when you think about your church's leaders and willing volunteers?
Make it a goal in 2024 to meaningfully thank and encourage every person serving you in this church.

-Do you find yourself in an impossible situation?
Don’t give up on God. Hold tightly to Jesus. You may say—I’ve believed God for so long, but nothing has changed. The Scriptures speak to you—Keep believing.

For the Christian, this is our song to sing. It’s the gospel song. It’s the only song we have to sing. We sing it together in love, unity, gratitude, and eager expectation for the day our Lord and Savior appears and our heavenly rest begins. 

Are you singing this song with your life? In your relationships? In your hardships? In your sufferings? On your best hair days and your worst hair days? You can and you should. God has saved you. He has made you part of His church. He is with you. He will never leave you. He is working ALL things for your good right now. He is sufficient for your needs. He has promised to come back for you. 

God faithfully accomplishes His redemptive purposes and wants to use you. Are you participating or content sitting in the dugout as a spectator? Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Christ in the Chaos
TEXT: Judges 4:1-1-24
TITLE: Participating In God’s Purposes
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: When we make ourselves available to God, He uses us. 

POINTS:
1. A Familiar Pattern
2. A Crucial Message

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”God’s repetition is our warning. Like Israel, we forget about God.”

“Israel forgot about the goodness, provision, and faithfulness of God. They forgot what God did through Abraham, Moses, and Joshua. They forgot that God led them into the Promised Land so they could be free to thrive and worship Him. Instead, they turned to the cultures around them and said—What you got? What brings you joy? What gives you purpose? We’ll join you. They forgot their purpose. They forgot their mission. They knew of God, but they forgot about God in their hearts.”

“Don’t we do the same thing? We forget what God has done for us in the gospel. We forget who we are in Christ. We forget the pleasures, satisfaction, and joy of living obediently for Jesus. We forget this world is not our home. The heavenly promised Land is our home.”

“Just as Israel fell into idolatry, we are allured by the idols of our age and culture that promise the world to us but, in the end, only oppress. We adopt the world’s values. We embrace the culture’s priorities. Life is about health and wealth. Success and pleasure. Self-indulgence and significance. That’s life in Canaan serving 21st-century baals. The repetition of Judges stops us in our tracks, leads us to repentance, and re-centers us on Christ.”

“Deborah brought the wisdom of God to people. Here, she mediates the Word of God to Barak, your typical judge, a deliverer through might and military activity. Deborah and Barak function as a team.”

“Barak is one of the judges praised for his faith in Hebrews 11. But like the others, his faith wasn’t perfect. He wanted human assurance. He put conditions on God’s command and promise—I will go if Deborah goes with me. Culturally speaking, women didn’t go to the battlefield. War was a man’s work. But Deborah obliged and went with Barak. More importantly, she followed the Lord. She made herself available to God’s purposes.”

“Our hermeneutics, how we interpret Scripture, matters. Just because something is in the Bible doesn’t mean it’s good. The Bible reports facts like David had multiple wives and Jacob deceived his father and stole his brother's birthright. God does not endorse polygamy and deception; they are forbidden in Scripture. Just because we read a report or an activity in the Bible does not mean God is pleased with it.  Yet, in the case of Jael, God is pleased.”

“In this context, Jael has done what Israel has repeatedly failed to do: destroy the enemy of God’s people. In God’s eyes, Jael carried out His holy justice.”

“So, what is the crucial message? The message in Judges is always the faithfulness of God. He is the hero, and Christ is the point. We’ve been talking about that a lot, and we should. Learning to trust in the faithfulness of God is crucial to following Jesus. But trusting in the faithfulness of God isn’t a spectator sport. It’s active.”

“[God] doesn’t need us. He is sufficient in Himself. But He is pleased to use us. And even in our weakness and reluctance, God is mighty enough to accomplish His purposes through us. In this story, God used three people who trusted in His faithfulness by availing themselves to His purposes.”

“God doesn’t raise up a new judge for us—He sent His own Son Jesus, to live and die for our forgiveness and righteousness so that we could live in and for him. In the kingdom of God, the sword has been exchanged for a cross, where the battle was decisively won.” 

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
1 Corinthians 15:54-58

APPLICATION:
Are you available to God?

• Are you available to God when someone sits beside you at the coffee house or airport?

• Are you available to God when your unbelieving co-worker or neighbor is experiencing tragedy in their life?

• When a brother or sister is caught in sin or they need Christ-centered encouragement, are you available to God?

• Are you available to God when a friend distorts the gospel or twists sound doctrine in a conversation?

If not, what hinders you? What holds you back? Fear of the unknown? Too busy with your purposes? Too concerned with your reputation? All the above for me. What hinders you?

In the 22 words of this passage, we find a treasure trove of truth meant to move our hearts and minds to more profound wonder and awe at our God and Savior. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Christ in the Chaos
TEXT: Judges 3:12-30
TITLE:   From An Oxgoad To A Cross
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
1. A Mystery Setting
2. A Mystery Identity
3. A Mystery Deliverance

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Shamgar is a man of mystery. As suddenly as he appears, he disappears. Every judge gets at least two verses, some 3 or 4 chapters. The only other place Shamgar is mentioned in Scripture is in Deborah’s song in Ch. 5. Everything we know about Shamgar is in this one verse. But we also know God doesn’t waste words.”

“Regardless of how much ink and paper he gets, Shamgar matters because, like Othniel, Ehud, Deborah, Gideon, Samson, and others in Judges, God called and chose him to be His people's Savior. In these 22 words, we find a treasure trove of truth meant to move our hearts and minds to more profound wonder and awe at our God and Savior.”

“As the book of Judges progresses, we will see the Philistines were a terror for the Israelites in keeping control of the Promised Land. But for now, Shamgar restored Israel’s peace and rest established with Ehud’s victory in the East. That brief history lesson is meant to take us somewhere. This obscure text is a clear reminder of the beautiful reality at the core of Christian faith and hope—heaven. Heaven is the place of perfect and unbreakable peace and rest for God’s people.”

“God used Shamgar in an emergency to keep the Philistines at bay, thus keeping His people at rest. In this way, Shamgar points us to Christ, in whom you are entirely out of the reach of Satan’s threats of eternal condemnation.”

“[His] description leads us to believe that Shamgar was an outsider. Isn’t that interesting? Israel is so destitute spiritually that she can’t save herself. Whatever Israel had going for them, economy, military might, you name it, they were so given over to idolatry, immorality, and sin that they needed someone else to save them.” 

“God is the hero. Shamgar, a gentile who carried the name of a pagan God, wielding an unconventional weapon to do what Israel could not do for themselves, was used by a faithful and all-powerful God to save His people. Shamgar was an unlikely deliverer sent by God to defeat an undefeatable enemy in the most unlikely manner.”

“Despite Shamgar's heroic feat, he could not ultimately deliver Israel. Samson had to fight the Philistines. Saul had to fight the Philistines. David had to fight the Philistines. Did you catch it says he ALSO saved Israel. So many saviors, but none of them could ultimately deliver Israel from the enemy. Why? Because the greatest enemy is not out there; it’s in here. It’s sin.”

“We may read Shamgar’s story and think it’s pure foolishness—One man killed 600 Philistines with an oxgoad?! But the Bible says the most foolish weapon of all is a cross. A cross where all our sins were nailed, placed upon a divine and sinless Savior, so that all who have faith in him could have total forgiveness of sin, abiding righteousness, and unbreakable peace and rest with God. This is the mystery of mysteries unlocked for us by the Spirit and given to us by divine grace and mercy—From An Oxgoad To A Cross!”

“Shamgar’s story is meant to infuse our hearts and minds with fresh wonder and awe at our Lord and Savior.” 

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
2 Timothy 3:16
Romans 8:1, 33-34
Romans 8:7-8
Luke 2:11

QUOTES:
Barry Webb - “In Shamgar, we catch a glimpse of unbroken rest. He prevented the eighty-year rest that Ehud won for Israel from being disturbed by a Philistine incursion, and like all the deliverances won by Israel’s judges that is a signpost on the way to something greater—a rest in which there will be no need for emergency action to keep the enemy at bay.”

David Jackman - “We are prone to domesticate the awesome power and majestic authority of God to fit into our little minds and pockets. We still want to control the omnipotent, to predict the infinite. We feel more comfortable that way. What we do not realize is this is a quick route to spiritual disaster. Unless we recover a healthy fear and awe of the inscrutable power and sovereignty of God, we shall end up as idolatrous as everyone else.”

APPLICATION:
One day in heaven, not even Satan’s threats will exist. Only unbroken rest and peace forever with God and His people. This is what makes Christianity so hopeful. We have hope in this life, yes, but it’s the glory, majesty, and wonder of life to come in the presence of God and Christ and all His saints that fuels our perseverance in this life. What area of life do you need to apply heaven to?

Here are the questions I want us to ask ourselves: 

• Even though you can’t fully fathom it, are you still amazed that God mercifully chose to save you out of millions lost?

• Even though you don’t always see it, do you still wonder at the infinite power of God at work in your life, generously giving you all you need for life and godliness? 

• Even though you can’t fully grasp it, does it still leave you in awe that as unfaithful as you are to God every day, He remains forever faithful to you? 

In all its mystery, the story of Shamgar goads us to draw near to our Savior in humility and repentance and hope that we can live every day with greater awe and wonder of our one and only Savior—Jesus Christ.   

On this final Sunday of 2023, I want to draw your attention to the zeal of the Lord of hosts. There is a great promise in these words that should create gratitude in our hearts as we look back on 2023 and hopefulness as we step into 2024. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

TEXT: Isaiah 9:7
TITLE: A Promise for 2024
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
1. The Promise That Got Us Here
2. The Promise That Will Move Us Forward

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”This prophetic pronouncement of the birth and work of Jesus Christ was a promise that One would come and establish God’s kingdom in perfect justice and righteousness.”

“In His zeal—a combination of God’s burning jealousy for His own glory and His white-hot affections for His redeemed people—the Lord of hosts will accomplish salvation for sinners through His Son.”

“He has made a way for sinners to be reconciled to God and live in peace with God. The zeal of the Lord of hosts has done this! Fast forward; this promise is the only reason you and I are here. It is the only reason SGC exists. This promise is the only reason you have any hope as you say goodbye to 2023 and hello to 2024. The zeal of the Lord of hosts has brought you here.” 

“Institutions come and go. Governments rise and fall. Cultures flourish and fade. Ideologies surge and subside. But God is building His church (Grudem), the community of all true believers for all time. In Christ, God inaugurated His kingdom, and now He is building His unstoppable church. It is unstoppable because the zeal of the Lord of hosts is doing this.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Galatians 4:4
Matthew 16:18

QUOTES:
Charles Bridges - “How overwhelming is the thought of this affection (zeal) possessing the heart of God—of the deep interest of His infinite mind in the progress of the kingdom of his dear Son—his thoughts engaged in it—his unsearchable plans embracing it, and controlling all the mighty moves of this world to subserve this main design! How solid, therefore, is the rock on which Christian ministry rests as the grand engine for the accomplishment of the purposes and promises of God.”

Kevin DeYoung - In his foreword to the book of the quarter, Christianity & Liberalism, “If there is one recurring theme throughout the book it is that the church of Jesus Christ cannot be sustained—and indeed was never founded—on doctrinal indifferentism. From the very beginning, Machen argues, the Christian movement was not just a way of life, but a way of life founded upon a message. “It was based, not upon mere feeling, not upon a mere program of work, but upon an account of facts. In other words, it was based on doctrine.”

Kevin DeYoung - “It is not enough to say what is true; we must also make clear what is false.”

APPLICATION:
Zeal is a passionate enthusiasm in pursuit of a particular objective. I want to give you three ways your pastors believe our zeal for the Lord should be expressed in 2024 and beyond. 

1. Grow in Sound Doctrine
   The Christian faith is built on truth. Living in a culture that has normalized turning truth into falsehood and falsehood into truth, we must be rooted in truth. We must remember we are not responsible for outcomes and fruitfulness. God calls us to faithfulness and obedience to the old rugged cross and the sound theology of the sacred writings. This is what the church needed in the first century; it’s what she needs today and what she will need tomorrow!

2. Grow in Appropriating and Experiencing the Gospel
   The Christian life is rooted in truth, but that doesn’t mean it is merely propositional; it is experiential. As believers, we are filled with the Holy Spirit, who is continually working in us to feel, think, and live shaped by the truth of Christ. The gospel is not just your “Sunday Best” but your everyday jeans and t-shirt. The gospel is not merely for our salvation; it is for everyday life.

3. Grow in Courageous Love for the Lost
   The truth and experience of the gospel are meant to be given away, not kept inside. The lost should experience our zeal for the Lord. The Great Commission is our divine invitation to join God in what His zeal is and will accomplish.

EVENTS FOR YOUR CALENDAR:
Mark Prater Weekend - February 24th
Trey and Charlotte Richardson Marriage Retreat - Weekend of March 23rd
SGU Class: Doctrine of the Church - May

The promise of heaven begins with Advent and its Unexpected Purpose and Message brings hope, joy, and peace to a life filled with the unexpected. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: The Unexpected at Advent
TEXT: Luke 2:14
TITLE: An Unexpected Message
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
1. The Unexpected Purpose of Christmas
2. The Unexpected Promise of Christmas

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes are taken from the pastor’s notes.
”Our Advent series has focused on the unexpected: Lowly local shepherds. Gentile magi from afar. A Jewish virgin girl. A blip on the map called Bethlehem. The Unexpected at Advent. The irony is we tend to fear the unexpected. We like our worlds ordered. We find comfort in well-laid plans. No surprises, please. We can even struggle with something good that comes unexpectedly. The Unexpected is unavoidable, and times unimaginably difficult.”

“When the angels celebrate the first Christmas, they don't begin with you and me; they start with God—his glory, not ours. John Piper describes God's glory as—the public display of God's infinite beauty and worth. And that is precisely what the angels are responding to on this first Christmas—the public display of God's endless beauty and worth—IN A MANGER!“

“Above all things, angels were created to continually magnify and declare God's glory. For this, they have a front-row seat in heaven. But they have never seen God's glory displayed in this way. In the Incarnation, God was physically present with man—his grace, love, and power in the flesh. Throughout Scripture, we find angels worshipping, magnifying, and glorifying God. But they never saw His glory like this—Glory in a manger—and they could not contain themselves.”

“We have something in common with the angels: We, too, were created to the praise and glory of God. Our existence is meant to be upward. Our highest motivation in all that we are is God's glory. Our greatest goal in life is God glorified in and through us. Like the angels, we exist for God's glory.”

“But in the Garden, something awful happened—Adam and Eve exchanged the glory of God for the glory of self. Since then, we have been trying to rip glory from God's hands. We tend to forget God's glory. Instead of living upward, we live inward.”

“Peace is the deepest longing of the human spirit. Peace in the home. Peace in my marriage. Peace in our politics. Peace in the world. We long for peace because we were created to live in peace. We tend to think we can fulfill our innate desire for peace. Peace through strength. Peace through tolerance. Peace through pacifism. Peace through understanding. Peace through political revolution. But the peace we were created for is not horizontal; it's vertical.”

“This peace proclaimed by the angels transcends time, human relationships, political hostilities, and life circumstances. This peace is the most basic human need—an inward and eternal peace with God.“

“JUSTIFICATION is the precious doctrine that is at the heart of Christmas. It means God looks upon you just as if you had never sinned but perfectly obeyed. On account of Jesus' righteousness, God declares you righteous in His eyes. That means no sin to judge. Instead, you have eternal peace with God. The death of Jesus has removed the sin that put you in conflict with God, and his righteousness is credited to you, and the result is—Peace with God!“

“This is the Unexpected Promise of Christmas: No matter who you are, where you’ve been, or what you’ve done, in Christ Jesus, all fear of God's holy wrath is gone. This baby boy in a manger is not only the glory of God revealed but the means of the sinner's peace with God accomplished! The good news for lowly shepherds, elite Magi, and US!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Colossians 1:19
Hebrews 1:3
John 1:14
Philippians 4:6-7
Isaiah 26:3

QUOTES:
J.C. Ryle - “Let all true Christians remember that their best things are yet to come. Let us count it no strange thing, if we have sufferings in this present time. It is a season of probation. We are yet at school. We are learning patience, longsuffering, gentleness, and meekness, which we could hardly learn if we had our good things now. But there is an eternal holiday yet to begin. For this let us wait quietly. It will make amends for all.”

Charles Spurgeon - “God is glorified in every dewdrop that twinkles to the morning sun. He is magnified in every flower that blossoms. God is glorified in every bird that warbles on the spray. Do not the fishes in the sea praise him? From the tiny minnow to the huge Leviathan, do not all creatures that swim the water bless and praise his name? Do not the stars exalt him? Do not the lightnings adore him when they flash his brightness in arrows of light piercing the midnight darkness? Do not thunders extol him when they roll like drums in the march of God's armies? Do not all things exalt him, from the least even to the greatest? But sing, sing, oh universe, till thou hast exhausted thyself, thou canst not afford a song so sweet as the song of Incarnation.”

Paul Tripp - “We have a glory problem. All of us are in the midst of a glory war. We all have moments of glory confusion. We all have times when we want the creation more than we want the Creator.”

Raymond Ortlund Jr. - “Why is the world in such a mess? You and I are the problem. Our good intentions are not strong enough to control our evil impulses. We need a Savior to rescue us from ourselves.”

Paul Tripp - If you would for a moment, reflect on your last couple weeks, you will recognize, brothers and sisters, that you and I still have a glory problem. We don't always get glory right. Recognize that we have a peace problem; we don't always care about peace with God. We don't always have peace within. We surely don't always experience peace with one another. And so the work of that grace is as needed by us this morning as it's ever been. The angels announce your hope. The angels announce your redemption. The angels announce to you grace; grace of a life lived, grace of a death offered so that you may live for His glory, and you may experience in all the ways possible, His peace.”

APPLICATION:
As we await our eternal holiday in heaven, may our song be the angel’s song—Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those whom he is pleased!

To my non-Christian friend, Luke wrote these verses and the entire gospel to a man named Theophilus. His reason, according to 1:4: Theophilus would be certain of Jesus. You are here. You have heard the purpose and promise of Christmas. Will you believe? Luke and the rest of the Bible is God's story of saving sinners to himself. And this Christmas, you can become a part of it. Believe in Jesus today.

To my fellow Christian, are you anxious about the future? Are you discouraged about life? Are you angry at God about circumstances? All these sinful attitudes rob you of the full benefit of God’s peace. In their own way, each one is an expression of trying to wrestle God's glory for yourself. The answer: turn your heart back to God and trust Him.