In the midst of all the lies and broken promises, Christmas is the most magnificent, consequential, and profound promise ever made and kept. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: The Book of Advent
TEXT: Genesis 3:1-24
TITLE: Advent and the Garden
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes and text emphasis are taken directly from the pastor’s notes.

“Life is filled with broken promises. Some are minor and nonconsequential, while others are utterly devastating and leave scars. In the midst of all the lies and broken promises, Christmas is the most magnificent, consequential, and profound promise ever made and kept.”

“Today, we begin a Christmas series called The Book of Advent. Now you won’t find the word advent in the Bible, but its meaning, coming or arrival, is everywhere. When you think about it, the Bible is The Book of Advent because from beginning to end it is about the promised comings of Christ.”

“Here's how we are going to celebrate Advent this season:
- Isaiah 9 - Advent and the Prophets
- Galatians 4 - Advent and our Identity 
- Revelation 5 - Advent and Eternity
But we begin in the beginning. The first promise of Advent is in the Garden.”

“Our Need for Advent - The first seven verses record mankind’s darkest day ever. Tempted by Satan, who took the form of a serpent and twisted God’s words—a reminder that the seed of sin is doubting God’s Word—Adam and Eve ate from the one tree God forbade them to eat from. Their disobedience immediately plunged humanity into sin. Adam and Eve knew it—read 7-8. They were afraid, they were overwhelmed with guilt, and their shame drove them to run and hide from God. This is humanity’s story, and it was once our story: guilty sinners running and hiding from God.”

“Of course, no one can hide from God. Where can I go from your Spirit and where can I flee from your presence is the confession of Psalm 139. No one can hide from God. So God dealt with Adam and Eve, and Satan, through His righteous judgment. God’s holiness demanded that Adam’s sin be dealt with, and it was, in the form of a curse—read 14-19. The world continues to bear this curse.”

“These verses explain why the world is as it is:
- Pain and suffering
- Disease and Death
- Loneliness and Addiction
- Gender dysphoria and same-sex infatuations
- Relational conflict and abusive relationships
- Adultery and Abortion
- Futility and frustrations of work 

If you can relate to these things, and we all can, it’s because the effects of sin and its curse are everywhere, and our life experiences affirm it. But there’s an even deeper problem. What we see in 14-19 are just symptoms of humanity’s real dilemma.”

“Because of their sin and guilt, Adam and Eve were separated from God’s presence. Banished from Paradise. Their fellowship with Him was broken, and they spiritually died.”

“This is the great human dilemma that Advent is meant to fix. We are born under the curse. We are cursed by the cursed.  And we can do nothing to make things right. Our politics can’t fix it. Our morality can’t fix it. AI can’t fix it. Science can’t fix it.”

“In January, we begin preaching through Romans. Paul spends a good portion of the first seven chapters unpacking the nature of this dilemma. Through Adam, we have inherited a sin nature that leads to our personal sin and guilt, making us like Adam, separated from God and spiritually dead and under the wrath of God like the rest of mankind—Merry Christmas!”

“God’s Promise of Advent - And surprisingly, the plan for that divine pursuit is embedded deep in the curse itself—read 15. Buried deep in the Genesis 3 curse is the first promise of Christmas. It’s known as the Protoevangelium—first announcement of the gospel.”

“The serpent, that is Satan, will bruise the heel of Eve’s offspring. To bruise the heel is to cause suffering, which Jesus experienced at the cross. But he could not be destroyed. The grave could not hold him down. He rose triumphant over sin and Satan. But Eve’s offspring, specifically Jesus, will bruise the head of Satan. To bruise the head is to do more than cause suffering—it’s to crush and destroy.”

“Buried deep in the curse, God says to Satan, who has seemingly destroyed God’s perfect creation, I will crush you. I will defeat and destroy you.

“Think of Genesis 3:15 as the prophetic promise of the three C’s of Satan’s demise: C#1 Christmas: The first blow to Satan was when Jesus was born into this world to inaugurate God’s promised plan of redemption. Christmas is the beginning of the fulfillment of this glorious promise made in the darkest hour of human history. In the manger lay Jesus, a fully human baby boy, yet still fully God, who came into this world to redeem sinners from the curse by becoming a curse for us. He was born in a manger, grew up in sorrow and grief, and died on a cross to destroy Satan and liberate sinners from his bondage, just as the Christmas angel proclaimed: She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins—Matthew 1:21.”

“C#2 Cross: The DECISIVE blow that defeated Satan was at the cross. Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil—Hebrews 2:14.”

“The cross removed Satan’s one certain weapon against us—his accusations before the throne of God that we are guilty sinners that deserve to perish along with him—and he’s right. But the cross nullifies those accusations because in a crucified and risen Savior, we are justified—made right—before God! Not because of anything we did or can do, but wholly based on Jesus' blood and righteousness. We see this in a veiled way in our text—read 20-21.”

“In the Garden, God didn’t just pursue Adam and Eve by calling out to them. He provided for their need. He covered their shame and guilt by mercifully providing and protecting them by clothing them with animal skins. Guess what had to happen for them to be covered in this way—the blood of the animals had to be shed. Just as Hebrews 9:22 says—no bloodshed, no forgiveness of sins.”

“C#3 Consummation: The final blow to Satan will be Christ’s return, the second advent, according Romans 16: The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet—Romans 16:20. So this scene in Genesis 3 becomes so clear now. Buried deep in the middle of the curse is the beginning of Advent. Here’s the big question—How do we respond?”

“UNBELIEVER: At a time of year when the most popular question is What do you want? But the true Christmas question is the same question God asked Adam and Eve in the Garden—read 8-9. The moment Adam and Eve fell into sin, God pursued them with these words: Where are you?  That question doesn’t reveal a lack in God; it reveals the love of God. This is the heart of Christmas—we run and hide from God, but God graciously calls and relentlessly pursues. God mercifully pursuing sinners, even to the point of God himself taking on flesh, becoming a servant, and ultimately offering Himself as a sin sacrifice, and revealing Himself for salvation.”

“This is why we want to build our lives into the local church. This is why we want to grow in evangelism. This is why we want to plant a church on the east side.”

“But those who don’t know Jesus—Where are you? Whether you realize it or not, you are running from God. The Spirit wants to stop you in your tracks today—BELIEVE!”

“CHRISTIAN: The same question this Christmas—Where are you?  Are you spiritually parched? Haunted by the guilt and condemnation of past sins? Under the crushing yoke of addiction? Does sinful anxiety paralyze you? Is loneliness dogging you relentlessly? Have worldly pursuits left you spiritually apathetic? Is physical suffering suffocating your joy? Are you running toward the world and away from God? Allow the Spirit to stop you in your tracks today, and return to the true JOY and HOPE of Christmas. Here’s one way to practice this: Over the next few weeks, you will be repeatedly asked, "What do you want?" In that moment, allow that question to move you to remember what you have already been given.”

“You don’t have to be a holy roller here—Thank you, but I don’t need anything because I already have everything in Jesus. The truth is this: Buried deep in the experiences and busyness of your life is this wonderful, unchanging gospel reality: God Himself, the same God who walked in the cool of the Garden graciously calling for Adam, put on humanity to die on a cross for your sin. God has been faithful to provide for your greatest need. Once you were separated from God and under His eternal judgement, but now in Jesus, you belong to Him as His beloved, FOREVER. This is the Christian’s hope in life and death! Allow the many moments you will be asked, What do you want?, to be moments of rehearsing, relishing, and resting in the greatest gift you can ever possess, Jesus Christ, your Lord and Savior.”

“Prayer - Lord, you know the hearts and needs of your people. We humbly ask you, wherever we are this Christmas, when Satan tempts us to despair, when discouragement tries to suffocate our joy, give us eyes to see the promise buried deep in Genesis 3:15, that the Garden would lead to a manger that would lead to a cross for our that would pave the way for our salvation and secure the promised return of our Lord and Savior who will one day bring us home to live in your glorious presence, free from the curse of sin and full of wonder and awe—Forever!”

QUOTES:
John Piper - “It’s a season [Christmas] for cherishing and worshipping this characteristic of God—that he is a searching and saving God, that he is a God on a mission, that he is not aloof or passive or indecisive. He is never in maintenance mode, coasting, or drifting. He is sending, pursuing, searching, saving. That’s the meaning of Advent.”

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Hope of the Ages
God Made Low
Who Would Have Dreamed
Scripture Reading: Luke 2:1-7
What Child Is This
God Is Faithful (Psalm 114)

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Isaiah 9:6-7 - Advent and the Prophets

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In Nehemiah 4 (through 6), God’s people showed remarkable faith and perseverance in the face of unimaginable opposition. As we pursue planting a church on the east side, what can we learn from them? Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: PLANT
TEXT: Nehemiah 4-6
TITLE: An Unfailing God in Times of Unimaginable Opposition
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: Because God is for us, we can endure whatever is against us.

POINTS:
I. Expectations of Great Opposition
II. Greater Expectations of Our God

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes and text emphasis are taken directly from the pastor’s notes.

“1 Corinthians 10 reminds us that what happened in Nehemiah’s day was written down for our instruction. They are an example that teaches, equips, and prepares us for our gospel mission. Here’s what we will learn today: Because God is for us, we can endure whatever is against us.”

“In Nehemiah 4, we find God’s people facing significant opposition in their call to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.”

“Public opposition from powerful leaders - In particular, opposition came from three leaders:
- (1) Sanballat—A Horonite governor in Samaria 
- (3) Tobiah—Ammonite leader 
- Geshem (Ch 6)—Arabian leader”

“Sanballat seems to be the ring leader. As a governor in Samaria, he was probably concerned that a rebuilt Jerusalem would diminish the loyalty of his constituents and, worse, draw a forceful response from the Persian rulers, who would no doubt immediately squash any uprising. This would have serious repercussions in Samaria, especially since the Persian King allowed Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall. For Sanballat and Tobiah, a weak, vulnerable, and compliant Israel played to their political ambitions and advantage. So the opposition began at the bully pulpit with public mockery and derision. When that didn’t work, they resorted to violent threats.”

“It’s easy to underestimate the threats made against God’s people here. Notice the list in 7. The Ashdodites were Philistines who ruled west of Judah. Sanballat was north of Judah in Samaria. Tobiah and the Ammonites were east of Judah, and Geshem and the Arabs were to the south. In other words, the Jews were surrounded by powerful opposition. From a human perspective, they faced unimaginable opposition.”

“Opposition from Insiders - The grave situation unfolding began to wear down the morale and faith of God’s people. Can we really build this wall? This isn’t working out as we thought? We didn’t sign up for this kind of risk. The task seems too big, too dangerous, and we are too weak. In some ways, it’s the worst kind of opposition!”

“Opposition form Observing Insiders - As Sanballat and Tobiah ramp up their plans to attack, friends and family, fellow Jews not personally involved in the mission of rebuilding the wall, they begin to question their wisdom and plead with them repeatedly—Stop. Come home. It’s too dangerous. It’s not worth it.”

“From the likely to the unlikely, God’s people faced opposition as they did His work.”

“As we consider planting on the east side, we should expect opposition. But what kind of opposition should we expect? I drew the pastoral team into this question.”

“Our most vigorous opposition from the outside will probably come from friends and family, some of whom may even be believers, who don’t understand your sacrifice and commitment to the mission of your church. The busyness of a church plant may mean you miss events and gatherings that used to be non-negotiable. It’s not uncommon for people to question our commitment to them relationally—All the time in the world for your church, but no time for us. As a result, there can be judgment and pressure not to be so focused on what God has called us to. Like those in 12, some fellow believers don’t understand the sacrifices of time, money, and opportunity we willingly and joyfully make for the sake of Christ and the mission of His church.You turned that job opportunity down because it would interfere too much with what your church is doing? You chose not to move closer to your family because you wanted to stay in Tucson and be part of a church plant? You sure you’re not in a cult?”  

“Then there’s opposition within our own walls. Lack of trust in leadership that erodes our unity. The jeering and divisive words of Sanballat and Tobiah in 1-3 are just as easily spoken in the corner of the church lobby, on a group text, or at a friend’s house. What are we doing? We’ll never have a church on the east side, we’re too small. I’m not in.”

“We’ll experience opposition in our own hearts. The idols of personal convenience, a craving for comfort, the all-consuming pursuit of worldly priorities, or the discouragement of unmet expectations. Pastor Tom wisely warned us of a lack of faith due to a pragmatism that leads us to have all the answers before we move, all the boxes checked before we go, desiring to see everything clearly rather than having an anchored hope in things not seen.”

“The effect of all this is what we see in 10—The strength of those who bear the burdens is failing. Faith grows weak. Morale sinks low. The magnitude of church planting overwhelms. Discouragement sets in. Faithfulness is abandoned.”

“In our efforts to plant a church, we should expect great opposition. Here’s why: Behind the human opposition is the great opposer himself—Satan. Whether it is the flaming arrows of public ridicule, judgment, grumbling, or inward discouragement, Ephesians 6:12 reminds us: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”

“There are fewer things Satan would love to spoil and frustrate more than a church plant. He knows the wisdom and power of God at work in and through local churches. BUT GOOD NEWS: Satan ultimately has no power over us.”

“In our efforts to plant a church on the east side, we should expect great opposition, but we should have even greater expectations of our God.”

“In all the opposition, what did God’s people do?—(6) So they built the wall. They continued to give themselves to the Lord’s work. Look down at 17 for a picture that says it all.”

“I love it! In the face of unimaginable opposition, God’s people didn’t quit. They didn’t run. They didn’t despair. They didn’t doubt. They didn’t capitulate. They did what they needed to do to stay on mission.”

“So what was the source of their strength? In 10, we find them admitting they could not do the work on their own. What was the source of their strength? Answer: They stayed close to God.”

“They stayed close to God through prayer—(9) And we prayed to our God. They stayed close to God by remembering who He is—(14) Do not be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome. They stayed close to God by trusting Him—(20) Our God will fight for us.”

“They stayed close to God. It’s that mysterious but wonderful biblical message of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility—They had great expectations of God, so they trusted him by staying close to Him. As we faithfully and passionately follow the Lord to the east side, we must stay close to God by being prayer warriors both individually and collectively.”

“We must stay close to God by planting ourselves in His Word, where He reveals His unmatched greatness, power, and glory in promises like Ephesians 3:20, which says—He can do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us.”

“We must stay close to God by trusting Him to go before us, protecting and providing. He will fight for us because He has already fought for us at the cross. Whatever the east side holds, no matter how our church planting efforts fare, we know Christ is holding us fast and will never let go. Part of assurance is knowing that in saving us, Christ has given us a purpose bigger than ourselves. We see this at the end of 6.”

“They had a mind to work, meaning, they had a deep conviction and desire connected to a purpose that transcended even their own lives. The moment God saved you, He lifted you out of your self-made kingdom and put you in His kingdom, with a new purpose and mission which is to glorify and make known Jesus Christ to the world.”

“The gospel gives you a purpose that transcends promoting self—you are an ambassador promoting Christ and eternity! Paul says it succinctly in 1 Corinthians 16:19-20—You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
2 Corinthians 5:14

APPLICATION:
Q: Where am I vulnerable to internal opposition? 
- Identify it
- Study the Scriptures about it
- Share it
- Work overtime to cover it in the blood of Jesus

We have spent the last four weeks stirring up our affections for and our expectations of the greatness and power of Christ to advance the kingdom of God through planting a church on the east side. 

As we roll into the Christmas season, stay close to God, keep your hearts planted in prayer and His word, remembering what He has saved you for and called you to, and trusting Him to protect and provide for us on the east side.

QUOTES:
J.I. Packer - “We think of Satan as our spiritual enemy, and so he is, but we need to realize that the reason he hates humankind and seeks our ruin is because he hates God, his and our Creator. He is not a creator himself, only a destroyer; he is a fallen angel, the archetypal instance of good gone wrong; and now he seeks only to thwart God's plans, wreck his work, rob him of glory, and in that sense triumph over him. When God initiates something for his praise, Satan is always there, trying to keep pace with him, planning ways of spoiling and frustrating the divine project.”

J.I. Packer - “Altogether, the devil is an enemy who has to be taken very seriously. Yet we should not panic in the face of his attentions. Christ has overcome him; Satan is now a defeated foe, a lion on a chain, and what he can do against us is sovereignly restricted on a day-to-day basis, for God will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. We who are Christ's should detest Satan but not dread him, since God now provides us with all-purpose combat equipment for use against him.”

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Jesus, There's No One Like You
Behold Our God
Glorious Christ
Turn Your Eyes
God Is For Us

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Genesis 3:15 - Advent and the Garden

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

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This is the exciting message of one of the seemingly most boring passages in Scripture. God uses ordinary people, people just like you and me, to accomplish His extraordinary purposes. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: PLANT
TEXT: Nehemiah 3
TITLE: An Ordinary People Used for An Extraordinary Purpose
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: God uses ordinary people to accomplish His extraordinary purposes.

POINTS:
I. Embrace Our Ordinariness
II. Rid Ourselves of Ourselves
III. Trust Our Extraordinary God

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes and text emphasis are taken directly from the pastor’s notes.

ILLUSTRATION: Top 50 Neurosurgeons in the country, only wanting the best-of-the-best

“God’s ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. We see that in Nehemiah 3, where we learn that: God uses ordinary people to accomplish His extraordinary purposes.”

“That’s the exciting message of one of the seemingly most boring passages in Scripture. God uses ordinary people, people just like you and me, to accomplish His extraordinary purposes. God is not waiting for you to make the cover of Top 50 Christians in Tucson to use you.”

“Here’s my prayer today: The Spirit of the Living God uses this list of ordinary people to move us to an extraordinary sense of faith, privilege, and gratitude in our mission to plant a church in East Tucson. I believe the Spirit will do that as we own three things in the text.”

“Embrace Our Ordinariness: I considered not reading the text today because it’s a list of obscure names and repeated job descriptions. Then the Spirit brought two things to mind. First, 2 Timothy 3:16—ALL Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable. Second, I wanted us to feel the ordinariness of the text. It’s 445 BC.The Temple had been rebuilt 70 years earlier, but Jerusalem remained a shell of what it once was. Among other things, its walls and gates were still in ruins.”

“In Nehemiah 3, we find God’s people responding to Nehemiah’s call in 2:17-18 to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. It was a monumental and extraordinary lift. You and I would have hired professionals, people whose faces were on the cover of the Top 50 Wall Builders in Israel. But not God—He entrusted His mission to ordinary people.”

“Look at 4—Baana and his son, Zadok. They helped repair the wall around the Fish Gate. Do they sound familiar? How about 6—Have you ever heard of Joiada and Meshullam, who laid the beams and set the doors, bolts, and bars of the Yeshanah Gate? In 12, we meet Shallum, who had his daughters swinging a hammer with him at the Tower of the Ovens. How’s that for a father-daughter date night! Down in 20, we find a man doing repairs to the high priest’s home named Baruch—ring a bell? In 32, we read about merchants, businesspeople getting their hands dirty for once as they worked on the Muster and Sheep gates.”

“I think I counted 45 names, not including fathers’ names, in Nehemiah 3. Numerous groups are mentioned—goldsmiths and perfumers, leaders and laborers, Levites and priests, merchants and businessmen. There were men, women, and children. Some were locals, others out-of-towners. Some built gates, others hung gates. Some rebuilt while others repaired. Some set wood beams, some installed steel bolts and bars. Some worked on the homes of priests, while others patched up obscure outer sections of the wall. These are the ordinary people, people you have never heard of, that God put together to accomplish His extraordinary purposes.”

“Fast forward 2500 years to Tucson, AZ, and you will find a group of ordinary people from all walks of life, with all manner of vocations and life experiences. Nothing extraordinary about us except this: We love Jesus. God has given a passion for His gospel purposes. And we long to see Jesus glorified and worshipped throughout our city. This is why we want to plant on the east side.”

“But here is the temptation for us all: Believe we need to be somebody before God can or will use us.”

ILLUSTRATION: GoPro Girl, “You have to be a vlogger”

“She thought I needed to be somebody to have a GoPro. God doesn’t work that way. It’s not your extraordinariness or adequacy that makes you qualified or useful to Christ; it’s your ordinariness and inadequacy. God loves to use the weak and foolish, the unable and unlikely, to accomplish His purposes—That’s the way God rolls! And He rolls that way to silence all boasting in self and ensure all glory to His name!”

“Rid Ourselves of Ourselves: You probably noticed this as we read, but the phrase next to them or next to him appears 14 times. The author uses the phrase after him or after them 16 times. Our text is an extraordinary display of unity, a holy togetherness in their mission. No one was gunning for prominence. No one was jockeying for position. Except for the Tekoite leaders in 5, who refused to stoop to serve the Lord, everyone knew and embraced their place and part with eagerness, humility, and joy. This includes those being asked to serve in a way that didn’t match their personal preference of gifting—read 8.”

ILLUSTRATION: Me as a worship leader, I needed to rid myself of myself. We all do.

“Ridding ourselves of ourselves for the sake of Christ’s glory in and through His church. This will be our test.
- Time on your hands—Will you use it for your church?
- Flexible work schedule—Will you use it for your church?
- Financial resources beyond need—Will you use it for your church?”

“Why do you believe God has blessed and positioned you as He has? Could it be to passionately throw yourself into the mission of your church in a unique way? No single person could have repaired the walls and gates of Jerusalem. Each had a place to fill and a job to do. Planting a church on the east side of Tucson will take every one of us, working together in unity, willing to rid ourselves of ourselves to play any part we are asked to play.”

“Only one thing has the power to rid ourselves of ourselves—fill ourselves with the matchless worth of the gospel and the unrivaled glory of Christ through His church.”

“We actually get a glimpse of the goodness and beauty and glory of Christ and the mission of his church in our text—read verses 1 and 32.”

“Did you catch that? The work began and ended at the Sheep Gate. The Sheep Gate was significant. It was the closest gate to the temple through which the animals used for sacrifice entered. Think about that. The Sheep gate represented sacrifice. Forgiveness. Purification. Salvation!”

“The rebuilding of the wall and gates of Jerusalem was really the last significant event in redemptive history before the birth of Jesus that led to his saving death and resurrection.”

“Here, in a seemingly boring list of names, we find Jesus. Jesus was our sacrificial lamb, slain for the forgiveness of our sins, the purification of our souls,  and eternal salvation. This is what must flood our hearts!”

“To the degree our hearts are flooded with the wonder and awe of Jesus is the degree we will rid ourselves of ourselves for the sake of Christ’s glory through His church.” 

“The Israelites believed God was passionate about His purposes and that He could and would provide all they needed. Their confidence wasn’t in their leader, Nehemiah, or their own abilities. It was in their extraordinary God. We are no different. Let’s be honest, we don’t even really know what we’re doing. We are Going Not Kowing. Who are we? We are nothing. We are ordinary. We don’t have it all figured out. We aren’t professionals. No one is paying attention to us. We are ordinary people saved by grace, in love with Jesus, and on a mission to share him with others.”

“Our confidence is in Jesus, who has promised to build his church. Our confidence is in an extraordinary God who does extraordinary things and has an extraordinary zeal to save sinners through the blood of Jesus for His eternal praise and glory. That is our confidence! Nothing else and no one else.”

APPLICATION:
Do something that seems very ordinary—PRAY! The greatest way we delight in our dependence on God is to pray. In January, we will present a prayer strategy for the east side. Until then, pray God will provide people, money, and divine opportunity. Pray for direction on your personal participation. Pray for clear leadership and vision from your pastors. PRAY. Do the ordinary work of praying to an extraordinary God who can do extraordinary things. 

We are on a mission to see the worship and glory of God across our city. You don’t need your face on the cover of the Top 50 Christians in Tucson to play a part because: God uses ordinary people to accomplish His extraordinary purposes.

QUOTES:
Martyn Lloyd-Jones - “The whole trouble in life is ultimately this concern about self…that is something we must rid ourselves of entirely. We must rid ourselves of this constant tendency to be watching the interests of self.”

J.I. Packer - “All who love Jesus Christ the Lord ought to care deeply about the church, just because the church is the object of Jesus’ own love. Church-centeredness is thus one way in which Christ-centeredness ought to find expression.”

James Hamilton Jr. - “If we are going to live for something more than our trivial agendas to make our own names great, we must be convinced of the truth, goodness, and beauty of God on display in the gospel of Jesus Christ and advanced in the work of the church. If we are going to sacrifice personal luxuries and advantages in order to live for the gospel and advance it in the church, we must not only see but experience the truth, goodness, and beauty of God on display in the gospel and advanced in the work of the church. If we lay down our lives for the gospel and the church, it will be because we have seen, experienced, and lived for the truth, goodness, and beauty of God on display in the gospel and advanced in the church.”

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
The Solid Rock
My Soul Will Wait (Psalm 62)
How Great Is Your Faithfulness
We Give Thanks (Psalm 107)
Let Your Kingdom Come

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Nehemiah 4 - Uncommon Courage Unfailing God

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

The Books that Shaped Us (Sovereign Grace Journal, October 2024)

By Churches, Sovereign Grace

Buy on Amazon

To download a FREE PDF version of this journal (and other past issues), please visit: https://www.sovereigngrace.com/journal

Grace empowers believers to focus on God’s missional purposes! Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: PLANT
TEXT: Nehemiah 1-2
TITLE: God’s Mission – Our Passion 
PREACHER: Tim Lambros

POINTS:
I. God’s Passion for His Mission
II. Nehemiah’s Passion for God’s Mission
III. Our Passion for God’s Mission

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes and text emphasis are taken directly from the pastor’s notes.

ILLUSTRATION: looking up to people growing up, God’s use of individuals in scripture to inspire us

“For context: 2 Chronicles 36:17-23. But God. God’s remnant. God, who is passionate about His mission, has a remnant He will show mercy to. God raises up two men – Ezra as a priest and Nehemiah as a governor. Ezra leads two waves of exiles back to Jerusalem, and Neh will lead the third according to Cyrus’ decree. BUT GOD. God is a patient God. From Abraham to this point in redemptive history. Why a remnant? BECAUSE GOD IS PASSIONATE ABOUT HIS MISSION!”

“God has always been on mission. He doesn’t get distracted like we do. God has always raised up leaders to lead His people to advance His mission. Now we see how God uses  Nehemiah to advance His mission.”

“A Man Affected by the mission (1:1-4)  - Neh has a high-ranking position in a foreign country. He is in exile in Babylon. We’ll see in just a minute how God has strategically placed him. It’s the month of Chislev, which is around the time of our month of December. He locates himself in the citadel of Susa.”

“Notice the details in V. 2. He gets some news from his brother about those who had escaped Babylon and returned to their land. He’s referring to the two waves of people who had returned. Nehemiah is vested in God’s mission; he has questions about the wave of returning exiles and Jerusalem. Then in V. 3, Nehemiah gets some bad news.”

“READ V. 3: The remnant is in trouble. They are in shame because the wall is broken down and the gates have been destroyed by fire. Rather than digging into what that meant, I want us to notice in V. 4 how Nehemiah responds. He is emotionally affected. He is impacted by this news. He’s invested in  God’s mission, so how can he not be affected?”

“He is emotionally affected. He is impacted by this news. He’s invested in  God’s mission, so how can he not be affected? We are created to be responders. All day long, things come at us and we respond. Sometimes it’s good and godly responses, and most of the other times we respond sinfully and have to RUN to the grace of repentance.”

“Why is Nehemiah a compelling example for us? He weeps THEN TURNS IMMEDIATELY TO PRAYER. We aren’t told any specifics, but Nehemiah’s affections are stirred because God’s purposes for God’s people are in trouble. AS SOON AS I HEARD THESE WORDS … Nehemiah is immediately affected. He’s instantly impacted, sits down, and weeps. The text says he mourns for days. He begins to fast.”

“Why such a dramatic reaction to the news? Look at the last verse of Neh. 1. READ  Neh. 1:11b God strategically placed Nehemiah as the king’s cupbearer. Think butler.  He dies if there is food or wine brought with poison in it. A king eats multiple times a day. He is busy. He has responsibilities. Yet what do we see? He stops whatever he’s doing, sits down, and weeps. He mourns for days and fasts before the Lord. By God’s grace, Nehemiah is so connected with God’s mission that when news like this comes to him, he CANNOT be UNAFFECTED. His life is so tied up in God’s mission, his affections are immediately impacted.”

“How about you? Does news about the inevitable struggles of our mission in this Church ever affect you like this? As we next look closely at Nehemiah’s prayer I think you’ll see why his life is literally and functionally tied to God’s mission.”

“A Man with convictions about the God of the mission (1:5-11) - Nehemiah is convinced of at least two things. First, God is approachable. There appears to be no hesitation on Nehemiah’s part. He is living in exile; there is no temple location for God’s presence, no routine, no sacrifices, but he immediately turns to prayer.”

“Yet notice in V. 5 how he addresses God. GREAT AND AWESOME – WHO KEEPS  HIS COVENANT – STEADFAST LOVE. Nehemiah knows God, and he knows God’s Word – he’s praying through truths about God from Exodus and Deuteronomy – He knows His character – God is a covenant-keeping God. He has been in God’s Word, what has been revealed to that point in redemptive history, and prays accordingly.”

“This is an impressive prayer! Nehemiah is convinced; he believes God’s plan to create a people for Himself. He’s been in God’s word, and he’s seen, over and over, God stating, ‘I will be your God and you will be my people.’ He prays the reality he knows from God’s word – you promised destruction and scattering if we  disobeyed, but you also promised that if we turned back to you … you would gather up all your people even if they are scattered ‘in the uttermost parts of heaven.’”

“Notice V. 11 His final petition … READ V. 11B ‘Give success and grant mercy’.  Nehemiah has convictions about God and God’s word, but he also knows he’s been called. He knows he’s called to lead through this difficult time in the mission and knows at some point he must TAKE A HUGE RISK and approach the king for permission to do some important things to advance the mission of God’s people getting back to the promised land.”

“Nehemiah’s example for us today isn’t just that he’s available, “here I am, send me.”  That’s an important element, but a man who is available and is convinced about who God is and what God is about … well, that’s a man who will be focused and undistracted.”

“A Man taking risk and action for the mission (2:1-11) READ V. 1-3 - King Artaxerxes is who Neh serves at a high level. He has already given  Ezra and some exiles permission to return to Jerusalem. For Neh the risk is that the king might see him as disloyal.”

“Neh is afraid. He fears for his life. Yet for the king’s part he sees something – he must  know Neh because this scene is like you noticing the body language of someone in your  Community Group and asking, ‘hey, are you ok?’ Neh tells him his concerns … V. 4, and the king responds favorably.”

“Notice what happens next – V. 7 letters to the governors Beyond the River. Why? Ezra  4:7-9 says that these leaders had convinced King Artaxerxes to stop the rebuilding of the city. Then he asks for more. No wonder he prayed before he asked anything. He requests a letter to Asaph so that he would have access to some of those great cedars from  Lebanon for materials to build!”

“What’s so exemplary about this scene? Nehemiah is not only a man in action; it appears he’s been thinking and planning, and waiting for a moment like this. He’s not just serving up the wine, waiting for God to give him some sign in the sky that it’s time to move. He’s thinking, planning, praying so that the moment there’s an opening BOOM, he’s ready. Nehemiah is a strategic thinker!”

“In Christ, we have the Holy Spirit given to us to empower us for mission. Acts 1:8.  Grace empowers believers to focus on God’s missional purposes.”

“What can we take away from Nehemiah’s example? Grow and increase your affection for God’s mission. By God’s amazing grace, you can increase your love and affection for God’s purposes. How? Spend time in the Word! That’s how our desires get synced up with God’s desires! God’s summons of you and me occurs as His Word convinces us we are best off when we are giving our lives to His purposes.”

“Increasingly allow prayer to be your first impulse. Church, I’m convinced that whatever God wants to do through us on the east side – He will grow us in our need for prayer. Growing us to a place where news like Neh got instinctively moves us to pray.”

“Prepare yourself for action. Learn to talk about Christ in longer conversations.” 

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Acts 20:22–24

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
All Things
The Lord Almighty Reigns (Psalm 93)
From Everlasting (Psalm 90)
Is He Worthy
Our Song From Age To Age

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Nehemiah 3 - Ordinary People, Extraordinary Work

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

The Books that Shaped Us (Sovereign Grace Journal, October 2024)

By Churches, Sovereign Grace

Buy on Amazon

To download a FREE PDF version of this journal (and other past issues), please visit: https://www.sovereigngrace.com/journal

God has saved us and called us to engage in His eternal purposes of redeeming other sinners and building His church. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: PLANT
TEXT: Matthew 28:16-20
TITLE: A Church Planting Missiology
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
I. Our Mission
II. Our Strategy for the Mission
III. Our Confidence in the Mission

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes and text emphasis are taken directly from the pastor’s notes.

“This morning marks the beginning of a four-part series that we are calling 'Plant'. As Christians, we are on a mission. By mission, I mean: God has saved us and called us to engage in His eternal purposes of redeeming other sinners and building His church.”

“We believe this mission is fulfilled primarily through church planting. On our church website, you will find seven biblical values that define us as a local church and unite us with our family of churches, SGC. If you don’t know them, I encourage you to take the time to get to know them. They are:

1. WE ARE REFORMED
2. WE ARE GOSPEL-CENTERED
3. WE ARE CONTINUATIONIST
4. WE ARE COMPLEMENTARIAN
5. WE ARE PASTOR LED
6. WE ARE INTERDEPENDENT 
7.   WE ARE MISSIONAL”

“What does that mean—We Are Missional? Our gospel-centrality entails not only treasuring the gospel personally but sharing it passionately. The risen Christ commissioned His church to make disciples of all nations. We believe that commission falls to us and to all believers and that it is fulfilled in a primary way through church planting, whereby the gospel is proclaimed and converts are formed into communities of disciples. We are eager to pursue this mission, relying fully on the Holy Spirit, to see the gospel proclaimed and churches planted throughout the world, that God may be glorified among every tribe, language, people, and nation.”

“As we continue to explore planting a church on the east side, our prayer is that over the next four weeks, God will use the Plant series to strengthen our faith by igniting a greater passion for God’s purposes as we give ourselves to the extraordinary work of advancing the gospel for the glory of our ever-faithful God.”

“After the gospels, the NT is an account of advancing God’s kingdom through the planting of local churches. We see this particularly in Acts, which focuses on Peter and the church in Jerusalem in the first twelve chapters, but then shifts to Paul and church planting in the latter part of the book. The great church planting movement we see in Acts is ultimately an outworking of the Great Commission in Matthew 28.”

“The pattern and purpose of our mission are found in three key verbs that make up the Great Commission—Go, Baptize, and Teach.”

“GO and Baptize—read 19. Every believer is called to GO to the lost. The mission is not—Be ready when the lost comes to you. The mission is to GO to the lost with the good news of Jesus. Too often, we equate gospel mission with traveling to a foreign country. That may be God’s will for some, but for most, the call to GO is a call to GO with the gospel to where you already GO every day. GO to your neighbor. GO to your co-worker. GO to your unbelieving spouse. GO to your atheist uncle. GO to the fellow team parent. GO to your classmates. GO to your children. GO to your lost sibling. GO and be my witness (Acts 1:8). GO and be my ambassador (2 Corinthians 5:20). GO and tell others about Jesus. This is why we emphasize and equip for personal evangelism. Jesus commands us—GO with the gospel.”

“Now, when those we GO to with Jesus, believe in Jesus, 19 commands us to BAPTIZE (second verb of the Great Commission) them with water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Scripture is clear—baptism is symbolic, not salvific. It doesn’t save anyone, but it is a precious sacrament of the church that symbolizes an inward spiritual conversion. The phrase "Go and baptize" simply represents the conversion of those we witness to.”

“TEACH—read 20a

The mission doesn’t end with conversion. It’s just getting started. If we just GO and BAPTIZE, we have new BIRTH but no GROWTH, and that’s an ABORTED mission. A fully orbed mission, according to the Great Commission, includes teaching disciples how to be disciples. Through the gospel, God has made us new creations. How do we live as the new people in Christ that we are? We have to be taught. Go. Baptize. Teach. That is the Great Commission given to us by the risen Christ. So what is our strategy?”

“I once heard someone say—The Great Commission NECESSITATES the local church in our missiology. A missiology that truly flows from the Great Commission demands the centrality of the local church. He’s right. He’s right because the local church is where disciples grow through: 
- Sunday Morning Preaching
- Community Group
- Opportunities to serve and give
- Youth
- Men’s and Women’s Ministries
- Pastoral Counseling
- Other teaching and equipping ministries of the church”

“They all grow us as disciples of Jesus. If you’re wondering what does discipleship looks like around here? It looks like everything I just mentioned because it all teaches us how to love and live for Jesus in joy and obedience, which is what a disciple is and what a disciple does. These things happen, first and foremost, in the local church.”

“This is evident in Paul’s letters to the churches, where he repeatedly exhorts and encourages them to build their lives on the Word of God and the gospel within the context of the corporate body. The writer of Hebrews boldly charges the Christians in Hebrews 10—Do not forsake the gathering. Ephesians 3 declares it is the church that reveals the manifold wisdom of God.  We could keep going.”

“This is why we have such a robust doctrine of the local church. The centrality of the local church is not a SG thing—It’s a God thing. God has made the local church central to the Great Commission.”

“We need to keep this before us. The truth is, Christian history is littered with people of great faith, vision, a tremendous sense of sacrifice, and an overwhelming personal burden to take the gospel to the world.  David Livingston in Africa, Jim Elliot in South America, Hudson Taylor in China, and Amy Carmichael in India are just a few.”

“However, what has happened over the years—not taking anything away from how God has used the people and organizations like those I just mentioned—is that the church, in many ways, has given away the Great Commission to individual personalities and non-church organizations. Too often, mission is something done outside of the church, disconnected from the local church, while the local church sticks to the churchy stuff. Mission has become about my personal calling instead of our corporate calling. As a result, the formula for missions has become something like: The Gospel + The Believer + The Individual Call = Missions”

“The effect of that formula is that individuals or missionary societies enter the mission field with God’s Gospel, but do not establish God’s community. According to Matthew 28, that is an incomplete mission. But a correct understanding of Matthew 28 forces us to think more like this: The Gospel + The Believer + The Local Church = Missions”

ILLUSTRATION: An Ambassador (individual) and their Embassy (local church)

“This is how we see the Great Commission being applied in Acts and beyond. Christians (ambassadors) go into their personal worlds with the gospel, disciples are made and added to the local church (embassy) where they are taught to live for Jesus, and then churches are planted to duplicate it all over again. But when we remove the local church from the equation, it’s like an Ambassador without an Embassy.”

“The east side is filled with people who need the message of the gospel. But we will be much more effective if we have an embassy on the east side. That’s what we’re doing—building a gospel embassy for our current and future East Side ambassadors.”

“This is our missiology strategy—Church Planting.”

“Here’s some good news—we are not in this alone. This is just one reason we love being in partnership with Sovereign Grace Churches—they are passionate about and committed to advancing the Great Commission through church planting. SG launched four church plants in September.”

“We share the vision and mission with these church plants and their sending churches. Like in their cities, East Tucson is filled with lost and hurting souls. Church planting is both exhilarating and daunting. So, where is our confidence for the mission?”

“Jesus bookends the Great Commission with one great hope—a gospel guarantee. In his death and resurrection, Jesus stands highly exalted with all authority over all of creation. ALL authority over Satan and his schemes. ALL authority over every government, king, president, and legislative body. ALL authority over every neighbor and co-worker, and family member who is indifferent to or is hostile toward your faith. I like to call this the GOSPEL GUARANTEE.”

“In the call to mission, He promises to be with us in ALL authority. He is with us in power and purpose. This is his mission. The church belongs to him. He came for his church. He died for his church. He was raised for his church. He is interceding for his church. He will return for his church. And right now he is building his church through his people with his people.”

“He is with us in power and purpose. This guarantees the success of our gospel mission. Not our size. Not our prospects. Not our affiliations. Not our creativity. Not our missional resolve. It’s the unwavering resolve of Christ to transform sinners into disciples, build his church, and return for his bride—with all authority—ensuring our gospel mission is unstoppable. This is God’s mission. He is the Great Evangelist. He is the Great Church Planter.”

APPLICATION:
Allow this series to do three things:
1. Shape your prayers - for your personal evangelism and for our church plant!
2. Challenge your comfort zones - we will all play a part!
3. Consider your participation - for the sake of the great commission!

QUOTES:
George Peters - “The primary historical significance of the Great Commission lies in the fact that it gives to the church the pattern and purpose of missions. It defines and delineates the missionary task. We have in the Great Commission a compass, a charter, and a plan.”

Dave Harvey - “Church planting is the New Testament method for proclaiming and applying the gospel.  Armed with the good news, the disciples would penetrate new regions with a goal of both communicating God’s word and creating God’s community. In contrast to traditional missionary enterprises which often centers primarily upon proclamation, church planting establishes a mission base for proclamation, integration and expansion.”

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Before The Throne Of God Above
All I Have Is Christ
Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me
All Glory Be To Christ
Let Your Kingdom Come

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Nehemiah 1-2 - Passion for God's Purposes

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

The Books that Shaped Us (Sovereign Grace Journal, October 2024)

By Churches, Sovereign Grace

Buy on Amazon

To download a FREE PDF version of this journal (and other past issues), please visit: https://www.sovereigngrace.com/journal

If walking with Jesus is the difference between your life being a living branch and a dead branch, then getting this right—and we have the Spirit’s help—is critical. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: The I Am Sayings of Jesus
TEXT: John 15:5
TITLE: The Vine Life
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
I. The Command to Abide
II. The Promise of Fruitfulness

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes and text emphasis are taken directly from the pastor’s notes.

ILLUSTRATION: ’80s anti-drug TV campaign, simple and clear message

“Jesus is the difference between your life being (a living vine, producing fruit, and a crispy, dead vine). Let’s close in prayer. The vine and the branches—a simple and clear message.”

“Yet, it seems we spend our entire lives learning how to live in what Jesus describes here. There are two reasons for this. First, the message of John 15 is simple yet profoundly deep. Two, we tend to approach John 15 with either a legalistic attitude or a prideful presumption upon God’s grace, both representing an arrogant and ignorant understanding of the gospel.”

“But if walking with Jesus is the difference between your life being (vines), then getting this right—and we have the Spirit’s help—is critical.”

“The keyword in our text is abide. Eleven times, Jesus uses it. It means to reside or remain. The thrust of the word is to stay put, not go anywhere. In the context of John 15, it simply means to walk with Jesus. Here, it is a command—Abide in me.”

“To help us, Jesus uses the imagery of a vine and its branches, with the vine, of course, being Jesus, and we are the branches. Jesus begins by saying in 1—I am the true vine. This metaphor would have been familiar to the disciples. In the OT, Israel is often likened to a vine in passages like Psalm 80, Jeremiah 2, and Ezekiel 15.  Typically, the metaphor is used to show that Israel had become a wild vine, imagery that communicates their rebellion and sinfulness in turning away from God to the world around them.”

“Just as Jesus supersedes the temple, the sacrifices, the feasts, and Moses, he is the true vine, the only connection to and life of God in His people.”

“We have seen this repeatedly over the past few weeks: Whether Jesus claims to be the bread of life, the light of the world, the door, the good Shepherd, the resurrection, the life or the way, at the center of each claim has been this—Jesus is the source, the only true source, of life and vitality and joy in the Christian life. The vine and branches imagery makes that clear.”

“Jesus says, the branch has no life unless it is connected to the vine. He goes on in 6 Jesus to say—A branch that is not connected to the vine withers and dies. But when the branch is connected to the vine, it has life and bears fruit because it receives life and nourishment from the sap it draws from the vine. The branch is entirely dependent upon the vine.”

“We know this life-giving connection to Jesus as our union with Christ. By faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, the Spirit unites us; he connects us to Christ, who becomes not only our identity but the source of our very life.”

“This is at the heart of the Christian life and experience. Christ’s life is our life. He dwells in us and we dwell in him. His sufferings are our sufferings. His death is our death. His resurrection is our resurrection. His strength is our strength. His seat in the heavenly places is our seat in the heavenly places. His heavenly Father is our heavenly Father.”

“Now, for the unbeliever or fake believer who looks the part (some commentators believe Jesus has Judas in mind), Jesus' teaching is a call to repentance and faith in himself as the true life-giving vine. Unless you are connected to Jesus, you can't bear fruit that has any eternal value. Instead, you will, as it says in 2, be removed, and according to 6, thrown into the fire. In other words, hell is your destiny unless, by the mercies of God, you turn to Jesus in repentance and faith—something you can do right now.”

“For the believer, the imagery acts as an encouragement, for some a warning, to cling to Christ, so that your life will bring glory to God by bearing the fruit God desires. To be sure, there is no such thing as a fruitless Christian. Jesus’ teaching in Luke 8 about how a good tree bears good fruit settles that. But a true Christian can live contrary to the union they have with Christ. When we choose NOT to live in the goodness of the gospel or in a way that is NOT in keeping with the gospel, in a sense, we separate ourselves from the vine. In doing so, our lives are not as fruitful as they could be or as God desires.”

“Of course, the BIG question is—How do we know if we are abiding in Christ? The text tells us. We abide in Christ by depending on him - read verse 5.”

“We are saved by grace through faith. Faith is simply trusting in Jesus. It is recognizing that you are utterly dependent upon him for salvation. That never changes in the Christian life. Day by day, we walk with Jesus trusting him for all we are and need before God—day by day, we choose to believe his promises and rely on his presence to endure in holiness.”

“What do we call that? We call that depending on Jesus. And we rely on him because we can do nothing apart from him. That’s part of abiding in Jesus.”

“We abide in Christ by embracing God’s loving discipline—read verses 1-2. Here, we are introduced to the vinedresser. That is God Himself. Not only does the vinedresser remove the branches that do not belong to Him, but He prunes those that do. His pruning is His discipline.”  

“One of the ways you promote the health and growth of a plant is by pruning the excess branches so they can produce even more. Spiritually, we refer to it as becoming more like Christ. This is what is happening in sanctification. Through the trials and circumstances of our lives, God, the vinedresser, is pruning us so that we will bear more fruit. In this way, God does truly work all things for our good (Romans 8:28).”

“We abide in Christ by obeying his word—read verses 7-10. Abide in me…my words abide in you…Abide in my love, they all communicate the same BIG idea. To abide in Christ is to walk in obedience to his word. It is to allow all Christ taught about himself, his Father, the Spirit, and their eternal purposes to fill our hearts, guide our steps, shape our actions, inform our thoughts, and direct our lives.” 

“Abiding isn’t a touch-and-go relationship. It isn’t checking in with Jesus periodically. Abiding isn’t just a Sunday morning thing. It’s about daily fellowship with Christ, feasting on his word, obeying his word, and trusting his promises because we love him and long to experience his life at work in us for our fruitfulness and most of all God’s glory! This is life in the Vine, The Vine Life, and it is good!”

“Critical: At the heart of all three of these is the gospel—read 9. Jesus says, 'I love you with a Trinitarian love; now abide in my love.' 1 John 4:10 says the nature and depths of that love are most clearly seen at Calvary, where God gave His only Son, Jesus, for our sins.”

“We abide in Christ by clinging to his cross. In one sense, the relationship between a vine and the branch is natural. But in the Christian life, it must be cultivated. Jesus calls, indeed commands, us to something here. Abiding is not automatic. But our abiding must always take place in the shadow of the cross, where we find our motivation, our strength, and our hope.” 

“Jesus attaches a promise to abiding—fruitfulness. Jesus wants us to bear fruit. Seven times he uses the word fruit. In 8, he says a spiritually fruitful life glorifies his Father. There is no higher goal than that.”

“In 16, Jesus says—You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed that you should—Have a hassle-free life? Experience the American dream? Live free from health issues? No, he says, that you should go and bear fruit.  And Jesus promises a cornucopia of fruit: 
7—Answered prayer 
8—God’s glory in our lives 
11—Fullness of joy
12&17—Love for one another
27—Gospel witness” 

“We have to keep spiritual fruit in our lives in perspective. Fruit is ultimately evidence of Christ abiding in us, not our abiding in him. The life and power that creates fruit is in the vine, not the branch.”

“I would like to conclude with a story that puts all this into perspective. During a season of spiritual struggle, the great missionary Hudson Taylor wrote a letter to his sister:

The last month or more has been perhaps the happiest of my life, and I long to tell you a little of what the Lord has done for my soul. My mind has been greatly exercised for six or eight months past, feeling the need personally for our mission of more holiness, life, power in our souls. I felt the ingratitude, the danger, the sin of not living nearer to God. I prayed, agonized, fasted, strove, made resolutions, read the word more diligently, sought more time for meditation; but all without avail. Every day, almost every hour, the consciousness of sin oppressed me. I knew that if I could only abide in Christ all would be well, but I could not. I would begin the day with prayer, determined not to take my eye off him for a moment, but pressure of duties, sometimes very trying, and constant interruptions, apt to be so wearying, caused me to forget him. Instead of growing stronger, I seemed to be getting weaker and to have less power against sin; and no wonder, for faith and even hope were getting low. I hated myself, I hated my sin, yet gained no strength against it. I felt I was a child of God—the spirit in my heart would cry, in spite of all, ‘Abba, Father!’—but to rise to my privileges as a child I was utterly powerless. All the time I felt assured there was in Christ all I needed, but the practical question was how to get it out. He was rich, truly, but I was poor; he was strong, but I was weak. I knew full well that there was in the root, the stem, abundant fatness, but how to get it into my puny little branch was the question. As gradually light dawned, I saw that faith was the only requisite, was the land to lay hold on his fullness and make it mine, but I had not this faith. Then Mr. Taylor mentioned something a friend recently wrote him: How do you get your faith strengthened? Not by striving after faith, but by resting on the Faithful One. … As I read that letter, I saw it all. I looked to Jesus and saw, and when I saw, oh how joy flowed! That he had said, ‘I will never leave thee.’ Ah, there is rest! I thought. I have striven in vain to rest in him; I’ll strive no more, for has he not promised to abide with me, never to leave me, never to fail me? He never will. Nor was this all he showed me, not one half. As I thought of the vine and the branches, what light the blessed Spirit poured direct into my soul! How great seemed my mistake in wishing to get the sap, the fullness out of him. I saw not only that Jesus will never leave me, but that I am a member of his body, of his flesh and of his bones. The vine is not the root merely, but all root, stem, branches, twigs, leaves, flowers, fruit! And Jesus is not that alone; he is soil and sunshine, air and showers, and ten thousand times more than we have ever dreamed, wished for, or needed. Oh the joy of seeing this truth!” 

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Galatians 2:20
Hebrews 12:10-11

QUOTES:
Leon Morris - “Israel had failed to produce the fruit that would have been expected; they were false to their God, who had done so much for them….But where Israel failed and had become a false vine, we now see the true vine, the vine in which the purpose of God would be worked out.”

Charles Spurgeon - “Do not merely find a temporary shelter in me, as a ship runs into harbor in stormy weather, and then comes out again when the gale is over; but cast anchor in me, as the vessel does when it reaches its desired haven. Be not as branches that are tied on, and so can be taken off, but be livingly joined to me—Abide in me!...Dear friends, beware of a Christless Christianity. Beware of trying to be Christians without living daily upon Christ. The branch may just as well try to bear fruit apart from the vine as for you to hope to maintain the reality of Christian life without continual fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ......There is the great canon of the Christian life. Hold fast to Christ. Not only live with him, but live in him—Abide in me! Let Jesus not be merely your companion now and then, on holy occasions, but let him abide in you; make your heart a temple; let him find his sweetest rest his home in you.”

D.A. Carson - “This fruit is not the inorganic growth of external accretion (not the effect of all our spiritual activity). It is organic growth, internal growth, driven by the pulsating life of the vine in the branch, and only this kind of growth produces fruit.”

APPLICATION:
I think for most of us, our impulse is to leave here more aware of what we need to do than who Christ is. But the ultimate point of our text and the entire I Am series: Christ is the fullness of true life.

In the strength of the Spirit and with the motivation of the gospel, we abide in Christ; depending on Jesus daily; feeding and nourishing our faith with the word and prayer, walking in joyful obedience to all God calls us to, knowing that those activities are not the fullness of life, but expressions of our faith that Jesus IS the beautiful and glorious fullness of life that is ours by faith.

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Christ Our Hope In Life And Death
He Will Hold Me Fast
All Things
When We See Your Face
All I Have Is Christ
A Christian's Daily Prayer

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Matthew 28:16-20 - A Church Planting Missiology

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

The Books that Shaped Us (Sovereign Grace Journal, October 2024)

By Churches, Sovereign Grace

Buy on Amazon

To download a FREE PDF version of this journal (and other past issues), please visit: https://www.sovereigngrace.com/journal

Two weeks ago, we looked at Jesus as our Good Shepherd. Today, we encounter the Good Shepherd tending to His sheep in what was their darkest hour yet. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: The I Am Sayings of Jesus
TEXT: John 14:6
TITLE: The Remedy for a Troubled Heart
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: The Christian life is not about what you know, it’s about who you know.

POINTS:
I. Jesus is the Way
II. Jesus is the Truth
III. Jesus is the Life

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes and text emphasis are taken directly from the pastor’s notes.

“Verse 1 says the disciples were deeply troubled in their hearts. Like a dark rain cloud overhead, the storm of discouragement and despair was gathering over the disciples. Understandably so, given the firehose of bad news in Ch. 13:
21—Jesus told them there was a traitor among them.
33—Jesus informs them he is leaving them. 
38—Just when you think it can’t get any worse, Jesus looks Peter square in the eyes and says, You will betray me, not once, not twice, but three times.”

“Imagine the cumulative effect of all this bad news in just one evening. The disciples' world is being turned upside down. They left everything for Jesus. They lived for Jesus. The disciples are thinking—What is going on?  Have you ever been there? If you haven’t, you will be soon enough. Maybe you are there as we speak.”

“The Christian life is not about what you know, it’s about who you know. In saying that, I’m not dismissing or downplaying theology. Theology matters, it’s just not the essence of the Christian life. You can know a lot of theology, but if you die without a relationship with Jesus, you still end up in hell. The Christian life is about believing and trusting, personally knowing Jesus.”

“That personal relationship with Jesus is also the ultimate remedy for a troubled heart. The remedy for a troubled heart isn’t found in a NYT Best-Seller, a professional’s couch, or even specific godly disciplines. It isn’t found in sage advice on how to eat, sleep, and live better. The remedy to a troubled heart is found in a relationship.”

“That’s what Jesus is doing in the sixth I Am statement of John’s gospel—giving us himself as the remedy for our troubled hearts.”

“After inviting the troubled disciples to trust and put their confidence in him, Jesus tells them what he is about to do—read verses 2-3.”

ILLUSTRATION: Jewish custom of groom preparing home for bride

“Jesus is saying, as a groom prepares a place to live happily ever after with his bride, I go and prepare a place for you to live with me in my Father’s presence forever. Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Jesus is actually comforting his disciples with his second coming. I am leaving you, but don’t let your hearts be troubled; you will be with me again.”

“Of course, this is a vision of heaven. The transcendent and eternal place to which Revelation 21-22 refers—the New and Heavenly Jerusalem, the eternal city of God —where sin, suffering, and sorrow give way to infinite blessing, joy, and glory.”

“Jesus says in 2-3, My departure from you is so that I can prepare a place for you in heaven. This preparation has nothing to do with moving furniture. It’s about the cross. It is through His imminent death, resurrection, and ascension that Jesus prepares and secures their place in the Father's house. One day, when the Father says to the Son, It’s time, Jesus will come back for his bride, the church, and together we will live in the presence of our God and Savior forever—And it’s all possible because of the cross!”

“No doubt, just like you and I would, Thomas is thinking on a purely horizontal level—he wants a map to the Father’s house because he doesn’t know the way. But Thomas does not need a map because he has a Messiah. Jesus looks at Thomas and says—I am the Way.”

“Like the claim I am the door in John 10, this is exclusive. In fact, at the end of 6, Jesus goes on to say—No one comes to the Father except through me. Here’s where Christianity offends the world. Isn’t it interesting? The most offensive word in the Bible is just three letters—THE. That intolerant, bigoted, narrow-minded definite article—THE.  Jesus says, I am THE way. Not A way, but THE way. Nor does Jesus say, I point you to the way. He says, He is THE way. THE only way.”

ILLUSTRATION: City Mapper App

“Jesus isn’t saying he points you to the way or shows you the way—He IS the Way. Jesus is not allowing any room for the Jewish leaders who are committed to the place of the Law and the significance of circumcision as the way to the Father’s house.”

“If you don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus, the whole point of the gospel is that you can’t save yourself. You can’t DO or BE your way to heaven. Your sin is too great, and God is too holy. But God has mercifully provided a way of forgiveness and salvation. Heb 10:20 describes it as a new and living way in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus makes the way clear in 1—Believe in me.”

“‘I Am the Truth.’ What does that mean? It means if you want to know what God is like, look at Jesus. He is the one who shows us the character, heart, and love of God. God is not different than Jesus. If you want to know what God the Father is like, then look at His Son, Jesus. Watch him. Study him. Get to know him. The proof of this is Jesus' own words—read verses 7-11.”

“Phillip wants a theophany, he wants a burning bush moment—Jesus says, You’ve got one. You have seen the Father because you have seen me! The purposes and person of My Father have been revealed and fulfilled in my words and deeds, and nowhere greater than the deed I am about to do at the cross that will reveal His love for the world.”

“Every aspect of Jesus’s life reveals the truth about who God is and what His purposes are. That’s not esoteric Trinitarian theology. It’s everyday truth that matters: It means Jesus is utterly dependable. All he taught and all he did at the cross can be relied on absolutely. It means when your heart is troubled because, like the disciples, you don’t have all the answers, you go to the One who does, Jesus, who is the Truth. It means when you don’t understand the answers, like Thomas, you can trust Jesus’ words, because he is the Truth. It means in the moment of doubt, like Phillip, you can have certainty, because though you have not seen God, you know Him because you know Jesus, who is the very Word and Truth of God, and he has promised he will keep you in His Father’s love. But until then, he promises to intercede for you and ensure that all things work for your spiritual and sanctifying good until you are in the heavenly presence of God.” 

“This is what we preach to our troubled hearts, and in doing so, we apply the command of verse 1—Believe in me! And while this doesn’t make our troubles disappear, it runs the trouble out of our hearts according to the promises of Scripture.

ILLUSTRATION: Bored with castles and churches

“A real danger to Christians is that we become bored with God and look for something new to remedy our troubles…Jesus invites us—Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me, the way, the truth, the life.”

“We learned about this a few weeks ago when Jesus said I am the resurrection and the life in John 11, and we will talk more about it next week. For now, the point is that Jesus is the source and center of true life. He is the very life of God in the soul of man.”

“Listen, eternal life isn’t something you wait for. Yes, knowing Jesus changes your eternal destiny, but it also changes your everyday life. The moment you believe, you enter an unbreakable union with Christ, a life filled with an overflowing abundance of spiritual blessings here on earth. Your own life testifies to this: Consider your life before Jesus. How did you bear up under trouble?”

“Someone said—We live in a world of absolute doubt and uncertainty about a way forward, the reality of truth, and meaning of life. The church, however, responds with hope. (That’s us!) Objectively, Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, for He is God incarnate. Only God can be all of those things. Subjectively, Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life through the gracious gift of faith. That faith brings us into union with Christ, who reconciles us to the Father. That is the absolute truth, which all who are in Christ can enjoy with certainty. Amen! Yes, we can, even in the most troubling of troubles.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
John 1:1-2
Hebrews 1:3

QUOTES:
Andreas Köstenberger - “Jesus’ claim of himself being the way (with the corollary that no one can come to the Father but through him) is as timely today as it was when our Lord first uttered this statement. For in an age of religious pluralism, Christianity’s exclusive claims are considered inappropriately narrow, even intolerant, and pluralism itself has, ironically, become the criterion by which all truth claims are judged.”

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
I Am the Vine - John 15:5

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

The Books that Shaped Us (Sovereign Grace Journal, October 2024)

By Churches, Sovereign Grace

Buy on Amazon

To download a FREE PDF version of this journal (and other past issues), please visit: https://www.sovereigngrace.com/journal

Here’s what Paul wants the Corinthians Church – and our Church – to grasp: The gospel alone is the basis and the gospel alone is the power for the Church. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

TEXT: 1 Corinthians 2:1–5
TITLE: 25 Years – Celebrating God’s Grace 
PREACHER: Tim Lambros
BIG IDEA: The gospel alone is the basis and the gospel alone is the power for the Church.

POINTS:
I. God’s Aim – Grounded in the Gospel
II. God’s Method – Power through Weakness

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes and text emphasis are taken directly from the pastor’s notes.

“This is a letter the Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian Church 3-4 years after it got planted. Paul is hearing some things, and he’s concerned enough to pen this letter. In just a few short years, the Church has become enamored with Corinthian culture. A culture that was infatuated with rhetoric and philosophy and fascinated with the oratory skills of those who spoke about these things.”

“He will eventually get into some serious corrections for the Church, but first, he wants to make sure some foundational things are understood.”

“Here’s an observation we can benefit from before we even get too deep into these verses. This Church is not 25 years old. This Church isn’t even 10 years old. Why is that important? Even a Church planted by the Apostle Paul can drift.  Churches like ours are made up of imperfect pastors and imperfect members. All are called to guard against drift or enchantment with anything this world offers. Just as  Paul is going to ground this Church in the gospel because they have drifted, we too must guard the rich deposit of the gospel.”

“Notice how he begins. Both in his manner and especially in what he proclaimed/what he preached, he was focused on Christ and Him crucified. In his manner, he was not going to prioritize what the world in that day prioritized – lofty  speech or worldly wisdom.”

“Note Paul’s shorthand on the gospel. Christ and Him  crucified. At the heart of what Paul proclaimed, at the center of the gospel message, is the Cross of  Jesus Christ. The gospel message is much more than the Cross, but in Christ crucified, Paul begins to bring clarity on what’s most important and what makes their Christianity distinct! The crucifixion of Jesus Christ is the prism which all the other amazing things  God does for us come through. Why? Because in the Cross, God takes away all our pride and boasting.”

ILLUSTRATION - Prism picture  

“The crucifixion is the lens to our relationship with God, our sins forgiven, and power of the Holy Spirit.”

“Church, it’s so easy to drift. It can become all about your leaders, what your Church has accomplished, and your identity can become about how gifted your Church is. This is what happened in Corinth.”

“Paul wanted them to know nothing apart from Jesus and Him Crucified. Why so narrow? Here’s why … The gospel message, Biblically understood, takes the knees out of human pride. …Your basis, grounding, identity must be about what God has done and nothing about what you have done.”

“Even after our eyes are opened up to Christ crucified – As individuals and as a Church  we can easily drift and move away from the solid foundation of Christ crucified to the shifting ground of human accomplishment.”

“It happens to individuals, and it happens to Churches. Paul is a wise Pastor. He’s going to bring serious corrections but wants to ground them by bringing clarity first. Clarity on what the basics are, clarity on what their identity is. He wants this Church grounded in the gospel and very clear that their life in Christ is built upon what God has done for them, NOT what they are doing.”

“Church, it’s so easy to drift. We only drift away from the gospel. We never drift toward the gospel – it takes a vigorous and constant commitment to keep the main thing the main thing and make sure cultural creep doesn’t move us away from the foundational truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

“God wills that the gospel ALONE shape, mold, impact, influence every part of your life – parenting, marriage,  work, conflict resolution, etc., etc. Corinthians, I came so you would be grounded in the powerful message of the gospel in every part of your life.”

“What Paul says in the next few verses explains more of the WHY behind his church planting and Pastoral goal of grounding this Church in the gospel. God, in His kindness, has preserved in Holy Scripture this example from the Corinthian Church for all of us to learn how quickly we can drift. We not only need to be grounded in the gospel, but we also need to know about the power in the gospel.” 

“Paul’s message of Christ crucified is the good news that Jesus was born of a virgin,  lived a perfect life as God in the flesh, was brutally beaten beyond recognition, and was unjustly crucified on a cross. When Christ hung on that cross between heaven and earth  He was the utmost picture of weakness. Even though He looked weak and helpless, the  Cross is the wisdom of God and the power of God.”

“What’s Paul getting at here? Paul wants the Corinthian Church to understand something very, very important. Not only is the gospel message the basis and grounding of our faith, but the gospel is also where the transforming power for change comes.”

“The gospel doesn’t just make power available; the gospel is the power of God! The gospel isn’t a message about the power of God, it is the power of God. Same thing Paul wrote to the Church in Rome.”

“God wants to drive this truth home to the Corinthian Church and to us because of two universal truths: 1. God hates pride – pride exalts man. 2. Man inherently believes he has the power to save himself.”

“God had to send His son  Jesus Christ, and provide the power to save IN THE message of the gospel to make it impossible for man to have any part of God’s saving grace.”

“Paul wants this Church, and God wants all His Churches, to know that the gospel ALONE  saves and is the power for salvation. Man will always want to elevate his ability, and the gospel will always be foolishness to those who are perishing.”

“God saving us through weakness is foolishness to the wisdom of the world because there’s no room for human pride to be inserted into the equation. The wisdom of the world wants to create and redefine what was accomplished on the cross so that, in some way, human effort, human achievement can be claimed.”

APPLICATION:
We build: We build on the gospel alone. It must influence and penetrate every part of our life. It must be our identity. We must guard from drifting.

We Boast: But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ … Galatians 6:14
Paul definitely boasts – but boasts in the cross of Christ. Let that be our boast.

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Romans 1:16
1 Corinthians 1:17-30
2 Corinthians 12:8-10
1 Corinthians 2:3-5

QUOTES:
Paul Tripp - “Every unredeemed sinner attaches his identity, hopes and dreams, and meaning and purpose to something other than God. It might not be money. It might be power, control,  fame, physical health, intellectual gifts, and so on. For a while, these things satisfy our hearts and make us feel as though we don’t need a Savior. But they always leave us empty.”

John Piper - “… if we are following the dictates of merely human wisdom, the claim that the King and Creator of the world was executed like a criminal because we are such horrible sinners will simply be regarded as an intolerable foolishness.”

Gordon Fee - “A final purpose clause in v. 5 gives the reason for all this, that their faith might be of God and in God alone and not in human wisdom.”

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
King Of Love
You Made Us Your Own
Man Of Sorrows
It Is Well With My Soul
The Solid Rock

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
I Am the Way and the Truth and the Life - John 14:6

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

The Books that Shaped Us (Sovereign Grace Journal, October 2024)

By Churches, Sovereign Grace

Buy on Amazon

To download a FREE PDF version of this journal (and other past issues), please visit: https://www.sovereigngrace.com/journal

Today, we want to draw your attention to three unimaginable and unchanging truths about Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: The I Am Sayings of Jesus
TEXT: John 10:11-18
TITLE: Our Good Shepherd
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
I. The Good Shepherd Lays Down His Life
II. The Good Shepherd Knows His Sheep
III. The Good Shepherd is On a Mission

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes and text emphasis are taken directly from the pastor’s notes.

“Scripture is filled with pictures that help us understand our Savior and apply what we know about Him to ordinary life. We call them metaphors, and they are truly a gift from God.”

“One of the Bible's most common, powerful, and beautiful metaphors is the imagery of Jesus as a shepherd. It's one thing to speak of Jesus as King, Lord, and the Righteous One, but nothing captures the tender and compassionate heart of Christ for his people like the imagery of a shepherd. In the words of Timothy Laniak—The imagery is not just nice, it's necessary.”

“Five times in our passage, Jesus reminds us that he laid down his life. It's the great theme of his teaching and the grand expression of the Good Shepherd's goodness. According to 17, it's the reason the Father's eternal love for the Good Shepherd —in obedience to and in accord with the Father's will—He laid down his life for his sheep.”

“[This image is] a contrast to the hired hand who loves himself, not the sheep. Jesus says a couple things about the hired hand here. First, he is not a shepherd and second, he doesn't own the sheep. He's an employee. As an employee, his care for the sheep go as far as his ability to get a paycheck goes. He doesn't truly care about the sheep, he's not invested in the sheep, he's just trying to pay the bills.”

“So when danger comes, when wolves—and in context, the wolves are the Pharisees, but today beginning with pastors, it  includes anyone who would use and abuse, fleece and deceive the church instead of loving and caring for the church—when those wolves come around, the hired hand is gone. After all, it's just a few sheep. Risking his own limb or life isn't worth it. Danger is above his paygrade.”

“Now, in fairness to the hired hand, his logic is pretty solid. His life is worth way more than a few stinky, dumb sheep. The shepherd's life is worth way more than a few sheep. Lose a few sheep, buy a few more. But don't lose your life over them. The only explanation is this—The shepherd loves the sheep that much.”

ILLUSTRATION: “In The Line of Fire Movie”, Has any President ever taken a bullet for an agent?

“That's what the Good Shepherd has done for his sheep. The good shepherd didn't merely risk his life, he laid down his life on the cross where he died, as a substitute for his sheep, so that his sheep could be rescued from the wolves of sin, death, and judgment, and instead, according to the promise of John 5:24—have abundant and eternal life in the presence of God.”

“In just about anything I've read about ancient shepherding, two things are consistent. First, Sheep are dirty, defenseless, and dumb. They are desperate for a shepherd.”

“Second, the shepherd knew his sheep personally. In the first century, sheep were raised primarily for wool, not food. So it was not unusual for a shepherd to spend years with the same sheep. The shepherd knew his sheep. He named them. They were like pets. A good shepherd could even pick his sheep out in a crowd.”

ILLUSTRATION: Shepherd pastor who “knew his sheep so well he could spot four lambs out of a flock from a moving train.”

“As Jesus reveals himself as the good shepherd, he gets very personal. He uses the verb know four times in these two verses. In the NT there are several words translated know. For example, the know in 4/5 is cognitive. But Jesus uses a different word—genosko in 14/15. It can be used to refer to the intimacy between and husband and wife. It's used to describe God's unique relationship with Israel in Amos 3:2 where God says—You only have I known (or loved) of all the families of the earth. Far more than cognitive, this knowing is relational and intimate.” 

“What's amazing here is that Jesus grounds his relationship with his sheep in the eternal and mutual affections of the Trinity. Did you catch that? Jesus sets his Trinitarian attention and affections upon lowly sheep. How humbling is that? How scandalous is that? How astounding is that?”

“The Bible doesn't flatter us—it calls us sheep. Jesus knows how messy we are. He knows how defenseless, and yes, dumb, we are. Jesus knows the secrets of your heart. He knows my sinful tendencies. He knows our weaknesses and shortcomings. Yet, as the Good Shepherd, Jesus says As much as the Father loves me and I love my Father, I love you! If you are doubting the loving care and concern of your Savior, doubt no more.”

“Jesus loves and cares for you with divine affection and attention. He KNOWS you. He KNOWS your need. He KNOWS the condition of your heart. He KNOWS your struggle.”

ILLUSTRATION: A cast sheep

“The Bible calls a cast sheep a bruised reed, someone who is spiritually weak and struggling. Isaiah 42:3 says—A bruised reed he will not break. Did you come here a bruised reed today? Your Good Shepherd KNOWS. Look to your Good Shepherd. That's what sheep do.”

ILLUSTRATION: Sheep are known for looking to their shepherd in the midst of danger

“Look to your Good Shepherd. He will never abandon you (Hebrews 13:5). He will always strengthen you (2 Corinthians 12:9). He perfectly provides for you (Romans 8:32). He is good, and he loves to pour out his goodness into your soul. Humble yourself, turn from your sin, and look to your Good Shepherd.”

“Last week, I mentioned two kinds of sheepfolds—Country and City. The City sheepfolds were communal, meaning multiple flocks shared the pen. The way this worked was that the shepherds would hire a gatekeeper to watch over the sheepfold at night. In the morning, when the shepherd came to lead his flock into pasture, the gatekeeper, recognizing the shepherd, would allow him into the sheepfold so he could gather his flock for pasture.”

“The sheepfold in 1-5 represents Judaism. The sheep in the pen are Jewish. And the point is that Jesus is the true shepherd—over and against the Pharisees, who were religious leaders in Israel, they were the robbers and thieves, better yet, the wicked shepherds of Ezekiel 34 that left God's flock scattered and vulnerable—Jesus is the true shepherd who calls the Jewish people out of Judaism to follow him, remember last week in 7-10—the door, the only true way to God.”

“Look back down to 16 where Jesus says—I have other sheep who are not of this fold. If Jesus has other sheep who aren't Jewish, he must be talking about the Gentiles. And if he is talking about the Gentiles, then, when he says I am the Good Shepherd, he is revealing himself as the fulfillment of the OT prophecy in Ezekiel 34.”

“Moses was a good shepherd. David was a good shepherd. But they were a shadow of the true Good Shepherd to come. From Isaiah to Ezekiel to Micah, the prophets foretold of the ultimate Shepherd.”

“This is the Good Shepherd's mission: To call all his sheep, chosen before the foundations of the world, to experience the Spirit's work of regeneration, which allows them to hear and respond by genuine faith to the shepherd's voice when he calls them to himself through gospel proclamation. And he has called them to care for, strengthen, and protect them as his flock.”

“This is the foundation of the Great Commission in Matthew 28. This is why we are planting a church on the east side. This is why we have asked one pastor to dedicate himself to leading us in evangelism.”

“Because the Good Shepherd, who has been and is always so good to us, has graciously joined us to his mission of saving sinners and building his church. As his sheep, we hear his voice calling us to mission, and we follow him into the mission field. The Good Shepherd has other sheep in this neighborhood, in Oro Valley, South Tucson, Rita Ranch, Vail, Sierra Vista, Marana, Catalina, The Foothills, Green Valley, Sahuarita.”

“…this mission is guaranteed. Christ cannot fail. He laid down his life and he took it back up again. He is indestructible with all authority under heaven and earth to finish the mission of gathering his sheep into one blessed flock. The Good Shepherd himself guarantees it.”

“God saves all He chooses before the foundations of the world and Jesus keeps and protects every one of them, not losing one of them, but bringing all of them to that great day in Revelation 7 where his sheep will live under the Good Shepherd's eternal care.”

“Sheep Gathered. Mission Accomplished. Eternity Enjoyed.”

ILLUSTRATION: Richard Burton, “I know Psalm 23; he knows the shepherd.”

APPLICATION:
Q. Do you know the Good Shepherd? If you do, have you strayed from him? Today, by faith, run to the Good Shepherd. Cling to the Good Shepherd. He's your Shepherd and he's GOOD.

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Ezekiel 34:20-24
Revelation 7:17

QUOTES:
F.F. Bruce - “The good shepherd shows himself to be a good shepherd because the welfare of the sheep, not his own, is his primary care.”

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Come Praise And Glorify
We Are Yours Forever
All I Have Is Christ
Yet Not I But Through Christ In Me
In Christ Alone

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
Celebration Sunday - 1 Corinthians 2:1-5

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

The Books that Shaped Us (Sovereign Grace Journal, October 2024)

By Churches, Sovereign Grace

Buy on Amazon

To download a FREE PDF version of this journal (and other past issues), please visit: https://www.sovereigngrace.com/journal

In our text today, Jesus chooses a door to communicate the wonder and richness of the gospel to us. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: The I Am Sayings of Jesus
TEXT: John 10:9
TITLE: I Am The Door
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: Jesus says I am the door. Anyone who enters through me will get it all—abundance today and eternity tomorrow.

POINTS:
I. A Promise of Eternal Life
II. An Offer of Abundance

SERMON EXCERPTS:
All quotes and text emphasis are taken directly from the pastor’s notes.

ILLUSTRATION: the door of reconciliation in Ireland, “chance your arm”

“Doors don't typically get that kind of notoriety or carry that type of significance. At the end of the day, a door is, well, a door. Yet, in our text today, Jesus chooses a door to communicate the wonder and richness of the gospel to us.”

“Imagine if every time we walked through a door, we thought of God's love for us in the gospel.”

“Jesus has just healed a man who had been blind from birth in Ch. 9. As this man celebrated and worshiped God for his new life, the Pharisees didn't handle it well. They condemned Jesus and cast out the healed man. In Chapter 10, Jesus responds to the Pharisees. To make his point, Jesus talks about a shepherd and his sheep, very familiar imagery in the agrarian society of first-century Palestine.”

“In 1-5, Jesus contrasts himself with the Pharisees, who are likened to robbers and thieves. His point is that he is the great shepherd calling his flock to himself. He calls his sheep, and his sheep hear and respond to his voice. More on that next week. In 6, John tells us the Pharisees aren't getting Jesus' point. So, in 7, Jesus says, 'Let me put it another way.'“

“Now, key to the text is the sheepfold Jesus mentions in 1. A sheepfold was a pen meant to protect the sheep at night. There were two kinds of sheepfolds: CITY and COUNTRY. Next week, we will talk about the CITY sheepfold. It's the country sheepfold Jesus has in mind in our text today. A country sheepfold was a small, sometimes ad hoc pen with a small entrance where the sheep would spend the night for protection. Because a sheepfold didn't have an actual door, the shepherd would actually sleep in the opening, literally becoming the door. If a sheep wanted to get in or out of that pen, it had to go through the shepherd, who had become a human door.”  

“Jesus is pretty straightforward—I am the door. Note the singularity. He doesn't say—I am A door or one of many doors. He says—I am THE door.”

“Notice what the door is not. The door is not certain behavior. It's not the sacraments. It's not the creeds. The door is not homeschooling. It's not a specific doctrine. The door is not your family. It's not a particular upbringing. It's not your parents or your spouse's faith. There is only one door, and that door is Jesus.”

“This is about as anti-American as you can get. We live in a pluralistic society where the default belief is that there are many ways to God. They say we are all on a spiritual journey and Jesus is just one option. To believe anything different is to be an arrogant, unloving, close-minded person. But the Bible is clear. Jesus will say the same thing in Chapter 14.”

“The exclusive claim that Jesus is the only way to God isn't our design. We don't determine the nature of the door. We're not in charge of the door. God is. And when Jesus says I AM the door, he speaks with the authority of God because he is himself God in the flesh.”

“This is critical for courage and confidence in evangelism. It's not arrogant and judgmental to give people truth. Don't believe that lie. It's loving. What's arrogant is to think you can come to God in the way you choose. What's unloving is to let someone believe they can because that makes them author of their salvation and a robber and thief trying to enter the kingdom of God through another door.”

“Now, notice what Jesus says in 9—I am the door. If anyone enters by me he will be saved. Saved from what? John 3:16 tells us. We are saved from perishing. We are saved from being eternally condemned by God for our sins. We are saved from His holy judgment and divine wrath that is expressed in eternal hell.”

“How is this possible? Jumping down to next week's text in 11—Jesus lays down his life for his sheep. On the cross, Jesus stood in my place. I was the sinner, I was the one deserving condemnation. But he chose to be my substitute, bearing all my sins and absorbing God's wrath meant for me. God treated Jesus as if he had lived my life of sin. And now he treats me as if I have lived Christ's life of righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21).”

ILLUSTRATION: Houdini and jail cell in British Isles

“Jesus is saying to you right now, by faith, lay all your efforts and strategies down and lean all your weight on me. Believe in me and you will be saved. There is no other way—I am the door to eternal life.”

“In 9, Jesus says those who enter God's presence through him will go in and out and find pasture. Again, rich imagery of sheep life. Freely moving about, going in for safety and out for food and nourishment in the pastures. But Jesus sums up the meaning of going in and out and finding pasture with just one word at the end of 10—Abundance. I came as the door that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

“We could translate it as extraordinary or, better yet, over the top. I came that you may have life that is over the top. (Grammarly suggested I change over the top to abundant). Jesus is saying I came that you may have life that you couldn't imagine in your wildest dreams.”

“Jesus is not talking about a life absent of health or financial problems. An abundant life is not about having a lot of stuff. Jesus' words are not an apologetic for a prosperity gospel. It's not a lifetime exemption from sorrow and suffering. The very one who promises an over-the-top life also promises a life of trials and persecution. And Jesus isn't saying live your best life now. We aren't pursuing Utopia in this life. The ultimate, over-the-top life awaits us in heaven. However, Jesus' promise is also for today. The going in and out and finding pasture in 9 is a picture of our everyday life in Christ.”

“There are numerous words in the Greek for life. The one Jesus uses in 10 is ‘zoe’. More than mere quantity, it denotes a quality of life lived in the present. That quality is a life abundant with God's presence, power, and promises. It's a life abundant with: 
- Abiding joy in the midst of challenging health situations
- Inward peace, even when you are about to lose it all
- Genuine satisfaction amid change, loss, and sorrow
- Spiritual strength when life has left you fragile
- Ephesians 1 says it's a life filled with every spiritual blessing in the heavenlies”

“See, trials will occur. Loss will come. Suffering will happen. I don't have to tell you this. And I don't have to tell you how much our trials, loss, and suffering cloud our vision of the abundance we have in Christ. We need to preach this to ourselves and one another tirelessly: When you are in Christ, you can rise above it all because His Spirit lives in you as his adopted child, giving you joy, strength, and hope every day as you go in and out, finding pasture, a life of spiritual abundance that transcends all earthly matters.”

ILLUSTRATION: Father and Son's art collection—Whoever gets the son gets it all!

“Jesus says I am the door. Anyone who enters through me, will get it all—abundance today and eternity tomorrow.”

APPLICATION:
Q. By faith, have you entered through the door? Have you believed in Jesus? You've been attending church for years. You've seen the door. You've heard of the door. You can articulate the door. But have you placed your faith in Jesus, who is the door?

Q. Let me ask you: In times of trial, what do you fall back on? What do you depend on for your happiness? How would you define abundance?

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
John 14:6
Acts 4:12

QUOTES:
Charles Spurgeon - “Jesus has selected this emblem, I should think, partly that it may often come before our notice. You will not go out of this place without seeing a door; you will not get into your own house without seeing a door; and when you are inside, you will not get into your parlor without seeing a door; and when you go up to bed, you must pass through the door. When you rise tomorrow morning and start to go out to your work, you will have to open a door, — two doors probably; and, when you reach your work, there is pretty sure to be another door to be entered. Doors meet your gaze almost everywhere, so our Lord Jesus Christ seems to say to you, "I will meet you wherever you are; anywhere and everywhere, I will speak with you, and plead with you. I will make the door of every room in your house, and the door of every cupboard, too, to preach a little sermon to you, as you shall be reminded by it that 'I am the door'"

SONGS FROM THIS SUNDAY:
Rejoice
My Soul Will Wait (Psalm 62)
There is One Gospel
Rise My Soul The Lord Is Risen
We Receive

NEXT WEEK’S PASSAGE:
I Am the Good Shepherd - John 10:11

THE BOOK OF THE QUARTER:

The Books that Shaped Us (Sovereign Grace Journal, October 2024)

By Churches, Sovereign Grace

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