Welcome to a new kind of post! Church Life Updates. There are many facets to our life as a church! Our hope is that these posts will enable you to plan, pray, and ultimately rejoice in what the Lord is doing at Sovereign Grace Church. 

Here are a few updates for you to do just that! 

A NEW COMMUNITY GROUP

Community Groups are a crucial part of our life together as a church and we have the joy of announcing the start of a brand-new one! Rick Baker and his wife Andrea will be leading this new group! The Bakers have been faithful servants in our church for years and we are eager to see all the Lord will do in and through their group! For more information about the Baker Community Group, you can contact Rick directly.

A (NOT SO) NEW WORSHIP LEADER

If you’ve ever been with us on a Sunday morning, you know what a gift our worship ministry is. Rick Baker has been the leader of our worship ministry for the last few years, but as he steps into his new role as Community Group Leader, Brett Overstreet will be taking his place as head of the team. Brett has led the worship ministry in the past so we are thankful for him and his eagerness to serve in this role again! Let’s commit to praying for him and the team. For any questions about our worship ministry, please contact Brett Overstreet.

EQUIPPED

Every year we have the opportunity to switch up our usual mid-week routines and come together as a church for teaching on the practical aspects of the Christian life. We call it EQUIPPED. This year’s title: “Nuts and Bolts of the Christian Life”. We’ll meet here at the church every Wednesday in February at 7:00 PM. For further details, please contact your Community Group leader or the church office.

Thank you for pausing to read about what the Lord is doing in your church! Stay tuned for future Church Life Updates!

Charles Spurgeon’s ministry was far-reaching. In his outstanding book, C.H. Spurgeon on Spiritual Leadership, Steve Miller comments:

From 1861 to 1891 he preached to some 6,000 people every Sunday morning….Spurgeon organized and ran several evangelistic, educational, and social ministries, including the Pastors’ College, the Stockwell Orphanage, the Old Ladies Home, the Colportage Ministry, the Pastors’ Aid Society, and the Poor Ministers’ Clothing Society.

Add to the legendary list above traveling to preach and the many books he authored, and a hearty WHEW! is in order. While some may rightly wonder at the gifts and capabilities of Mr. Spurgeon, he knew exactly where the credit belonged:

I stand here to confess frankly that from my inmost heart I attribute the large prosperity which God has given to this church vastly more to the prayers of the people than to anything that God may have given me.

Spurgeon viewed the fruitfulness of His ministry through the power of prayer. And so should we. We can do nothing apart from Jesus (John 15:1-7). Even our prayers depend on the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26). We are utterly dependent on God for all things. But praise be to Jesus, who makes it possible for us to receive the free-flowing grace of God abundantly. How? Through prayer.

God truly wants to bless His people. He desires that we bear fruit in life and ministry. But we do not have because we do not ask (James 4:2-3). Prayer is the irreplaceable means by which God pours out His grace and power in our lives. And as Hebrews 4:14-16 says, God made prayer possible through Jesus, whose work as our high priest guarantees we can confidently draw near to the mercy seat of God in prayer.  

Do you long to be a more effective parent? Do you want to see greater fruitfulness in your ministry? Do you desire more closeness in your relationships? It’s not rocket science. Pray. Pray because prayer is God’s way of providing all you need for life and godliness.    

As I began considering how I would write this post, I prayed for God’s guidance. Sitting down to write this post, I prayed for God’s help. As I send out this post, I pray God will use it to produce fruit in your life. From beginning to end, I get the joy of praying; God gets all the glory in the prayers.   

-Derek

Peace instead of anxiety. Patience in adversity. Gratitude instead of bitterness. Perseverance through trials. Humility in prosperity. Contentment in poverty. Hopeful in the unknown. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Hopeful: The Book of Acts
TEXT: Acts 23:12-35
TITLE: Living Hopeful In A Hard World
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
1. Man’s Plan to Kill Paul
2. God’s Plan to Protect Paul

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”Peace instead of anxiety. Patience in adversity. Gratitude instead of bitterness. Perseverance through trials. Humility in prosperity. Contentment in poverty. Hopeful in the unknown. Where do these come from? Ultimately, they are the fruit of the Spirit’s work in us. But the Spirit works through our faith, so we experience these blessings as we trust that our heavenly Father is sovereignly ruling over our lives, in all things, at all times.”

“It's called providence. It’s mysterious and mind-blowing. But believing God is in control and at work in all things to accomplish His redemptive plan, even though we don’t fully understand how that works, is foundational to Living Hopeful In a Hard World.”

“Today’s text is a wonderful illustration of God’s providence that I pray will result in a greater trust in God, no matter your lot in life right now.”

“The Greek word translated oath is anathema. It means curse. These guys want Paul dead so badly that they put themselves under a curse that goes like this—Let God do to us and more if we eat or drink anything before Paul is dead.”

“You want an apologetic for Sunday mornings, CG, and any other opportunity to gather with God’s people—Satan. Is he invincible?—No. Is he formidable—Yes. And our hearts, like sheep, are prone to wander from the flock to the fence line, are vulnerable to his schemes. Satan would like nothing more than to isolate you from God’s people and wreak havoc in your relationship with God.”

“Do a bible study on the 35 one another’s in Scripture. Reorient your personal and family calendar to church life. Find a place to serve. Understand your hospitality as an opportunity for sanctification. As you socialize (hang out) with one another, move into fellowship (Christ-centered conversation) as often as possible. It is a primary means of God’s grace to protect and grow His people. That’s why it always has been and always will be a priority at this church.”

“Psalm 147:5 describes God as being beyond measure. That’s what we mean when we describe Him as an infinite God. In his being and greatness, God has no limitations. And that includes the resources to bring about His sovereign will in your life. We never know HOW God is at work and we never know WHO He may work through.”

“This one young man who has no prior place and no future place in Scripture is at the heart of God’s plan to deliver Paul from his enemies and make sure he continues toward Rome with the gospel.”

“I don’t know if you have caught this yet, there is no mention of God, Jesus, or the Holy Spirit in our text. Zero. Yet, the Lord was in the midst of it all, causing the events of Paul’s ordeal to fulfill His plans. The Invisible Hand of God faithfully protecting Paul and furthering His divine will.”

“Over and over, God has faithfully directed Paul’s steps, protecting and positioning him. And now, from an obscure nephew to a mighty Roman army, God is orchestrating it all, accomplishing His plan.  Whatever you are facing today—Take courage. The Lord who stood by Paul and said “take courage” is the same Lord who stands by you today.”

“I don’t know what God’s providence looks like in your life today. It may be bitter, sweet, or a little of both. But I know this: Before the Lord stands by you, he stood for you on the cross. He stood in your place at Calvary so you could have a place in his kingdom. Christ took courage in the face of divine wrath so you could receive divine love by faith. There is no greater act of God’s providence than your salvation. He orchestrated it all. And now He stands with you.”

“God’s spoken word to Paul is His written word to us. We may not understand God’s providence. We may not see it in the moment. But we can live mindful of it so that we will be encouraged by it. How? Preaching it to ourselves through his word.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
James 1:22
Psalm 147:5

QUOTES:
Derek Thomas - “A firm faith in the providence of God is the solution for all earthly problems.”

John Flavel - “The providence of God is like a Hebrew word—it can only be read backward.”

APPLICATION:
Memorize three passages that preach providence:
1. Proverbs 16:9
2. Matthew 10:29-31
3. Romans 8:28-39

Muse over them. Memorize them. Meditate on them. BASK in them. Preach them to yourself as often as you can.

Today begins a weekly series titled “A Passion for Prayer.” May this be more than a memorable title, and by the grace of God, serve to reveal how beautiful, powerful, and gracious Christ is! May the result be that our passionate prayer life leads us toward passionate worship of our Savior. He has graciously made a way for us (Hebrews 4:16) and called us to commune with Him. Through this series, may God’s Word encourage your hearts and challenge you toward growth, and lasting change in your prayer life. In the end, may it grant you hope and joy in the Gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ!

Keep On Praying

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (ESV) “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 

What does “pray without ceasing” mean in Verse 17? At first glance, this would seem too daunting and maybe even strange to us. But, Paul is instructing us on something much better and very attainable. C. H. Spurgeon unpacks Paul’s meaning somewhat when says that we “...ought to be always in the spirit of prayer, always ready to pray. Like the old knights, always in warfare, not always on their horses…, but always wearing their weapons where they could readily reach them, and always ready to encounter wounds or death for the sake of the cause which they champion.” 

Let’s look at three things: first, we are to be always in the spirit of prayer, second, always ready to pray, and finally, keep on praying.

First, always be in the spirit of prayer. Verse 18 reminds us that praying without ceasing is “...the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” This is Gospel-fueled prayer! As we remind ourselves constantly of the Gospel, our passion for praying is always moved toward Him - praying in worship, and thankfulness, seeing our ongoing need for Him. We now have unhindered access to Him always in prayer because of the Cross. It is His will for us to pray, and we always can because of Christ.

Second, we are to be “always ready to pray.” Gospel-fueled passion for praying makes us ready to pray at any moment. The “old knights” were “always wearing their weapons where they could readily reach them, and always ready to encounter wounds or death for the sake of the cause which they champion.” In the Gospel, prayer has also been given to the believer as a primary means for their readiness for the “cause which they champion.” We are to be ready to pray at all times and for all things. Spurgeon told a friend, “I always feel it well, just to put a few words of prayer between everything I do.” What are you about to do? Pray. No matter what may come, be ready to pray. 

Third, keep on praying. Verse 17 is simple. It’s clear. Don’t stop praying! 

- Tom

Living in such a polarized culture, I pray the Lord convicts us here. In the heat of the moment—Be courageous. Stay calm. Remember your call. God is always with you, He is fully in control, and He has a redemptive purpose in your situation! Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Hopeful: The Book of Acts
TEXT: Acts 21:27-23:11
TITLE: Take Courage
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
1. Viciously Slandered and Assaulted
2. Publicly Rejected for Speaking Truth
3. Violently Threatened by Leadership

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”’So many things are against us, but we know the Lord is at work.’ Have you ever felt that way—So many things are against me? Nothing is going as planned. Constant sickness. Relational turmoil. Cultural hostility. Financial drought. Church troubles. Your weary heart cries out—Lord, where are you? and your fragile faith privately wonders—Is it worth it?  This morning, I am giving you the answer right up front. As Christians, we live by faith in what is real, not what we feel. And regardless of how we feel, nothing is more real than the promise that anchors our text today.”

“In the previous passage, Paul got some disturbing news. Luke reveals in verse 21 there were some accusing him of being opposed to Jewish converts keeping some of their Jewish customs. This was a lie. What Paul was opposed to was anyone finding forgiveness or salvation through their customs.”

“Paul is at the Temple worshipping, and he is accused and attacked by a group of Jews. Their accusations are clear. First, they claimed Paul was teaching against the Jews, the law, and the Temple. They were wrong. It was gossip and slander.  This is not the primary point, but it’s a worthy point: As we are about to see, their gossip and slander of Paul was dangerous and destructive. As James 3 says—The tongue is a fire, full of deadly poison.”

“Paul is worshipping when suddenly he is viciously attacked, and drug out of the temple where the people tried to kill him. No one brings a Gentile into our temple and lives. That was their attitude. In verses 31-36 we find the interesting providence of God in that Paul’s life was spared only because he was arrested by a Roman commander, who, ironically was a Gentile.”

“After clearing his name with the tribune, Paul begs the officer to speak to them. When he does, he shares his gospel testimony in a way that connects with their Judaism. Once again, to the Jew Paul is being a Jew.”

“What changed Paul wasn’t theological enlightening. He didn’t change because he hit a ceiling as a Pharisee. Paul didn’t change because he was fed up with how the temple was run. He was changed by Jesus. Jesus came to him. Jesus revealed himself to him. Jesus saved him.”

“Not only can we relate to Paul here, we learn from him for our evangelism and Christian relationships. Paul isn’t afraid—he is courageous. He doesn’t excoriate his enemy—he is calm. He isn’t offended by them—he sticks to his call. Trusting in God’s providence, Paul knows he has been spared by the tribune (God’s doing) and he knows why He is there (preach Christ to the Gentiles).”

“But it wasn’t time for Paul to die. In verses 24-29 we learn that the tribune once again rescued him from the Jewish mob. This time they wanted to beat him to figure out what was really going on, but in the providence and common grace of God, Paul’s Roman citizenship spares him from the beating.”

“…One thing is clear, Paul can’t catch a break and he must be growing weary. Paul is not a robot, he’s a human being just like you and me. Some of the men on this council were his buddies at one time. Now they want to kill him. He came to Jerusalem to share Christ. Nothing has gone his way the last two days. Slandered. Attacked. Arrested. Rejected. Assaulted. Threatened. Everything seems to be against him. But Paul never gives up. He is mission-minded. And whatever his motivation in the moment, what he does next allows him to live another day to preach Christ.”

“The resurrection is central to the gospel because it is God’s stamp of approval that vindicates Christ as the Son of God and defeats death. No resurrection, no salvation. Paul makes this tense situation about what Jesus did, not his opinion on a set of rules.”

“Luke begins verse 12 with—When it was day, meaning, all that occurred in our text happened in 24-36 hrs. What a day for Paul. As he sat in the barracks under arrest, he must have been thinking to himself—Everything is against me. Paul was perplexed, wearied, and discouraged. How do we know 1) He was human like us. (Guard against sterilizing the people and situations of Scripture as if we can’t know without being explicitly told!) and 2) It’s implicit in verse 11.”

QUOTES:
Derek Thomas - “Paul was governed by greater concerns than his ethnic or racial background. He was now, first of all, a missionary to the Gentiles. God had given him a single purpose: to witness to Gentiles of the saving love of Jesus Christ for sinners and to call them to repentance and faith. The concerns of the gospel came before his natural concerns for his race or country. He had learned to put these things secondary to his primary concern to preach the gospel and make it known in the world.”

APPLICATION:
What an amazing moment for Paul! The Lord stands by him and says—Take courage, I have a plan! Take courage…Today, this promise belongs to us in Christ.

And our application of it can be described in one word—BASK. That’s right. BASK in VERSE 11. Synonyms and related phrases for BASKING: revel, luxuriate, wallow, delight, take pleasure, rejoice, glory, indulge oneself; enjoy, relish, savor, lap up; informal get a kick out of, get a thrill out of, get a charge from.

We all have moments, days, weeks, seasons where it seems everything and everyone is against us and the Lord is not with us. But take courage Christian, BASK in this promise—The Lord is at work. The Lord is with you and he will never leave you.

Where there is prayer, there is power because when we pray, the power of God is unleashed. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

TEXT: James 5:13-18
TITLE: A Passion For Prayer
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: A prayerful church is a powerful church.

POINTS:
1. Prayer is Powerful
2. Prayer is Effective

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”As we begin the new year together, my goal is not to tell you HOW you should pray, WHEN you should pray, or WHAT you should pray for. My PRAYER as we begin the new year is that God would rekindle and refresh a fresh passion, perhaps for some a new passion, to be a person and a people of prayer. Whether your prayer life is robust as ever, on life-support, or non-existent, God wants to stir our hearts to more sweet communion with Him.”

“Everything in this text is connected to prayer. James is trying to persuade his readers that faith-filled prayer is always the truest and most powerful response in life.”

“The truth is, we are too weak not to pray. We are too needy not to pray. We are too busy not to pray. Whatever else we do, prayer is always the best response for a believer.”

“Let’s be honest, there is a mystery when it comes to prayer. Prayer is not magic. Prayer is useless apart from God’s power. It’s God who delivers. It's God who heals. It's God who is working all things according to His perfect purposes. The God of boundless and endless resources does not stand in need of our prayers. Yet, Scripture stresses repeatedly that the release and experience of God’s effective power comes through humble, faith-filled, God-centered prayer.”

“When we depend on God through prayer, we get what God can do!  We get the God who can do more than we can ask or imagine. We get the God of infinite mercy, and grace, and power who avails Himself to us in the most intimate, all-caring, all-powerful way.”

“In times of unanswered prayer we should not grow doubtful of or weary in prayer but continue to pray as we trust in the mercy of God and His promises that in Christ he will never forsake us and His mercies are new every day and His grace is always sufficient for every situation.”

“We should continue to pray knowing the God we pray to has made it clear His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8). This means he may not answer our prayers the way we would like or in our timing.”

“This promise that our prayers are powerful and effective is for everyone who believes in Christ. What qualifies you as righteous is not what you do or how you do it. It’s who you know.”

“That’s the promise of Hebrews 4:16. We can draw near to God through prayer assured we will always find mercy and grace from God because we come in the name of Jesus who is our eternal high priest who has secure this promise and privilege of prayer for us.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Acts 4 - Under strict orders not to evangelize, the early church gathered to pray for boldness and they were immediately filled with the Spirit and continued to do the will of God which was to boldly preach the gospel under threat.
2 Chronicles 7 - The Lord said when my people humble themselves and pray, then I will work in their midst.
James 1:5 - Take something as practical as wisdom
When it seems as though we face so many unanswered prayers, we are in good company: 2 Samuel 12, 2 Corinthians 12, Luke 22
There is always mystery involved, but James gives us reasons for unanswered prayer:

• Absence of faith— James 1:5-8

• Prayer not in accord with God’s will—James 4:3

• Absence of humility— James 4:6

• God has a better plan—The life of Joseph

QUOTES:
Charles Spurgeon - “My own soul’s conviction is that prayer is the grandest power in the entire universe, that it has a more omnipotent force than electricity, attraction, gravitation, or any other of those secret forces which men have called by name, but which they do not understand.”

Robert Murray McCheyne - “O believing brethren!  What an instrument is this which God hath put into your hands!  Prayer moves Him that moves the universe.”

Charles Spurgeon - “Because God is the living God, He can hear; because He is a loving God, He will hear; because He is our covenant God, He has bound Himself to hear.”

J.A. Motyer - “That is part of the wonder of the way of prayer. Those who by grace have been given the status of righteousness in God’s sight have been brought into the realm where effective prayer operates and have been given the right to exercise a ministry of prayer.”

APPLICATION:
1. Create time to pray your way
2. Resolve to put a few words of prayer between you and whatever you do
3. Replace I will pray for you this week with Let me pray with you right now
4. Plan to pray with your church

• Pre-service prayer 9:30

• 5th Sunday Prayer/Worship nights a priority (Jan 29)

• Attend CG with a heart ready to pray

5. Grow your understanding of prayer—Blog series, A Passion for Prayer

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good,
For His steadfast love endures forever!
Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, 
Whom He has redeemed from trouble.
Psalm 107:1-2

We are excited to sing a new song from Sovereign Grace Music this Sunday. May your heart be filled with awe and gratitude at the steadfast love of God as you listen to this song this week!

Title: We Give Thanks (Psalm 107)

Album: Unchanging God - Songs from the Book of Psalms

Link to listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKN2yQ157v4

This is no mere birth announcement. In it we discover our true hope and ultimate purpose. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Who Would Have Dreamed?
TEXT: Luke 2:10-14
TITLE: A Cosmic Christmas Announcement
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
1. Our Hope has Arrived
2. Our Purpose is Revealed

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”It’s easy to casually read this angelic proclamation. But this is the first time in Scripture we see such powerful and consequential terms strung together in reference to Jesus: 1. The angels recognize baby Jesus as the Christ: The title Christ means this baby is the anointed one, the promised Messiah, the deliverer of God’s people. 2. Christ the Lord: The title Lord conveys everything that is implied in the OT name of God, Yahweh. This baby is God Incarnate. God in flesh. Immanuel. Mighty God with us! 3. But the angel also describes this baby as Savior reminding us that Jesus is the most relevant person in history, giving us exactly what we need.”

“This is the “good news of great joy” of Christmas—God Himself has become a man to save His people. The one the priests foreshadowed, the prophets predicted, and the people prayed for, was none other than God Himself in human flesh.”

“The prospects for 2023 may be promising. You may feel like you are doing just fine. Christmas reminds us no one is doing fine. Before the Christmas story is good news of great joy it is bad news of great grief. Christmas exists because we need a Savior. We need someone to rescue us. It’s a BIG blow to the ego, but it’s true.”

“Your BIGGEST problem is not your spouse. Health. Circumstance. Boss. Government. Parents. Pastor. It’s you. It’s me. We are sinners. It's not that we are guilty of a few sins, at our very core we are sinners. That’s why we sin. That’s why each one of us are utterly helpless to help our situation. We need someone to do what we cannot do for ourselves—save us. We need a Savior.”

“The angels got it right: Christmas begins with God’s glory not man’s good. John Piper defines God’s glory as the public display of God’s infinite beauty and worth.”

“We see His glory in the smallest flower. We see it in the vastest universe. We see it in the highest mountain. We see it in the imago dei—human beings created in the image of God.   But nothing reveals God’s glory more than the riches of His grace, the depths of His mercy and the boundless nature of His love shown through this baby boy Jesus, whose reconciling life brings eternal spiritual peace to sinners who put their faith in Jesus.”

“This peace the angels proclaim transcends time, human relationships, and national hostilities. It’s not a cease-fire between Russia and Ukraine or Republicans and Democrats. It’s not an absence of personal trials or culture wars. The Christmas peace is an eternal inward tranquility that comes from knowing that in this baby boy our dread of death and fear of God’s wrath turns to the praises of angels.”

“It’s in these words our ultimate purpose is revealed. To be redeemed by the blood of this baby and have our existence—our motivations, affections, thoughts, words, and behavior increasingly inclined upward for the praise of another is the highest meaning in life. Nothing glorifies God more than the His Son, our Savior, being brought low so that we could be brought high with praises of His glory!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 1:21

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

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

APPLICATION:
To my non-Christian friend - This morning you are hearing about Jesus from Luke so you will believe. Luke and the rest of the Bible is God’s story of saving sinners to himself. And this Christmas you can become a part of it. How? Believe in Jesus.

To my fellow Christian, are you weary, discouraged or weak in your faith this Christmas? As you enjoy your Christmas festivities today, allow them to point you to what JC Ryle calls the eternal holiday yet to begin.

If Christmas brings tidings of hope, joy, and peace, then WHY is life so difficult? Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Who Would Have Dreamed?
TEXT: Revelation 12
TITLE: The Greatest Christmas Story Ever Told
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
Scene 1 - A Defeated Dragon
Scene 2 - A Victorious Boy
Scene 3 - A Protected Woman

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”This woman is symbolic of God’s people from beginning to end. From the Garden to the church, this woman represents the faith-filled community of God.”

“The dragon is easy to figure out. He is the serpent we met in the Garden last week. Satan himself according to verse 9-12. His description in verse 3 reminds us he is destructive, cunning, powerful, and influential, all of which are demonstrated in 4 where he swept away a third of the stars from heaven with his tail.”

“The messianic reference from Psalm 2:9, rule with a rod of iron, makes it clear—the boy is Jesus.”

“Ever since that moment in the Garden, this dragon has been trying to keep Genesis 3:15 from happening. At the first Christmas, he thinks he finally has his chance.”

“Christmas deals the first blow to the dragon. The Messiah is born. The one who would rule the nations with a rod of iron has come. And instead of being devoured by the dragon, he is exalted to the heavens, with God, where He is seated in the place of all power and authority and dominion.”

“This is why Christmas is so central to redemptive history. 

• Christmas is the beginning of the destruction of the dragon

• Christmas is the inauguration of God undoing what happened in the Garden and making all things new and right

• Christmas is a cosmic demonstration of God’s sovereign power and unfailing faithfulness”

“The dragon is defeated by the boy. In Revelation, the boy is the Lamb. He is the Lamb of God that was slain. The One who is worthy to break the seal and open the heavenly scroll that reveals God’s plan of redemption. His blood shed on the cross covers the sinner’s sin. His blood purchases the sinner away from the dragon whom we all once belonged to.”

“Passages like Romans 3&5, Ephesians 2, and Titus 3 teach us that at one time we were all little dragons. We talked and thought and acted like dragons at war with Christ in our hearts.”

“The manger gave way to the cross. At the cross the dragon was decisively defeated because Christ’s death and resurrection nullified our accuser’s accusations because, in a crucified and risen Savior, we are justified—made right—before God! Not because of anything we did or would do but wholly on the basis of Jesus blood and righteousness. And when his substitutionary sacrifice is our faith-filled testimony, we are saved.”

“There is no gift under your tree more satisfying than eternal salvation.”

“And this is the answer to our opening question—WHY, even with Christmas that brings joy, peace, and hope, is life a struggle?  ANSWER: We live in the age of dragon rage.”

“Christians don’t fight the good fight for victory, we fight the good fight out of victory. We have a taste of heaven here, but heaven is not yet here and so the dragon rages on with his lies and deception desperately trying to destroy God’s people. …But God is protecting His church.”

“We live in the now and the not yet. Regardless of your circumstances, this is what makes your Christmas a Merry Christmas.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Genesis 3:15
Ephesians 2:1-3
Revelation 20:10
Revelation 21:1-5

QUOTES:
G.K. Beale - “The death and resurrection of Christ have banished the devil from this privilege [accusing us] formerly granted him by God, because Christ’s death was the penalty that God exacted for the sins of all those who were saved by faith.”

Charles Spurgeon - “The devil is not afraid of a dust-covered Bible.”

Charles Spurgeon - “I know what the devil will say to you. He will say to you, ‘You are a sinner!’ Tell him you know you are, but that for all that you are justified. He will tell you of the greatness of your sin. Tell him of the greatness of Christ’s righteousness. He will tell you of all your mishaps and your backslidings, of your offenses and your wanderings. Tell him, and tell your own conscience, that you know all that, but that Jesus Christ came to save sinners, and that, although your sin be great, Christ is quite able to put it all away.”

Charles Spurgeon - “The preaching of Christ is the whip that flogs the devil. The preaching of Christ is the thunderbolt, the sound of which makes all hell shake.”

APPLICATION:
How do we live out of victory in the wilderness? The text gives us three ways in verse 11:
- Preach the gospel to yourself
We conquer Satan when we cling to Christ. Living by the blood of the Lamb means we stand in the gospel. We process every aspect of life, the good days and the bad days, through our identity in Jesus Christ.
- Tell others about Jesus
The dragon wants us to be silent because our silence is his temporary victory. But we defeat him every time we speak out about Jesus.
- Persevere to the end
We live in the victory of Jesus when we die to self to live for him in every way of life:

• Honesty instead of deceit

• Love instead of hate

• Purity instead of compromise

• Patience instead of anger

Here is something I know for certain—what Christmas is truly about: God graciously pursuing sinners—God condescending to mercifully save hell-deserving sinners. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Who Would Have Dreamed?
TEXT: Genesis 3:1-24
TITLE: The Beginning of Christmas
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
I. A Funeral in a Garden
II. Our Hope in a Manger

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”Genesis 3 records the darkest day in human history. It has been referred to as mankind’s funeral. Ironically, it’s at this funeral that hope springs forth in the first promise of Christmas.”

“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 verses 14-19 are just symptoms of humanity’s real dilemma—read verses 22-24. Because of their sin and guilt, Adam and Eve were kicked out of the Garden. Severed from God’s presence. Banished from His Paradise.  Their fellowship with Him was broken and they became spiritually dead.”

“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. That’s the great human dilemma that is the dark side of Christmas.”

“I love this picture: The moment Adam and Eve fell into sin, God pursued them with these words: Where are you?  The question does not reveal a lack in God—It reveals the love of God. It demonstrates the wonder of God’s love for and His grace toward sinners. Man runs and hides from God, but God calls and pursues.”

“Verse 15 is known as the Protoevangelium—first announcement of the gospel. In the middle of mankind’s funeral, the hope of life appears!”

“God says to Satan, who has seemingly destroyed God’s perfect creation, I will defeat and destroy you. Think of it as the three C’s of Satan’s demise:

1. Christmas: The first blow to Satan, as we will see in Rev 12 next week, is when Jesus was born into this world to inaugurate God’s promised plan of redemption.  

2. Consummation: The final blow to Satan will be Christ’s return according to Romans 16.

3. Cross: The DECISIVE blow that crushed and defeated Satan was at the cross.”

“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 Christ’s death and resurrection nullified 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 on the basis of Jesus’ blood and righteousness.”

“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.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Romans 5:12-21
Isaiah 59:2
Ephesians 2:1-3
Romans 16:20
Colossians 2:13-15
Hebrews 2:14
Matthew 1:21
Hebrews 9:22

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.”

APPLICATION:
UNBELIEVER: This Christmas, in the words of God to Adam and Eve in the Garden—Where are you? Are you hiding from God? Guess what, you don’t have to hide this Christmas. Only BELIEVE:

• BELIEVE, not in the spirit of Christmas, but in the Christ of Christmas. 

• BELIEVE, not in the goodwill of humanity, but in the infinitely good mercy and grace of Christ.

• BELIEVE, not in yourself, but in in the person and work of Jesus that provides righteousness and forgiveness of your sins.

• BELIEVE, not in the power of your believing, but in the promise of God that all who believe in him will be saved.

CHRISTIAN: I ask you the same question this Christmas—Where are you? 

• Are you spiritually parched?

• Are you feasting on secret sin?

• Are you battling besetting sin?

• Are you paralyzed by sinful anxiety?

• Have the distractions of this world left you spiritually apathetic?

Is that where you are? Wherever you are, God mercifully calls you to return to the true JOY and HOPE of Christmas. Irrespective of your circumstances, this is possible if you look to Jesus.

Relish the present - By that I don’t mean you have one life to live so live it to its fullest. I mean in a season characterized by the question—What do you want?, we must remember what we have already been given. There is no greater gift than eternal salvation in Jesus.

Focus on the future - We spend so much time preparing for the future practically. The Christian hope is in Christ’s return, not the prospects of life getting better in 2023. God has promised that the cross will give way to a new heaven and a new earth. One day this child will return as the risen Lamb and make all things new and right! There will be no more broken promises, no more suffering, no more sin. As far as the curse is found, Jesus will bring eternal blessings!