Wayne Grudem defines prayer as “personal communication with God.” God is our Creator, we are His creation, and He has made this personal way for us to communicate with Him. But, let’s be honest. At times, it is hard for us to pray, and the reasons are numerous! Here, I will radically narrow our focus to two reasons that we find it difficult to pray: when we have no time to pray, and when we can not pray.

 When We Have No Time To Pray

This one is an easy target. It’s difficult to pray because life is crazy busy at times. We jolt awake in the morning and hit the ground running. Day after day after day, the alarm, the snooze, the alarm, this thing, that thing, and another thing - repeat - day in and day out. We don’t pray because there is no time to pray… or at least, we think there is no time to pray. 

So, how do we find the time to pray? Charles Spurgeon answers this. “If we have no time we must make time, for if God has given us time for secondary duties, He must have given us time for primary ones, and to draw near to Him is a primary duty, and we must not let nothing set it on one side.” That is the reason! I have set prayer off to the side for something else and making time for it requires that I shift it back into its primary place. 

When We CanNot Pray

Now, this one is more common than you may think. Yet, knowing how important it is, there will be times when we find that we do not feel like praying. Grief, discouragement, or spiritual dryness are winning the day, and we find ourselves unwilling to talk with God. Again, Spurgeon speaks to this: “I believe that when we cannot pray, it is time that we prayed more than ever. Pray for prayer. Pray for the spirit of supplication. Do not be content to say, ‘I would pray if I could.’ No, but if you cannot pray, pray till you can pray.” In Psalm 42:5-6 we find this at work: 

“Why are you cast down, O my soul…?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my salvation and my God.”

Soul, hope in God that you will praise (pray to) Him! 

A few years ago, in a moment of deep desperation, a loved one looked at me through tear-stained eyes, and said, “This is too hard.” That day was too hard for us, and though at that moment we could not pray, the Spirit did… and then later we could.  

There is a precious promise in Romans 8:26: 

“Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness.
For we do not know what to pray for as we ought,
but the Spirit himself intercedes for us…”

Soul, God is praying until you can pray.

“My soul thirsts for God!”
Psalm 42:2

- Tom

Today you may lack joy. You may not feel very joyful. We all find ourselves there at times. Psalm 16 is your psalm because it gives us a pathway to true and lasting joy. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Our 7 Shaping Virtues
TEXT: Psalm 16
TITLE: Joy
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: Pursuing the God of all joy produces a joyful Church in all circumstances

POINTS:
1. Know Your Lord
2. Delight In Your Church
3. Guard Your Heart
4. Focus On Jesus

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”Do you believe it’s possible? And I’m not referring to heaven, I mean today. Do you believe its possible to possess joy that transcends even our most difficult circumstances? Psalm 16 compels us to answer with a resounding YES!”

“The truth is, Christians are joy seekers. Joy is a constant theme in the Bible.”
”God wants His church to be characterized by joy. Like a father or mother wants their child to be happy, God desires you to experience joy to the fullest.”

“By joy, we’re not talking about a strong personality trait or a superficial contingent happiness—’I’ll be happy if _______.’ Joy is an abiding and deep delight in God for the sheer beauty of who He is and the infinite worth of what he has done in Christ.”

“When troubles arise, our mind tends to immediately find human solutions. That always leads to anxiety and discouragement. But David fills his mind with the knowledge of his God. This is the beginning of true joy.”

“God is good! In feast or famine. In wealth or poverty. In peace or conflict. In health or sickness, in life or death. God holds my lot. He is in control. He is good. He is my portion, my cup, my inheritance. So whatever he providentially allows into my life, life is good because God is good.”

“Listen, this doesn’t mean we call what is bad, good. Bad is still bad. Cancer is bad. A miscarriage is bad. Losing a loved one is bad. Suffering is suffering, pain is pain, tears are tears. But, in the words of James 1:2, and this is one of the greatest fights in the Christian life—I can count it all as joy because I know who my God is!”

“You want more joy in your life, get to know your God better.”

“David turns his attention to God’s goodness expressed in His people. God, your people love you so I love them. Your people delight in you so I delight in them. This is not idolatry. The church can be an idol. Joy can be an idol, if it’s an end. We take joy in God’s people because God’s presence is with His people. So we love to be in the presence of your people because we long to be in presence of the Lord, where there is joy forevermore.”

“As often as we gather, gathering with your church should be an occasion of great delight and joy. Not because we’re so great but because our God is so great, and when we gather as a church, our great God is uniquely present and glorified. Is it a joy for you to gather with your church? If not, it’s a sign your heart has drifted. Go to God now!”

“The world can throw its best at you, it cannot touch the joy you have in Jesus.” 

“…we must, in the words of verse 8—set him before us. This is the ultimate key to our joy. We don’t set Jesus to the right, the left, or behind us. We set him before us. Right in front of us.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 30:5
Galatians 5:22
James 1:2
Philippians 4:4
1 Thessalonians 3:9
Jeremiah 2:12-13
1 Chronicles 17:11

QUOTES:
John MacArthur - “The more you know Him, the better you know Him, the more confident you become, the more secure your joy is… Joy is related to your knowledge of God: little knowledge, little joy; much knowledge, much joy. The more you know of God’s glorious truth, of God’s great covenants and promises, of God’s plans, of God’s faithfulness, of God’s power, the more joy you experience in life… Our joy is connected to the goodness of the Lord. And the more you understand His grace and mercy and goodness, the more stable your joy becomes, no matter what circumstances may come.”

Bob Kauflin - “God is particularly interested in our joy. He tells us, “Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!” (Psalm 32:11). When the church gathers, the sense of confident joy in God should be pronounced. When we fail to demonstrate delight and satisfaction in God, we’re not only dishonoring God, we’re disobeying Him. More than anyone else on earth, Christians have a reason to celebrate.”

Sam Storms - “Your choice isn’t whether to passionately seek pleasure. Trust me, you do. Your only option is where you’ll look or whom you’ll love or whose offer of pleasure you’ll accept.”

John Piper - “Is there anything fuller than full? No. Is anything longer than forever? No. This is no rocket science. This is just glory! Nobody anywhere in the world can offer you anything better than Psalm 16:11.  Because nothing is even conceivably better than verse 11. Nothing is fuller than full or longer than forever. “Fullness” means completely satisfying. And “forevermore” means those pleasures never stop.”

Sam Storms - “God created us so that the joy He has in Himself might be ours. God doesn’t simply think about Himself or talk to Himself. He enjoys Himself! He celebrates with infinite and eternal intensity the beauty of who He is as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And we’ve been created to join the party!”

APPLICATION:
By grace through faith in Christ, you have joined the greatest party ever thrown. You belong to the God in whose presence is fullness of joy and pleasures forevermore. Shouldn’t that make us the happiest people on the planet? It should. And we pray it will more and more. 

As we set Jesus before us every day, may the God of all joy pour out His joy on us as a church, for our good, for our testimony, and for God’s glory today, tomorrow, and forevermore!

Philippians 4:6
“...but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (ESV)

In Philippians 4:6, Paul speaks of a particular kind of prayer, namely, “requests.” He then speaks of the kind of heart from which we are to make these requests. There is a right way to make requests of our Sovereign Lord and this a matter of having a right heart. Yet, to be clear, it’s not a matter of trying to figure out the right wording or formula in making our request, but rather it is out of the right heart that we are to make our request known to God. Contrast this with the fact that a bad heart leads us to make the wrong kind of request. In James 4:3 we hear, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” Cleary, an idolatrous, selfish, and greedy heart leads us to “ask wrongly.” God knows the heart. We can use all of the right words and follow the right formula and still find that we honor Him with our lips, but our hearts are far from Him (Matthew 15:8).

The good news is that God continues to teach us about prayer and here in Philippians about how we make our requests known to Him. Yes, He invites us to ask Him. Study Matthew 7:7-11. Ask… Ask… Ask… It’s His invitation, yet, He instructs us on the kind of heart we are to have when we ask. 

Allow me to point to just one word in Verse 6 - “supplication.” This word denotes the heart posture of a humble beggar. Having a right heart in prayer is having a humble heart as we approach His presence. We come needy, lowly, and desperate. Charles Spurgeon writes: “Our addresses to the throne of grace must be solemn and humble, not flippant and loud, or formal and careless.” Also, “When you are engaged in prayer, plead your strength, and you will get nothing; then plead your weakness, and you will prevail. There is no better plea with Divine love than weakness and pain; nothing can so prevail with the heart of God as for your heart to faint and swoon. The man who rises in prayer to tears and agony, and feels all the while as if he could not pray, and yet must pray - he is the man who will see the desire of his soul.” What a gracious God and King! When we enter His presence, we should immediately hear Him demand, “Silence!,” but, we discover that His throne is a throne of grace inviting us to humbly come and petition Him. 

May we plead with God in weakness, finding that we will prevail, and see the “desire of our soul”! 

“But this is the one to whom I will look:
he who is humble and contrite in spirit
and trembles at my word.”
Isaiah 66:2

- Tom

Our hope and prayer for this series are that God will grow these seven marks of grace in us as we identify them and learn to obediently pursue them with our hearts focused on Jesus. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Our 7 Shared Virtues
TEXT: Philippians 2:1-11
TITLE: Humility
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet
BIG IDEA: The humiliation of Christ in the gospel creates humble hearts in His people

POINTS:
I. Our Manifestation of Humility
II. Our Motive and Model for Humility

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”Why this series? It's simple—We desire to become more like Jesus. We exist for God's glory. God's glory is revealed as His church reflects His greatness in Jesus Christ. So, we desire to become more like Jesus. We are not trying to start a revolution; we just long for our lives to proclaim the praises of our Savior. It's that simple.”

“…we begin with the virtue that is the fountain of all other virtues—Humility.”

“What is humility? Humility is a selfless disposition of the heart created by an accurate view of God, self, and Christ. God is infinitely holy; I am utterly sinful. Therefore, the only way I can joyfully relate to God and generously receive from God is His undeserved saving grace toward me in Jesus Christ. The degree this reality shapes us is the degree we will be characterized by true humility as a church.”

“Humility is interesting. The key to becoming more humble is not focusing on being more humble; it's focusing on the humility and humiliation of Jesus.”

“The first step in growing in humility is understanding pride. By nature, we are proud, not humble. We're prone to conceit because our hearts naturally crave praise. Pride is in our DNA.”

“Pride has many faces. Some are obvious; others are not. But self is at the center of them all: 

• Feel unappreciated when you serve others and receive no recognition for your efforts—Pride!

• Self-deprecating speech actually meant to draw praises for something you are proud of—It's called humblebrag, its false humility, a.k.a. Pride!

• Loudest person when you enter the room, while you're in the room when you leave the room because you desire everyone's attention—Pride!

• Wallow in self-pity because life is hard, and you deserve better—Pride!

• Unwilling to get out of your comfort zone for the spiritual good of another—It's called fear of man, and it may be the most deceptive and destructive form of Pride!

• Characterized by telling others what you know rather than seeking others for input—Pride!

• Expectations to be served by others exceed your enthusiasm to serve others—Pride!

• Hyper-critical of self and others because little things that go wrong reflect poorly on you—Pride!”

“LOOKING is labor. Listen to the phrases connected with the original word for LOOKING: notice carefully; watch out for; fix one's attention. These are intentional activities.”

“Practically, LOOKING means:

• Pausing in the middle of your busy day to listen to someone who needs encouragement 

• Patiently praying for someone when you really what to punch them

• Inquiring instead of accusing when you share a concern or correction

• Judging someone charitably until you know the facts

• Listening to someone instead of interrupting them because you have something so great to say”

“True gospel humility is not thinking less of yourself; it is thinking of yourself less because you are looking to the interest of others more.”

“The gospel puts this claim on our lives. If this (in Christ), Then this (put on humility). Christ calls us to it. Commands us to it. And, is our sufficiency for it. That’s where Paul points us.”

“Instead of grasping his godness, Jesus willingly surrendered the honor, praise, and glory that was rightfully his and had been from eternity past in the perfect fellowship of the Trinity to become a Jewish boy from Nazareth who would be crucified as a criminal. That's what Paul means in verse 7 when he says Jesus emptied himself. Jesus didn't empty himself of divine attributes. He didn't become less God when he became fully man. Jesus never minimized or denied his deity. He just didn't grasp it.”

“Jesus did not simply take on a human disguise; he took on our human nature. The Creator and Sustainer of all things condescended into our fallen world, subjecting himself to our frailties as human beings in every way except one—he was without sin.”

“Jesus didn’t come high and lifted up in society. He could have—he is God! He came as a scorned slave. Look at verse 7. The word translated servant means slave. Think about that: 

• A slave was less significant than the least significant

• A slave had one interest—the interest of others 

• A slave was above no one and beneath everyone

Jesus humbled himself, assuming our nature, becoming a servant—translation: substitute sacrifice for us—and obediently died the most humiliating, shameful, excruciating, cursed death possible, (8) death on a cross—for you!”

“The cross is the opposite of selfish ambition and vain conceit. In true humility, God the Son counted you more significant than himself, making his entire life about your greatest interest—being made right with God.”

“That is true humility that led to the humility of Christ that compels and enables us to live humbly with one another.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
James 4:6
Isaiah 66:2
Hebrews 1:3
Hebrews 2:17
Romans 5

QUOTES:
Jerry Bridges - “Humility opens the way to all other godly character traits. It is the soil in which the other traits of the fruit of the Spirit grow.”

C.J. Mahaney - “The real issue is not if pride exists in your heart; its where pride exists and how pride is being expressed in your life.”

APPLICATION:
How can we cultivate true humility? 

Read book of quarter—contexts of application

Application specific to today’s text

1. Visit the cross often by reminding yourself who God is, who you were, and why Jesus matters

2. Pray the words of Phi 2:3-4 for yourself and our church

3. LOOK for ways to serve others

4. When you complete a task, something good happens to you, or encouraging words are spoken about you, take a moment to transfer all glory to God 

5. Eagerly encourage one another where you see humility and carefully correct one another where you see pride

6. Live today in light of tomorrow

Se·cret  /ˈsēkrət/

“not known or seen or not meant to be known or seen by others.” - Oxford

Matthew 6:5-6

“And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”

The Scriptures reveal all kinds of prayers - songs of prayer, group prayer, public prayer, and the like. In Matthew 6:5-6, Jesus provides very specific instructions regarding a particular place and a particular kind of prayer. 

There is a place where God is calling us to go and meet with Him. Out of the eye of public knowledge, this place is a “secret” place.

This secret place for prayer guards against the pride mentioned in Verse 5. There are “hypocrites” who pray in public “that they may be seen by others”. Pride is at work more often than we can admit when find ourselves praying to be seen or heard by others. I have never stood on a corner and belted out a prayer, but I have raised the volume while praying at a restaurant, just to be seen by others (boy, the kids loved that!). Jesus said “go into your room and shut the door” and pray in a humble secret place. 

What’s amazing about the text is that our Father is waiting there for that secret conversation (Vs 6) and He will reward that private time with Him. Author Steve Miller writes, “[Charles] Spurgeon’s public prayers stirred the hearts of his listeners as much or even more so than his preaching. But these prayers were only the tip of the iceberg, buoyed upward by the unseen depth and breadth of his private times alone with God.” Jesus said that the Father was waiting in that place to hear our prayers. Secret prayer moves us toward a deeper trust, dependency, and growth in our relationship with Him. We know Him more and more, and we are changed by Him in those secret times. Spurgeon’s public prayers were evidence of what God had done in him in that secret place. The same remains true for us. Go to that secret place and pray. God’s presence in that place will meet you, change you, and help you! 

Spurgeon wrote, “Neglect of private prayer is the locust which devours the strength of the church.” The opposite is true as well. When the members of the church pray privately, the corporate strength of the church is immeasurable! Together, we grow in the knowledge of God, we are met by God and our faith in God together as Christ’s body is galvanized. 

A secret place waits for you. Go there often and pray.

“Our Father in heaven, 
hallowed be your name…”

- Tom

We are grateful for what the Lord has done over the past fourteen months as we have gone through the sermon series “Hopeful: A Study in the Book of Acts”. This Sunday we begin a new sermon series where we will unpack the biblical virtues that shape and characterize our lives and church in Christ.

We believe when the gospel of Jesus Christ is embraced, it produces a culture marked by the fruit of the gospel. All churches that have come to know the grace of God should prioritize and pursue those qualities that are in keeping with the message of grace. In Sovereign Grace, the explicit gospel-focus that has marked our history has led us to value seven particular Shaping Virtues: humility, joy, gratitude, encouragement, generosity, servanthood, and godliness.

If you want to know more about this exciting series before Sunday, CLICK HERE.

humility - joy - encouragement - generosity - servanthood - godliness

What God began before us, He is still working out through us until He comes back for us! Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Hopeful: The Book of Acts
TEXT: Acts 28:11-31
TITLE: To Be Continued
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
I. The Same Gospel
II. The Same Results
III. The Same Mission

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”…it’s understandable if the ending of Acts seems a bit unremarkable. The book that began with Jesus physically ascending into heaven ends with an aging Apostle living in a rental, making ends meet, and talking about Jesus to his visitor. …But I think that’s the point. The end of Acts reveals an unfinished task. Acts focuses on Peter and Paul, but the story is not about them. Acts is about the unstoppable gospel advancing in the power of the Spirit through the church's witness to the ends of the earth to the praise of God’s cosmic and eternal glory until His Son returns—and Jesus hasn’t come back yet!”

“The great promise in Acts 1:8 to take the gospel to the ends of the earth belongs to us. Our purpose and mission continue what the Lord began in the first century into our neighborhoods and schools, the workplace and hang-out spot, the classroom and field of competition.”

“How Hopeful is that! Too often we think we need a new perspective. A new message. A new approach. We don’t need something new, we need something true. The gospel is the power of God unto salvation then and it is still today. Whether for your friend’s salvation or your personal sanctification, a crucified and risen Savior is our foundation and hope!”

“Paul was a Jew. These are his people. His family. His friends. His tribe. The desire for their salvation ran deep in Paul’s heart. When they rejected Christ, Paul didn’t charge God. He didn’t interrogate God. He didn’t try to figure God out. Paul understood the pattern as part of God’s plan from texts like Isaiah 6, and took comfort in it. He trusted in the character of God. He let God be God by resting in God’s ways, even when he didn’t understand those ways. Nowhere is this more clear than Romans 9—Go read this week!”

“This final scene of Acts may not have much razzle dazzle, but it is glorious. Paul isn’t globe-trotting and planting churches. Luke doesn’t mention a great moving of God’s Spirit. But the Great Commission, the gospel mission is being fulfilled as Paul pays his bills and shares Christ. Our mission is the same!”

“As an extension of Acts, we worship God with our lives personally and corporately by learning to love Jesus with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. As an extension of Acts, we are devoted to fellowshipping and caring for one another, living lives of glad obedience to Christ who is our head. As an extension of Acts, we take the message of the transforming power of the gospel to the world around us. Some may reject us other will believe, but God is in control of it all and He gets the glory in it all!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Ephesians 3
1 John 2

QUOTES:
Derek Thomas -“Luke has finished his story, but the story has not finished! There is an unwritten “To be continued” in the progress of the gospel.”

APPLICATION:
- Have you stopped giving gospel-centered counsel to someone because they keep rejecting it? 

- Have you quit sharing a gospel-centered perspective on a situation because the person disagrees with it? 

- Have you stopped sharing the gospel with someone because no one has ever believed when you do? 

Allow the results in Acts to make you Hopeful in your life and ministry.

Church, we are not a memorial to greater days of old in Acts. The task is unfinished. We are the unwritten To Be Continued. God’s mission to display His manifold wisdom to the cosmos through the salvation of sinners and the building of His church is full steam ahead, and we are a living extension of that plan. 

“Today, we end Acts in the most appropriate way I can think of—Adoration.
- Adoration to God with our prayers for this church

- Adoration to god with our speech about this church

- Right now, adoration to God with our voices as the church” 

Over the next few months, our church’s youth group, SGYouth, will be hosting fundraisers to raise money for the youth to go to the Sovereign Grace regional youth retreat! Below is information about the upcoming youth retreat from the SGyouth leader, Jon Lambros:

This year SGYouth has the wonderful opportunity of joining the other churches in our Sovereign Grace region for a multi-church youth retreat this July!  We’ve had the exciting opportunity of seeing multiple pastors from different churches plan the teaching topics. What the pastors settled on is both well thought through and extremely applicable to our youth’s daily lives, so we are very excited to have them participate.

This retreat is extremely well thought through and planned, but with that comes a higher cost than our previous smaller retreats, so we’re asking for your help! We are shooting for 100% attendance with the youth, and we don’t want anyone to not be able to go due to financial reasons.

On behalf of the Youth team and the pastors, we’re asking that you all please make it a point to participate in the upcoming youth fundraisers (details to come soon!) and that you consider helping the youth make it to this retreat. I can guarantee you it will be a worthwhile investment in the lives of these students in our church!

Jon Lambros – (520) 609-8864

If you have any questions about SGYouth or the upcoming retreat, feel free to reach out to Jon Lambros or the church office.

Psalm 16:11

You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

A few years ago, a dear friend of mine, Todd, found out that he had cancer on the back of his eye. Over the following months, he made visits to MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas. Todd, whose faith in Christ was sure, would prayerfully bring a hopeful Christ-like presence of life, joy, and eternal perspective into the waiting areas that were filled with cancer patients many of whom were desperate, dying, and suffering greatly! 

In Psalm 16:11 we find these three amazing things in God: the path of life, the fullness of joy, and pleasures forevermore. At different times in our lives, we find ourselves desperate for these things. Amazingly, God’s word reveals that there are more than these three. Prayer brings us before the One who has them all and then some! Charles Spurgeon says this about prayer, “To pray is to enter the treasure-house of God and to enrich oneself out of an inexhaustible storehouse.” Desperate for life when we are facing death, lost in misery, and gripped by sorrow, we can come to God in prayer and find life, joy, and pleasures forevermore, each being found in the treasure-house of God, knowing that He is ready to give. Ask Him for life. Ask Him for joy. Ask Him for pleasures that come from Him! In Matthew 7:7-11, Jesus says that the Father is ready to “...give good things to those who ask him!” God desires that we pray and make requests of Him while standing ready to answer the requests with “good things.” When we pray, we make our request known and trust that He is good. 

In the same context, Spurgeon said “the very act of prayer is a blessing… apart from the answer”. This should encourage us all, but what about those, like myself, who struggle during the times when God answers “no,” or “not yet” to our prayers? Joni Eareckson Tada, after 50 years of being paralyzed from the neck down, while speaking on what she has learned from God, said, “A ‘no’ answer to my request for a miraculous physical healing has meant purged sin, a love for the lost, increased compassion, stretched hope, an appetite for grace, an increase of faith, a happy longing for heaven, a desire to serve, a delight in prayer, and a hunger for his Word.” She is able to say prayer itself has become a delight! In prayer, we pull down heaven into our souls in sense and behold the inexhaustible storehouse of God’s eternal faithfulness and goodness. While we wait for His answer, basking in His presence in prayer sets our hearts aflame in hope! 

“To pray is to grasp heaven in one’s arms, to embrace God.” - Spurgeon. 

- Tom

As we near the end of Acts, we see how the Lord not only brings us safely through our earthly storms but continues to sustain and equip us once they have passed - ALL for his glory and our joy! Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Hopeful: The Book of Acts
TEXT: Acts 28:1-10
TITLE: Our Refuge After the Storm
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: God is not done revealing His grace, power, and purposes after the storm.

POINTS:
I. God is our refuge AFTER the storm
1. A refuge following the storm
2. An unusual kindness
3. Divine protection
II. God’s work He performs
1. He has Gospel work right where we are
2. He will provide all that we need for the task at hand

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”He has brought us “safely through” for a purpose! He has brought us “safely through” to Glorify His name, reveal His power and rule, and show that He is our gracious God. He is our powerful God, and He will advance His Gospel!”

“God’s providential shore that these cold and drenched sailors, passengers, soldiers, and prisoners crawl out of the sea onto is called REFUGE! They were terrified, worn out, starving, and confused as thrashed and paddled their way into the beach. For weeks they had fought the storm and each other. Day and night they were met with worsening conditions and desperation. They had lost everything but their lives! BUT THEY HAD SURVIVED! THEY HAD LIVED.”

“We preach and believe that God will be there for us when the Storms come and He will be our refuge in the midst of the storm BUT here find with Paul that God will be refuge AFTER the storm!”

“I love considering the amazing truth’s of God design in creation - Malta will be its name! - I will place the refuge right here!”

“…the islanders get it partly right - sin wreaks havoc. BUT, in this case, the overarching truth is God, not some pagan goddess, will get the His glory and not through His wrath but through His salvation and kindness, and protection.“

“Take heart Christian, God is not done taking care of you! IN the storm - TAKE HEART. AFTER the storm - TAKE HEART - ‘One More Thing’ will not destroy you!”

“NOW Remember our GOSPEL HOPE in these Gospel truths:

What we get What we deserve

Brought safely through Lost in the storm

Unusual kindness Justified Wrath 

A fire to warm A fire to consume us

Shook Viper into the fire We should be in eternal fire

No misfortune Loss of everything and soul”

“In the storm, Jesus is our refuge! AFTER the storm, Jesus still is our refuge!”

“For three months God kept healing and healing and healing and healing. His plan, His purposes continue over and over and over again to unfold and they will not stop in this life until we reach heaven’s shore.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Psalm 30:55
Romans 8:32
Psalm 62:7-8
Numbers 6:24-26

QUOTES:
F. F. Bruce - “The name of the island was originally given by the Phoenician sailors, in whose language ‘Melita’ meant ‘refuge’, and Paul would recognize how apt the name was.”

Psalm 91:14-16 
14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him; I will protect him, because he knows my name. 15 When he calls to me, I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and honor him. 16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

“Intimacy with God” is a loaded statement. Take just a moment and consider it. 
Intimacy…………… with God.

If we think about it for more than just a few seconds it may become a precious thought. It may lead us to smile. It may cause us to be uncomfortable. It may be uncomfortable due to a limited understanding of the word “intimacy”. I may have an intimate knowledge of computer networks [I’m tooting my horn here - but pride might be in a future blog, ha!], but I would never say that I experience intimacy in my relationship with a computer network. Words are important! Intimacy with God is the stuff of our relationship with Him. Depending on the nature of your relationship with God, this could bring us joy or immediately concern us.

For the follower of Christ, prayer is an intimate means of talking with God. In Psalm 91:14, the writer “holds fast to [God] in love.” He [knows God’s name]. This is an intimate knowledge of God in a deep affection for God. And in this intimate relationship with God, he “calls” on God. He speaks to God. He prays to God. It is clear that prayer is an intimate encounter with God. 

Charles Spurgeon knew of this intimate nature of prayer when he said, “Prayer links us with the Eternal, the Omnipotent, the Infinite, and hence it is our chief resort.” In prayer, he said that we should “Be sure that you are with God, and then you may be sure that God is with you.” This is amazing! We have true intimacy with God in prayer. We then are greatly comforted knowing that He is very near when we pray! 

It gets better! Psalm 91:15-16 reveals that God moves toward us in salvation when we call on Him for help. He truly is with us. Yet, now there is even greater a joy in discovering that He moves in closer when we pray for His help. In these times, we will intimately know that we are with Him and that He is with us! 

The possibility of the nearness of God is a surprising joy when we remember that He is holy and we are not. The surprising intimacy we have in prayer is made possible only by the Cross of Christ (Hebrews 10:19). He loved us first (1 John 4:19). 

Think about those words, “intimacy with God” again, and pray knowing that God is very near.

- Tom

Chorus:
O sing, hallelujah! 
Our hope springs eternal!
O sing, hallelujah!
Now and ever we confess
Christ our hope in life and death

We are excited to sing a new song from Getty Music this Sunday.
Whatever we encounter this week, may this truth spur us to sing as we proclaim that Christ is our hope in life and death!

Title: Christ Our Hope In Life and Death

Words and Music: Keith Getty, Matt Boswell, Jordan Kauflin, and Matt Papa

Link to listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OibIi1rz7mw

What if I told you a way that you could be free of anxiety in 2023, or at least have a strategy to successfully fight it? Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

TEXT: Philippians 4:4-7
TITLE: Anxiety, Our Enemy & Prayer, Our Weapon
PREACHER: Guest Pastor, Trey Richardson
BIG IDEA: God is greater than any fear, trust Him and pray.

POINTS:
1. His perspective for us (vs. 4)
2. His nearness to us (vs. 5)
3. His invitation for us (vs. 6)
4. His promise to us (vs. 7)

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”Anxiety is a menacing enemy that affects each one of us. The categories are different for each of us, but the problem is the same.  But how about the anxiety that seems to paralyze you?! Anxiety that leads to fear, that makes you feel that it is impossible to get through whatever ‘it’ is?”

“Our text today addresses anxiety at every level from - ‘will I get there on time in this traffic’ to anxiety that tends to be overpowering and at times even brings crippling fear. Paul addresses the Philippians about anxiety in a way that echoes down through the centuries with truth for us today.”

“Our issues are more 1st world issues [compared to the Philippians] but they are our real problems, they are of no less concern because they are the ones we live with every day, with the enemy of anxiety robbing our thought life of joy and peace.”

“Describing anxiety is not the issue, responding to it in a way that keeps it from overwhelming us, is the issue.  In reviewing our passage, we will be talking about anxiety.  But the greater focus will be on growing in our understanding of how God has provided all that we need to successfully fight anxiety, each and every day.  This fight begins with trusting a sovereign God, and trusting God always includes prayer.”

“Joy and rejoicing are mentioned seven times in Paul’s letter to the Philippians.  Each other reference to joy in this letter is tied to a specific reason for being joyful.  But, in our text today, this command to ‘rejoice in the Lord’ is not connected to any specific reason.  In fact, the addition of the adverb always indicates that the rejoicing that Paul is calling for, does not depend on specific circumstances, but they are called to rejoice in all circumstances.  …notice, it is a rejoicing ‘in the lord’, not in the situation.”

“Paul reminds the Philippians of who they are as Christians. He is helping them to see that their ability to rejoice in the Lord, is a reality for every Christian in every situation.  It comes from seeing life through ‘God’s perspective’ - a perspective that includes seeing Christ’s complete dominion over all things including the individual things in their lives. The resulting perspective is trusting that God is sovereignly in control even though it is not observable.  Knowing this about God, allows them to ‘rejoice… ‘in the Lord’… always’.”

“Do you find yourself rejoicing, or being glad, in the midst of life’s challenges? Typically, this is the opposite of what we feel when life presses in hard. …Paul uses some pretty inclusive language - always, and then he even repeats the command.  Paul gets their attention, and ours, when he adds that adverb - always!”

“Over time, these anxieties (worries, fears, things we fret about) can be destructive.  They can begin to erode our trust and confidence in God’s care for us, seen in His ability to protect us in life’s situations, especially the serious ones.  So, we just live with an acceptable level of anxiety, all the while it is driving us away from experiencing any ‘joy in the Lord’.”

“Paul then goes on in the second part of verse 5 to help us to see more clearly reasons why we can trust Him, in order to ‘rejoice in the Lord’ in the face of anxiety… He is near to us.”

“The Lord is at hand… or more literally, the Lord is near. This Is not a near like Ina Road is near to you, but how your lungs are near to you. This phrase is telling us that God is here, literally here with us, right now He is with every believer.  We have been indwelt by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).   His presence with us is not a concept, or a theory, it is a reality.  He is at hand.”

“God is here within every believer. This is something we often just don’t feel, especially in the midst of anxious moments and situations.  But this reality goes further.  Yes, he is with us, present with us, but not as a passive passenger through life, but a powerfully active presence with us. …He is powerfully working for us, on our behalf, against the enemy who is warring against us, bringing fear and anxiety.”

“It is good to plan to think through things, and to count the cost, just as Jesus says in Luke 14:28.  But none of this planning, thinking through, counting the cost, is to be defined as worrying, and being anxious.  We worry when we are afraid that God is no longer protecting us, that he is no longer on our side, and we feel we are really on our own.”

“…there is nothing that will ever affect any believer’s life that in some way falls into a category that is not included in God’s invitation for us to come to Him in prayer when we are anxious about something.  There is absolutely nothing that He cannot carry with us, nothing that we cannot depend on him through prayer, nothing that is beyond His care. Nothing!”

“How does God describe this peace and help us to experience it?  By giving us His great and precious promises to help us see His on-going part in our story.”

“Remember, God is not affected by anxieties. He offers to us His peace, the peace with which he lives. That means that regardless the trouble that comes our way, God is with us, at hand, bringing peace to our souls. This peace is beyond what we can understand, but it is not beyond what we can experience. It is the promise of God.”

QUOTES:
Jerry Bridges - “Accept the adversity and resist the anxiety.  We typically do the opposite.”

H.B. Charles - “The things you pray about are the things you trust God to handle.”

William Hendriksen - “By nature, man is totally unable to comprehend this wonderful peace as is a blind man to appreciate a glorious sunset.”  How do you help a blind man experience what he can’t see?  You describe it to him, and help him to experience it.”

H.B. Charles - “Let me give you a single formula to make sense of life’s problems.  If you have a big God you have only little problems.  But if you have a little God you have big problems.”

Fanny J. Crosby, “What A Friend We Have In Jesus” Lyrics - What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear, what a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer. / Oh, what peace we often forfeit, oh what needless pain we bear.  All because we do not carry everything to God in prayer.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Matthew 8:23-27
1 Peter 5:7

Feeling alone in your struggle with anxiety? Matthew 28:20, Romans 8:26
Feeling helpless against your fear? 2 Corinthians 12:9
Feeling hopeless that it will ever change?  1 John 4:4, Romans 8:31
Feel that your temptation is too strong? 1 Corinthians 10:13
You fear what might happen next?  Psalm 31:15
You can’t see how things can work out? Romans 8:28
You don’t think God sees you and knows your struggle? Psalm 56:8

APPLICATION:
-If joy is deficient in your life, is that the result of dealing with constant anxiety? Anxiety unchecked will eventually eclipse your view of the sovereign and loving God, and your joy in the Lord will become a casualty, because a right view, or perspective of God, has been lost. On a scale of 1-10, where would you register your level of joy?

Have we just learned how to live with a certain level of anxiety, and put on a happy face?  Have we just considered that our lives are going to have to deal with a certain amount of anxiety?  We know how to deal with it and ‘put on a happy face’.

Remember - God is greater than any anxiety, trust in Him and pray!

• Follow the direction of scripture: When you feel anxiety pressing in, at any moment, anytime, anywhere, take your anxious thoughts and convert them to prayerful expressions (supplications), and add thanksgiving to your prayer.

• Spend more time praying about our situations than thinking about them. Remember, thinking and praying are different…pray more about it than you think about it, or talk about it.

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! 

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The Bridge Course

Our newest Bridge Course just got started! What is Bridge? It’s a 10 week opportunity to explore the Christian faith in a fun and relaxed way - SNACKS included! Missed a class? You can jump in at any point. For more info, times and locations visit hub.sovgracetucson.org/bridge.

A Celebration Sunday!

February 26th is going to be a joy filled Sunday! During the service we will be welcoming NEW MEMBERS, followed by a WATER BAPTISM, and a CHURCH PICNIC! Join us as we celebrate all the Lord is doing! If you’re interested in participating in our Baptism, please contact one of our Pastors.

What storm is brewing in your life today? God is God of your storm, and His promise to be with you and preserve you through it is Yes, and Amen in Jesus. So, as long as the storm lasts and as difficult as the storm becomes, you can trust him and testify to Him with true joy and peace. Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Hopeful: The Book of Acts
TEXT: Acts 27
TITLE: Heavenly Anchors for Our Earthly Storms
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
1. God’s Promised Presence is an Anchor
2. God’s Saving Son is an Anchor
3. God’s Unchanging Character is an Anchor

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”Like the storm in our text, people witnessed the events of the Bible, giving verbal and written testimony with amazing details and accuracy. One more reason we should have confidence in the veracity of the Bible.”

“Oh, how we need that confidence, especially in the storms of life. Acts 27 is meant to strengthen our faith and courage as we face storms of a very different kind. Sometimes they are a slow brew, like a relationship that keeps declining or an illness the doc can’t correctly diagnose. Other storms are sudden and fierce. One day you are healthy, you run routine labs, and the next day you're prepping for cancer. …In these moments, what keeps us anchored? What calms our troubled hearts when the storm rages all around us?” 

“…neither experience nor expertise anchored Paul’s confidence. His confidence amid the storm was anchored in the presence of God. The ship was sinking, but Paul knew the Lord was with him. God's most significant promise to His people is His constant presence. From the garden to Moses to the prophets, the mark and source of confidence for God’s people was His presence.”

“This was Jesus’ promise to his disciples in Matthew 28:20—I am with you always to the end of the age—and it is our promise today through the ever-present Holy Spirit. There is nothing you go through without God going through it with you. And while an angel might not appear to you at night, in the midst of the storm, God reassures you of His presence in many ways:

• Through His Word 

• Through encouraging fellowship

• Through the quiet voice of the Spirit (sermon or prayer)”

“Our problem is not that God takes His eyes off us; we take our eyes off God. He is there. Do you see Him?”

 “We believe in God’s promise of His presence. But it’s easy to feel all alone when the ship is sinking. If that is you today, hear and believe Hebrews 13:5—I will never leave you nor forsake you. Whatever your storm today, ask the Lord to awaken your faith to His merciful and faithful presence in the storm.”

“In the storm, Paul remembered he belonged to God. He doesn’t belong to the sea. He doesn’t belong to fate. He doesn’t even belong to himself. He belongs to God. This is more than a general statement of God as His Creator, so all things are His. It’s a gospel proclamation. Paul is identifying with Christ. He belongs to God because he is purchased with the blood of Jesus.”

“What a promise we have in Jesus! No matter how hard, hopeless, and horrific the storm may seem, our identity in Christ as the forgiven and accepted possession of God anchors our hearts in peace.”

“Ultimately, only one storm can sink you—God’s just judgment for your sin. But that storm was dealt with 2000 years ago on the cross where Jesus was swept away by it in our place. On the cross, he faced the hurricane of eternal justice for your sake. Now, by faith in Jesus, you belong to God, hidden, safe, and secure from the ultimate storm.”

“We never outgrow the gospel. We must preach it to ourselves daily if we are to continually live in the good of it. How true is this amid the storms of life?”

“While you and I don’t have the luxury of direct, special revelation like Paul, we do have the promise that God is sovereignly and providentially with us in Christ, and no storm can alter his good purposes for us. He always knows what we need when we need it, and He graciously provides it. Isn’t God merciful?!”

QUOTES:
C.S. Lewis - “He walks everywhere incognito. And the incognito is not always hard to penetrate. The real labor is to remember, to attend. In fact, to come awake. Still more, to remain awake.”

Kent Hughes - “We are often objective oriented, but God is process oriented. We just want to get to Rome, but God is even more interested in how we get there.”

J.C. Ryle - “By affliction, God shows us our emptiness and weakness, draws us to the throne of grace, purifies our affections, weans us from the world, makes us long for heaven. In the resurrection morning, we shall all say, “It is good for me that I was afflicted.”  We shall thank God for every storm.”

APPLICATION:
Two important implications of being properly anchored in the storm:
1. When we are appropriately anchored, we grow spiritually through the storm.
2. When we are appropriately anchored, we can help others through the storm.

We often put ministry on pause amid the storm. We are tempted to isolate as we wait for the storm to pass before we return to serving and telling others about Jesus. 

Paul doesn’t wait until he gets to Rome. No doubt he wishes the wind would cease and the sun would shine. But Paul doesn’t wait until then. God gives him the grace, as He will you, to continue trusting and testifying to Christ at a time when trusting and testifying to Christ is most intriguing to people—during the storm. 

How can he do that? The heavenly anchors of God’s presence, God’s Son, and God’s character.

Are you a leader? If you need help, the answer is yes. Everyone is a leader in some sense. As a husband, you lead your home. As a mother, you lead your children in their father’s absence. If you are single, you have to lead yourself. You may lead in your classroom or on the field of competition. You may lead in the workplace or in your church. Everyone is a leader in some sense. If you are a Christian, your leadership always has a spiritual aspect. 

Over the years, I have read plenty of books on leadership. Some good. Some bad. Ultimately, I have always benefited as I discern what to keep and throw out. It is always fascinating to see how many secular leadership principles flow from biblical principles. My favorite book on leadership is Spurgeon on Spiritual Leadership by Steve Miller. As a pastor, Mr. Spurgeon explains, among other topics, how a commitment to holiness, a heart to serve, a willingness to suffer, and a resolve to endure are essential to fruitful, Christ-exalting leadership. Guess where he begins? That’s right, prayer. Chapter One is A Passion for Prayer. Listen to Spurgeon’s passion for prayer come through in his own words:

The minister who does not earnestly pray over his work must be a vain and conceited man. He acts as if he thought himself sufficient of himself, and therefore needed not to appeal to God.

For Spurgeon, leadership began on one’s knees. Why? Humility is vital to leadership. Prayer is the most significant expression of humility one can experience. As a leader, people look to you. They depend on you. They willingly follow you. In the words of the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 2:16-17—Who is sufficient for these things? For we are not. No matter what place of leadership you are in, prayer is a personal and humble expression of your need for the power and grace of God to lead (2 Chronicles 7:14). Prayer transfers the focus from self to God, who is our wisdom, strength, and source of fruitfulness. Whether you are a pastor or not, prayer is a cry from the heart—I need you, Lord, for I am not sufficient, but you are! 

Whatever form your leadership takes, the home, workplace, or church, may prayer never be a secondary activity. By the grace of God, let our most extraordinary efforts in leading, whomever we lead, however we lead, wherever we lead, be on our knees in passionate prayer for the Lord to bear fruit through us for His glory (John 15:8)!

-Derek

“I’m going on a marriage retreat” Ha? It’s very interesting to see the look on people’s faces - especially non-believers - when they hear you’re going on a marriage retreat. The confused look on their face tells it all. It’s like they add up that you’ve been married 40+ years, somewhat wonder if there are problems (but are afraid to ask), and then just move on.

There’s certainly no confusion with your Pastors or our wives. Even though there is almost 100 years of combined marriage experience, your Pastors are sinners and always have areas of their marriage that need help. We are so grateful that our family of Churches - especially our regional leadership - all desire to help local Pastor’s build and maintain healthy marriages. We also never tire of giving thanks to God for all of you in our Church that desire to see healthy marriages in your Pastors and support us taking time to get out of town and focus on this important part of our lives.

It’s fascinating that in just 48 hours (Thurs around noon till Sat around noon) a Pastor and his wife can be so refreshed and challenged, and also have time to renew friendships with fellow Pastors in our region of Churches. Bob and Julie Kauflin - married for 47 years and in Pastoral ministry for 41 years - were our guest hosts. Bob led the teaching sessions and Julie testified to God’s grace and kindness in their marriage for almost five decades.

Paul wrote in 1 Cor. 2:1-2 “And I, when I came to you, brothers, I did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.”

Bob taught us that the gospel works in our marriages to change our identity, allow forgiveness, and bring real transformation. He also challenged us to see how the gospel changes everything for married couples. He picked 2 categories of growth to consider in each season of married life and that gave all of us plenty to consider. We also were able to have a session where the men and women met separately. In our final session on Saturday morning, we spent a few hours in smaller groups simply praying for couples in each of the three seasons of married life.

Our regional leader - Eric Turbedsky - builds in plenty of time for fellowship, meals, etc. It’s always encouraging to hear and catch up on how God is working throughout other local churches, whether that’s celebrating grace or empathizing with struggles. No Pastor is immune from getting so focused on your local Church that you forget that God is building Churches all around the world!

On behalf of your Pastors and wives, THANK YOU! All of us are so grateful to belong to a Church that prioritizes marriages! Thank you for your financial support and the prayers and text messages of encouragement. It makes a huge difference!

Have you ever been told you were crazy on account of your faith? If you live for Jesus, someone at some time will call you crazy, but true sanity can’t be defined by the world! Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Hopeful: The Book of Acts
TEXT: Acts 25-26
TITLE: Crazy for Jesus
PREACHER: Derek Overstreet

POINTS:
1. A Futile Mob
2. A Confused Governor
3. An Embarrassed King
4. A Victorious Evangelist

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”If you live for Jesus, someone at some time will call you crazy. And my prayer for us today is that when that happens, we would take courage in the Lord to look beyond what others think of us and testify to the transforming power and glory of Jesus with our words and actions.”

“Let’s be honest, it’s easier said than done. The crazy label from your neighbor can be a powerful paralyzer. Paul’s example today is a reminder that in Christ we are victorious and we have nothing to fear so living Crazy for Christ is the sanest thing we can do.”

“…in verse 7 we learn that for all the serious charges the Jews brought against Paul, they couldn’t prove any of them. None of their accusations would stick. How frustrated must these Jewish leaders be—Once again, their plan is proven futile.”

“This Paul situation was driving Festus crazy. He is confused. He couldn’t offload the problem to Jerusalem. He knows if he sends Paul to Caesar, he has to explain what and why the situation demands the Emperor's attention. You can’t just send problems up the ladder. Festus’ political career and legacy is at stake here. Then he remembers King Agrippa is in town so he thinks—Oh, maybe this guy can make my problem go away.”

“Ever been in an intimidating moment? For instance, the only one in group who believes abortion is an abomination to the Lord or Jesus is the ONLY way to God? If Paul was standing next to you, I think he would say, Take courage, don’t worry about what they think of you, live for Jesus right now and speak. That’s exactly what Paul does as he stands in the shadows of powerful people.”

“Paul’s mission is to bring the good news of Jesus to the Gentiles. His call was to call sinners like himself to repent and believe in a crucified and risen Jesus and live for his glory instead of their own. By the way, that mission hasn’t changed, has it. We get sidetracked by competing causes and personal ambitions, but the Christian life is about living for Jesus and telling others about him.”

“When people call you crazy because you live for Jesus, let Paul’s words comfort you—It’s God’s plan!”

“So often, this is what keeps people from embracing Jesus—What will others think?”

“An embarrassed king. A confused governor. A futile mob. None of them can thwart God’s plan for Paul to take Rome to the gospel. In all the power and pomp of our text, guess who turns out victorious? Paul!”

“The pomp and power and philosophies of this world are a powerful temptation. They are also fleeting and hollow. The praise and acceptance and approval of men are like king Agrippa and all his pomp, passing fantasies that are here today and gone tomorrow. But Paul’s gospel prevails today. The gospel is victorious throughout the ages. It is preached. It is believed. It radically transforms lives. The gospel stops people in their tracks, turns them around, and produces a life lived for Christ’s glory. It did that to Paul and it continues to do that today—you are exhibit A. Why? Because the gospel is not a philosophy. It’s not a theory. It’s not a religious idea—it is the power of God unto salvation.”

“THE GOSPEL is the good news that Jesus has come to set the helpless and hopeless sinner free. It is the good news that reveals God’s undeserved mercy. It is the good news that unlocks the mysteries of God’s eternal plan. It is the good news that brings great joy to your life everyday. It is the good news that transforms your life as you live in the good of it. It is the good news that reminds you true life awaits you when this life is over.”

“If you are in Christ, you are the sane one. You are the victorious one. So take courage and be crazy for Christ by living in all humility, with deep gratitude, and for no one’s glory but God’s!”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Romans 1:16

APPLICATION:
I bet everyone here could think of one area right now where you need much grace to live crazy for Christ instead of something else. Whatever it is, identify it right now, and together, let’s give it to God in prayer!

We are caught up in a life-and-death battle! Paul tells us so in his letter to the Ephesians. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. 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.” Ephesians 6:10-12 (ESV)

So, “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” Ephesians 6:13  (ESV)

And then Paul instructs us to take up what C.H. Spurgeon called “The Master-Weapon: All-Prayer.” Battle readiness requires us to take up weapons, namely, the Shield of Faith, the Sword of the Spirit - The Word of God, and here in Ephesians 6:18, we see that one of our primary weapons is All-Prayer. Paul writes that we are to be “praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication….” 

We have this weapon, prayer, but we must take it up and use it in the fight! Spurgeon added that “we should be greatly wise if we used [this master weapon of All-Prayer] more, and did so with a more specific purpose.” Imagine the enemy’s war machines pouring over the hillside! The enemy’s strength is mighty, and the sound of war is deafening. If we then refused to pick up THE most powerful weapon in our possession, we’d be devastated! So it is in the spiritual battle that rages on right now! We desperately need to “be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might!” Take up All-Prayer and wield it! All-Prayer, used by the Christian, “has great power as it is working” (James 5:16, ESV) because this weapon is deployed in the power of the Spirit making the Christian all the more “strong in the Lord.” Prayer is powerful because the object of our prayer is All-Powerful!

Finally, we pray for each other and for the advance of our cause, the Good News of Jesus. The battle that is going on rages against our King, Jesus, and those that belong to Him, the saints. It rages against the advance of His Gospel. And all of this is going on while we, his saints, suffer loss, fight temptation, and sin, facing accusation by the enemy, weariness, distractions, desertions, fear, worry, and anxiety. “To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel.” Ephesians 6:18-19

Wield this Master-Weapon, and pray “in the strength of his might.” Ephesians 6:10 

- Tom

Tucked away in this story, in this drama, in this narrative is The Greater Story, The Grander Drama, The Redemption Narrative! Below is an outline summary of the sermon for your further study and deeper reflection.

SERIES: Hopeful: The Book of Acts
TEXT: Acts 24:1-27
TITLE: Before The Greater King
PREACHER: Tom Wilkins
BIG IDEA: We can stand before the kings of this world because we are ruled by The Greater King - Jesus!

POINTS:
1. Before a Lesser King
2. Before a Greater King

SERMON EXCERPTS:
”The reality in this sinful kingdom is that the truly guilty (unrighteous) often are not held accountable before the kings of this world. The innocent (righteous) are the ones that are often deemed the guilty ones!”

“Tucked away in this story, in this drama, in this narrative is The Greater Story, The Grander Drama, The Redemptive Narrative! Verse 14-16 begins to reveal how it is possible that we can stand before the kings of this world! It is because we stand in THE Greater King, Christ the Lord!”

“While his cross looms over his head, Paul has his eyes fixed on another Greater Cross! Knowing THIS, his soul is at peace and joy.”

“The tension in the court is high! What is this king going to do? And a smile breaks over Paul’s soul as he remembers again Golgotha! He will not worry what this king might do to him because his soul is anchored in what His King Jesus has already done for him!”

“Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, with God at his right hand, preaches the Gospel to this king and now we see Felix, the lesser king has been brought before the Greater King, and he didn’t even know it… yet!”

“We all stand before the Righteous King of the Universe and His moral claim on our lives cannot be cast aside, dismissed, or suppressed! We ARE able to stand before the kings of this world… BUT we must remember at all times that we are standing before the Holy One of Israel, The Son of God Himself, The Son of Man who is high and lifted up in Majesty.”

ADDITIONAL SCRIPTURE:
Luke 12:11-12
Luke 21:12-18

APPLICATION:
Q. Has your heart become dulled and the eyes of your soul become dim? Are you knowingly caught in sin but unwilling to repent? Is the reason now revealed?

Q. Are you putting repentance off?
Hebrews 6:7 “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.”
Don’t put it off any longer! God says in 2 Corinthians 6:2 - “...Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

Q. If we are able to stand before even the lesser kings of this world because we can come before The Great King, then who is it that we are afraid of standing before?
Recommended Reading: “The Joy of Fearing God” - Jerry Bridges