Messages

Sermon series: Hot Potatoes – 7 of 9

August 3, 2008

Pastor Fil Nesta

“Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!” Dt 5:29

What Do We Fear?

1. We fear the _________________________.

2. We fear the _________________________.

How is Fear Used in the Bible?

1. Yare (Old Testament)

• The emotion and intellectual anticipation of harm.
• A very positive feeling of awe or reverence of God.

2. Phobos/phobeo (New Testament)

• Cause to run away, frighten or terrify.
• Reverence, a Godly fear

Should We Fear God?

Who is God?

1. God is a righteous ____________________.

“They will sing before the Lord, for he comes, he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in his truth.” Ps 96:13

2. He is a ____________________ God.

“Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Mt 10:28

3. He is a God that is full of ____________________.

“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Jn 1:14

4. He is a God that is ____________________.

“The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.” Ps 145:8

Incorrect Fears of God

1. Being ___________ of God because He deals with people ____________.

“So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'” Mt 25:25

2. Not being certain of what’s going to happen on Judgment Day.

1 Jn 4:16-18

Benefits of Fearing God

1. You will experience the desire to offer true __________________.

“Who will not fear you, O Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” Re 15:4

2. All your other  __________________ will go away.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” Ps 23:4

3. You obtain __________________ and ____________________.

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.” Pr 1:7

4. You will feel the need to __________________ God.

“Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and their children forever!” Dt 5:29

Sermon series: Hot Potatoes – 6 of 9

July 27, 2008

Ron Knapp

Why?

FAITH TRUST FEAR

PRIDE DOUBT BELIEF

HUMAN PERSPECTIVE

There is a _WAR_ going on inside us.

“We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.  I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me.  I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.  For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do–this I keep on doing.  Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me.  For in my inner being I delight in God’s law;  but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. “              Romans 7:14-23

We ALL have this Struggle

Abraham -A Child with Hagar (Genesis 15-16)

Peter -Denial of Jesus (Matthew 26)

John the Baptist – Doubt (Matthew 11)

Giving total control to God, is a LIFETIME struggle and cannot fully happen in these BODIES.

” Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 1 Corinthians 13:12

Steps Towards Allowing God Greater Control

1. Spend time DAILY with God.

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

“But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:16

2. Align your will with GOD’S.

“Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Matthew 26:39

3. Be attentive to God at WORK.

“…I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.” Matthew 17:20

Sermon series: Hot Potatoes – 5 of 9

July 20, 2008

Pastor John Fanous

Where Does This Question Comes From?

“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him…” John 6:44

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last.” John 15:16a

“When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.” Acts 13:48

But What About Choice?

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

“If anyone chooses to do God’s will, he will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” John 7:17

“This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.” Deuteronomy 30:19-20a

Two Competing Beliefs About God

Calvinism:

Arminianism:

The Great Mystery

It’s all ____________

AND

You have a  _________________

What You Can Learn From Calvinism

Luke 15:3-10

What You Can Learn From Arminianism

Luke 15:11:32

What It Means to be Chosen

The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Genesis 12:1-3

Do We Have Free-Will If God Already Knows the Future?

Sermon series: Hot Potatoes – 3 of 9

July 6, 2008

Psalm 139

Pastor John Fanous

What Does God Know?

“O Lord, you have searched me and you know me.” Ps 139:1

1. God knows _________.

What are the good things you would want people to understand about you?

What are some of the bad things in your life you’d rather keep hidden?

“You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar.” Ps 139:2

2. God knows my ______________________________.

“You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways.” Ps 139:3

3. God knows my ______________________________.

“Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O Lord.” Ps 139:4

4. God knows my ______________________________.

“If I say, ‘Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,’ even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.” Ps 139:11-12

5. God knows what others ______________ know about me.

How Does God Know All This?

1. Because God _______________________________.

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body.” Ps 139:13-16a

2. Because God _______________________________.

“All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Ps 139:16b

How Should I Respond?

1. Recognize the _______________________________.

“How precious to?? me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand. When I awake, I am still with you.” Ps 139:17-19

2. Be completely _________________ with God.

“If only you would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord, and abhor those who rise up against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.” Ps 139:19-22

3. Give God _______________________.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Ps 139:23-24

What About Other Religions and Those Who Haven’t Heard About Jesus?

June 29, 2008

Sermon series: Hot Potatoes – 2 of 9

Pastor John Fanous

The Belief: “All religions are just different legitimate attempts to discover God. To claim that one religion is the only way is exclusive and oppressive.”

Three Observations

1. This belief shows an ________________________ of religions.

2. This belief tends to justify one’s own __________________.

3. This belief is _________________________.

Big Question #1: Who will you trust to reveal God _________________?

Jesus kept pointing to _______________

“For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” John 6:40

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

“I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies.” John 11:25

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

“We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” John 10:33

“But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…” Mark 2:10

“I kept looking in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a Son of Man was coming, and He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion, glory and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations and men of every language might serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion which will not pass away; and His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed.” Daniel 7:13-14 (NASB95)

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

Big Question #2: Who do ______ say Jesus is? (Mark 8:27-30)

Isn’t it exclusive to believe that Jesus is the only way?

Jesus got into trouble because of who he _________________.

But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.” Luke 15:2

Why didn’t God provide multiple paths to Him?

God’s good news is essentially ____________________ in nature. It makes sense that God would choose to make us _____________ on others to learn about Him.

“And how can anyone tell them without being sent by the Lord? The Scriptures say it is a beautiful sight to see even the feet of someone coming to preach the good news.” Romans 10:15 (CEV)

We have replaced the value of love with the value of _________________.

What about those who haven’t heard about Jesus?

“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” Romans 1:20

We know that God is _______________ and ___________________.

“Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief.” 1 Timothy 1:13

Why Do Bad Things Happen to Good People?

June 22, 2008

Pastor John Fanous

How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen?

Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save?

Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong?

Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds.

Habakkuk 1:2-3

This, then, is how you should pray:

“Our Father in heaven,

hallowed be your name,

your kingdom come,

your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…” Matthew 6:9-10

Important to remember:

It ________________  ? God’s _____________

But Isn’t God All-Powerful?

• ______ and ________.
• God gives us freedom to choose to _____________________.
• With freedom comes the possibility for us to choose for ____________.
• God chose to partially _________ His power by creating us __________.

Why Doesn’t God Intervene Every Time Someone Misuses Freedom?

• If God prevented freedom every time it was going to be ____________, it wouldn’t be freedom.

How Does God Deal With Suffering?

1.       God ___________________________ your suffering through Jesus.

“But he took our suffering on him and felt our pain for us” Is 53:4 (NCV)

2.       God ___________________________ your suffering.

“You meant to hurt me, but God turned your evil into good…” Ge 50:20 (NCV)

3.       God ___________________________ suffering.

“I heard a loud voice shout from the throne: God’s home is now with his people. He will live with them, and they will be his own.. He will wipe all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, suffering, crying, or pain. These things of the past are gone forever.” Re 21:3-4 (CEV)

What Do I Do When I Am Suffering?

Habakkuk means to “______________” or to “________________”