SERMON SEEDS FOR WEEK OF 6/2/19
SERMON SEEDS
R15 – THE WEEK OF JUNE 2, 2019
WITH APOLOGIES FOR SEVERAL WEEKS OF ABSENCE!
Sermon Seeds is a generally weekly collection of Sermon and Bible Study Outlines and Full Lessons from the pen of Pastor Jack Peters. Pastor Jack has been pastoring for over 40 years and enjoys sharing what he gleans from God’s Word. He currently serves as Pastor of the First Baptist Church of New Holland, PA.
Feel free to use his material but make it your own by adding your insights, illustrations, and application.
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NEHEMIAH 8 – IS GOD’S WORD AT THE CENTER OF ALL I DO?
NEHEMIAH – GOD’S MAN IN TIME OF CRISES
Lesson #8 of 10 – Complete Lesson
This lesson on Nehemiah is unique. Instead of my asking a lot of questions, I want you to ask yourself the questions as I share. Lord willing, we’ll be back to interactive lessons next week.
- 2 Peter 1:12-13 - Wherefore I will not be negligent to put you always in remembrance of these things, though ye know them, and be established in the present truth. [13] Yea, I think it meet, as long as I am in this tabernacle, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance;
- Revelation 2:4-5 - Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. [5] Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.
- We can’t love the Lord unless we love His word.
- Jeremiah 15:16 - Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O Lord God of hosts.
- Psalm 138:2 - I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy loving kindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
As others have said, the Book of Nehemiah talks of the rebuilding of the walls and the reinstruction of the people. After the construction was completed a great assembly was convened. At the center of this assembly was the Word of God. You and I who deal with the Word all the time must be careful that we do not allow the Word to become stale in our lives. We need to continually be in the Word and allowing the Word to do its work in us. Let’s ask ourselves the following questions:
DO I REQUEST GOD’S WORD? – Vss. 1-2
- The people called for Ezra to read the Word of God. They wanted to hear it.
- There should be a desire on the part of every Christian to hear God’s love letter to them. Jeremiah 15:16, Matthew 5:6
- The ones wanting to hear God’s Word should be men, women, and children who can understand it.
- Usually when we think of revival starting we think of the need for prayer. Besides this, for revival to come we need a REBIBLE!
- What level of interest do you really have in the Word of God? Do you want to read it, study it, and hear it preached and taught?
DO I RESPECT GOD’S WORD? – Vss. 3-6
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- Vs. 3 - The reading of the Word could be as long as 6 hours; we would start to squirm within 15 minutes!
- The people were attentive to God’s Word. There are reasons we should be attentive. See Psalm 119:89, 105, Mark 13:31, Romans 15:4, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21
- Often our priorities are mixed up. We’d rather do than listen to God. If we don’t listen, we won’t know what to do. We often save time if we read the directions first!
- Notice that the people stood up in respect to God’s Word. I believe this helped their focus and attention.
- Notice that worship preceded reading. We should not only worship, but request God’s guidance as we read. Psalm 119:18, 27, 125
DO I READ GOD’S WORD?
- You can actually read God’s Word and get nothing out of it.
- You could be going through the motions.
- You could be distracted.
- You could be reading with the wrong motive.
- Using 2 Timothy 3:16-17 and Romans 15:4 as reasons for reading the Bible, you could ask yourself the following questions as you read:
- What teaching is found in this passage?
- What reproof is found in this passage?
- What correction is found in this passage?
- What instruction for right living is found in this passage?
- What comfort is found in this passage?
DO I RECEIVE GOD’S WORD? – Vss. 7-8
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- Besides reading the Word, we should be open to the preaching and teaching of the
Word. 2 Timothy 4:2, Ephesians 4:11-12
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- We should be careful not to let sin, anger, or resentment hinder our reception of the
Word.
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- Notice that the qualities mentioned here point to expository preaching as an ideal
method for communicating the Word.
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- I must have a sincere desire to learn from the preacher or teacher if I am going to grow
in the things of God.
DO I REFLECT ON GOD’S WORD?
- According to verse 3 the people were attentive to the Word.
- As we’ll see in a moment, they also responded to God’s Word.
- As the Word was preached, they reflected on its meaning.
- We are taught to reflect on God’s Word through memorization and meditation upon
God’s Word. Consider Joshua 1:8, Psalm 1:2-3, Psalm 119:11, 97-100, Jeremiah 15:16,
John 15:4-5
- In times of crises, your reserve of Scripture will be your stay.
DO I RESPOND TO GOD’S WORD? – Vss. 9-18
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- Vss. 9-11 - Ezra, Nehemiah, and others had to encourage the people.
- There was evidently sincere sorrow for sin and probably repentance. This caused tears.
- But it was a day of joy! The walls were completed, but it was a day when after many years attention was being paid to the Word of God and it was being understood.
- Later there would be time for even further examination, but on that day it was time for joy!
- Vss. 13-18 tell of the Feast of Tabernacles being celebrated. It was celebrated out of obedience to the Word of God. The most important response we can give to God’s Word is obedience! 1 Samuel 15:22-23
DO I REJOICE IN GOD’S WORD? – Vs. 12
- There was joy because the Word of God was understood. We will have similar joy as we understand and obey the Scriptures.
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PSALM 23 – WHEN THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD
MY PASTOR - The LORD is my shepherd; - This is only possible when a person has trusted the Lord Jesus as their Savior. We decide whether the Lord is our shepherd of not. John 3:16, John 10:11, John 10:27-30
MY PROVISION - I shall not want.
MY PEACE - He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul:
MY PATH – He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
MY PROTECTION - Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
MY PARTNER - Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
MY PROMISES - Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
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PSALM 1 – RADICAL!
Psalms for Living #2
This Psalm is not telling you how to get to Heaven, but it is showing you what your life should look life after you have trusted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, after you have been born again.
RADICAL HAPPINESS – Psalm 1:1a – Blessed is the man
Man would be a person, male or female.
This is a plural that intensifies it and makes it an exclamation. “Oh how very happy is the man! – Literally, “The full measure of the happy circumstances”
Radically Happy! – Fruit of the Spirit – “Joy”! Ephesians 5:18-20, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
Remember, it does not mean that every moment is happiness, but the general disposition is one of happiness.
And remember God may not want you to rich, wealthy and/or healthy, but He wants you to be radically happy!
RADICAL RESISTENCE – Psalm 1:1
If you want to be happy you must resist evil within yourself!
There’s a cost to happiness. John 12:24-26,
Colossians 3:1-17, Galatians 2:20
“Live fish swim against the stream; dead ones go with it.” – Alexander MacLaren
Counsel of the Ungodly – Wrong advice from the television, the internet, your friends, your family etc. It’s radical to resist them!
Stand in the way of sinners – Do what they do. 1 John 2:15-17
Seat of the Scornful – Mocking James 4:11-12
RADICAL PURSUIT – Psalm 1:2
To meditate was to read aloud in low tones, also to ponder or reflect.
When I love the Lord, I will love his Word. Psalm 119:97-104
Joshua 1:8
Memorize – Meditate – Move (Act)
RADICAL SUCCESS – Psalm 1:3
Jeremiah 17:7-8, 1 Corinthians 4:5
To Listen to a recording of this sermon, visit:
https://www.fbcnhremembers.com/radical
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PSALM 63 – KEEP LOOKING UP AND YOU WON’T TRIP!
Psalms for Living #3
When a person is facing difficulties or is discouraged, we might try to encourage them by saying, “Keep looking up!”
People who are sarcastic or humous might say “Keep looking up but don’t trip!”
I tend to agree with that great theologian, Snoopy of Peanuts fame.” He’s sitting on his doghouse with Woodstock looking at the sky and he says, “Keep looking up…That’s the secret of life.”
Or, as I have chosen to phrase it, “Keep looking up and you won’t trip.”
In Psalm 63, David finds himself in a very difficult, dangerous, and discouraging situation. The heading says that David wrote this in the wilderness of Judah. Although we can’t be absolutely sure, the fitting times for this would either be when he was running from King Saul, or when he was running from Absalom his son who had usurped the throne and was seeking to kill his father. Vss. 9-11 would show us he, as King, was running from his son. So he was probably fleeing from Absalom.
This Psalm shows us, that as David was fleeing, he was looking up. He was looking to God during one of the most difficult times in his life. And he didn’t trip! God preserved him! We need to follow David’s example during our most difficult times in our lives. In fact we need to follow David’s example even when things seem fine. We need to keep looking up, and we won’t trip.
The Word “…translated for soul means the whole self, a unity of flesh, will and vitality;” Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, quoting J. McBride”
Like Psalm 23, David starts his Psalm with a word of commitment, “O God, You are my God.”
God was his help in trouble. His God was the source of His strength.
Can you honestly say, “O God, you are my God?” 1 John 2:22-23, 1 John 5:11-12
If you can honestly say that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Savior, you are on your way to a life that looks up and doesn’t trip!
Vss. 3-4 - Psalm 73:24, Psalm 27:8, Philippians 4:4, Hebrews 13:15
MY SOUL IS SATISFIED – Vss. 5-6
Paul and Silas – Acts 16:20-25
MY SOUL IS SAFE – Vss. 7-8
To Listen to a recording of this sermon, visit:
https://www.fbcnhremembers.com/keep_looking_up_and_you_wont_trip
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PSALM 32 – IT’S REAL!
Psalms for Living #4
Tomorrow Joe and Marilyn will celebrate their 47th wedding anniversary. Next Monday Dottie and I will celebrate our 47th wedding anniversary. On June 24th George and Linda will celebrate their 47th wedding anniversary!
God has blessed us with relationships that are real! They have stood the test of time. Everyone appears to be happy and content in their marriage. Each one of us has a real relationship with our spouse. Please note however, if you haven’t already, that each of these relationships is different. We operate in a style that works for each individual couple.
Different types of real relationships can work in marriage, friendships, education and work situations. Of course, not every relationship is a real one. There are many that do not work.
Like the thought or not, every person has some sort relationship with God. But unlike human relationships which can vary and still be real, there is only one way to have a real, vibrant, happy relationship with God. This is what David shares with us.
We are not sure when David wrote this Psalm, but it is possible that like Psalm 51, it was a response to his affair with Bathsheba and the staged murder of her first husband, Uriah the Hittite. Psalm 51 seems to be the immediate confession of his sin, written shortly afterward. This Psalm is more reflective and instructive, perhaps written sometime late and looking back.
Real Forgiveness – Psalm 32:1-2
This is a plural that intensifies it and makes it an exclamation. “Oh how very happy is the man! – Literally, “The full measure of the happy circumstances” Same as Psalm 1 – The difference is Psalm 1 happiness is earned. Psalm 32 happiness is pure grace!
3 words for sin used here:
Transgression – rebellion – we’ve all done it.
Sin – missing the mark, falling short – been there
Iniquity – ‘corrupt’, ‘twisted’, or ‘crooked’ – done that
This is what separates from God! Romans 3:10, 23, 6:23
Now there 3 words involving that talk about forgiveness
Forgiven – sins ‘lifted off’ – Christ has removed them! Psalm 103:12
Sin is covered – atoned for blood presented at the mercy seat. Blood of Christ – 1 Peter 1:18-19
Does not impute iniquity – does not count it – There’s nothing on the books! Romans 4:7-8, Romans 5:9, 5:1
David was a saved man, but he still needed to confess his current sins in order to have a real relationship with God.
Psalm 66:18, 1 John 1:8
Real Conviction – Psalm 32:3-4
When we hide sin and, pretend we don’t have it, God will deal with it. David hid it for a year! David hid it for a year.
Revelation 3:19
Real Confession – Psalm 32:5
1 John 1:9 – Robert Bruce, King of the Scots, in war with English – pursued by his own bloodhounds – waded in a stream and reentered land further down. That washed away the scent. The bloodhounds couldn’t follow him. So, it is with us. When we confess the scent of our sin is washed away! James Johnston, Preaching the Word, The Psalms, Volume 1 (Wheaton IL, Crossway, ©2015) p. 333
WHEN I DELIVERED THIS MESSAGE LAST SUNDAY, I STOPPED HERE. SEEMS LIKE TOO MUCH MATERIAL FOR JUST ONE MESSAGE!
Real Sensitivity – Psalm 32:6
A Godly person who is following Christ will want to keep short accounts with God. He or she will be sensitive.
Real Protection – Psalm 32:7
Real Guidance – Psalm 32:8-9
Real Security – Psalm 32:10
Real Joy – Psalm 32:11
https://www.fbcnhremembers.com/its_real
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MARK 4:35-41 – PRACTICAL REACTIONS TO A FAMILIAR STORY
Since childhood, most of us have heard the story of Jesus stilling the storm
on the sea. There are some practical applications for each of our lives
that come out of this story.
WHEREVER I GO, MAY I GO WITH HIM. Vss. 35-36
Jesus instructed the disciples to go by way of boat across the sea, and went
with them. First, Jesus must be in the boat called my life. I must receive
Him as my Savior. Second, I should follow his leadership, going wherever I
go because He is guiding me there. Psalm 32:8
WHATEVER THE PROBLEM, MAY I REMEMBER THAT HE IS IN THE BOAT. Vss. 37-38a
Even though Jesus was asleep, He was still in the boat and still in control.
When our Lord seems silent as I face trials, may I remember that He is with
me and will never leave me. Hebrews 13:5
WHATEVER THE THREAT, MAY I TRUST HIM. Vss. 38b-41
The disciples panicked, even questioning whether the Lord cared for their
safety. May I simply trust Him, even when things seem to be at their worst.
May I listen for words in my life saying, "Peace, be still!"
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COLOSSIANS 2:8-23 – IF IT ISN’T BROKEN, DON’T FIX IT!
The title of this message is an American saying. Usually, however we don't say it using correct English. We usually say, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" The Phrase simply means don't try to change something that doesn't need changing. As verse 8 shows us in our text, there were false teachers who were trying to "fix" Christianity. Paul warns the Colossians about these people.
CHRISTIANITY ISN'T BROKEN - Vss. 9-15
- We have the fullness of God. Vs. 9
- We are complete in Christ. Vs. 10
- We are circumcised. Vs. 11
- We are baptized. Vs. 12
- We are alive. Vs. 13
- We are forgiven. Vs. 14
- We are victorious. Vs. 15
DON'T FIX IT!
- Don't add legalism. Vss. 16-17
- Don't add mysticism. Vss. 18-19
- Don't add asceticism. Vss. 20-23
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