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Episodes
Sermons preached at the Hinckley Evangelical Free Church (Hinckley, MN)
Episodes
Monday Feb 12, 2018
Monday Feb 05, 2018
Monday Jan 29, 2018
Monday Jan 29, 2018
Blessed are the Poor in Spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of God
January 28,2018
Blessed….
This word was used to express a quality that was attributed to the Greek gods...
- An almost unbelievable state of__________.
- Denote someone or something that was___
__________, that neither needs nor is dependent on the outside world for its sustenance.
The Christian is to be God-sufficient and not _______________conditioned....
If a man wants to be truly fulfilled, to find real Joy, to enjoy true blessedness, then he must abandon conventional earthly thinking about what it means to be truly blessed.
The spiritual pre-requisite: being ________ in Spirit
Two different Greek terms that describe the concept of poverty.
One is that of a person who is poor, but has_____ ______. Example Luke 21:2....
The second term is used to describe the _______ _____of an individual who has no resources whatsoever.. Example Luke 16:19
It is this second Greek term that Jesus uses here in this first Beatitude: “blessed are the spiritually destitute.”
In the Old Testament, the term poverty was closely associated with genuine ________ before God.
Humility is the simple prerequisite that functions as the door of all of the beatitudes !
The promise...
First, participation in God’s kingdom is ________________to true happiness.
Second, kingdom participation is ______________for those who become “Poor in Spirit.”
Third, the kingdom of heaven is a _______
________to all who are poor in spirit.
Monday Jan 22, 2018
Monday Jan 22, 2018
The call to Christian conduct
January 21,2018
Matthew 5:3-12 (ESV)
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.
12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Monday Jan 15, 2018
Monday Jan 15, 2018
Navigating Change: Trust Your Crew
Various texts
The Need for a Crew
- A ship does not sail right by itself
- It needs a crew to steer and maintain it
Who is Our Crew?
- The Captain = Jesus (Heb. 2:10)
- ἀρχηγός (archeos): founder, leader, captain
- He sets the destination
- He commands the crew
- This is especially true in the Church (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18)
- And should be true in every aspect of our lives
- Shipmates: Our Church family
- We are not meant to do life alone
- We cannot navigate change alone
- We need each other
- In the Church (1 Cor. 12:14-18)
- In life (Gen 2:18)
- This is not just about a spouse
- But about a support system in each other
Trust Your Crew
- God has given you servant leaders in the Elders, Trustees, Deaconesses, and Church Board
- He has given you each other to be a support and encouragement
- To serve and love each other
- To be for each other as He is for us
- Everyone in the crew is imperfect (except the Captain)
- Trusting your crew is about trusting the Spirit at work in them, as they trust that He is at work in you
- The Pastor’s role on the ship
- First-mate
- Doesn’t set the course
- Doesn’t command the crew directly
- Listens to the captain and leads the crew as needed
- A ship can function without a First-mate for a time
- As long as they listen to the Captain
- And as long as the rest of the crew leans into the work
- First-mate
So What?
- As we learn to navigate change in God-honoring ways
- Trust your Captain
- Trust your crew
- Lean into the work of ministry
Meditation Verse: Philippians 2:12-13
Monday Jan 08, 2018
Monday Jan 08, 2018
Navigating Change: Adjust Your Sails
Various texts
The Function of Sails
- Sails do NOT cause a ship to move
- Wind makes it move
- The sails harness the wind
- If there is no wind, the sails won’t work
- And it is impossible to sail directly against the wind
- So, a good sailor has to adjust his sails to catch the wind
What is the Wind??
- The Wind = The Holy Spirit (John 3:5-8)
- The term ‘spirit’ means breath or wind in both Hebrew (ruah’) & Greek (pneuma)
- He is Giver of life (Job 33:4; John 6:63)
- He is the empower & equipper (1 Cor. 12:11; see also Eph. 4:11ff; Heb. 13:20-21)
- He is God at work in us and in the world (John 14:16-18)
Adjusting our Sails
- As change happens, we need to adjust ourselves to what God is doing in our lives and in the world around us
- “Watch to see where God is working and join Him” -Henry & Richard Blackaby and Claude King, Experiencing God (see John 5:17, 19-20)
- This requires being attuned to the Holy Spirit
- Being silent and listening
- Setting aside our agendas and goals
- Relying on God’s timing
- It allows us to be conformed to His will (Rom. 8:28-29; 12:2)
- This leads to peace beyond understanding (Phil. 4:5a-7)
So What?
- As we learn to navigate change in God-honoring ways
- Let’s adjust our Sails to the wind of the Spirit
Meditation Verse: John 3:8
Monday Jan 01, 2018
Monday Jan 01, 2018
Navigating Change: Know Your Anchor
Various texts
Life is Change
- As we start a new year, we reflect on the ever-changing nature of life
- We seek out positive changes
- While trying to avoid negative ones
- But, change is unavoidable in life
- Both personally and corporately
- So, we need to learn how to navigate change in life in ways that:
- Honors God
- Helps us grow into the people He wants us to be
- We’re going to use a sailing analogy to help us
The Need for Anchors
- Anchors keep boats from drifting
- From running aground
- Or going into dangerous places
- Sometimes we think of them as keeping us from moving
- But, they’re used more to keep us from danger
What are our Anchors?
- The unchangeable nature of God (Heb. 6:17-18)
- Jesus Himself (Heb. 6:19-20)
- And His work on our behalf
- Scripture (Pro. 30:5)
What Do these Anchors Do?
- They help us grow into mature followers of Christ
- Protecting us from false teaching and thinking (Eph. 4:11-14)
- They give us hope during uncertain times (Rom. 8:28)
- They combat doubt in God’s goodness (Jas. 1:5-6)
So What?
- As we learn to navigate change in God-honoring ways
- Let’s hold on to the Anchors of our faith
- And trust that He is using change for our good
Meditation Verse: Hebrews 6:19
Wednesday Dec 27, 2017
Wednesday Dec 27, 2017
The Coming of the King
Luke 2:4-5, 10-14; various texts
Why Bethlehem?
- Was Jesus’ birth in the Bethlehem a matter of coincidence or was there more to it?
- Bethlehem has a rich history before the birth of Jesus
- It is near where Rachel, Jacob’s beloved wife, was buried (Gen. 35:19)
- One of the minor judges, Ibzan, was a Bethlehemite (Jdg. 12:8-10)
- A Bethlehemite girl was the victim of a sever lack of hospitality by the men of Gibeah (Jdg. 19-20)
- An irony lost on the people of Bethlehem in Jesus’ day
- It was the hometown of Naomi and became the adopted home of Ruth
- And it was the hometown of David
- Because of its connection with David, Bethlehem became associated with the coming Messiah (Mic. 5:2-5a)
- Thus, Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem was not coincidence
- But rather, part of God’s orchestrated plan
- And a clear declaration that Jesus came to be Messiah!
What is Messiah?
- Messiah is the promised king of Israel
- From the lineage of David
- Called Christ in Greek
- The expectation of the Jews of Jesus’ day was that Messiah came to conquer Israel’s enemies
- Seen as Rome in that time period
- But, the people’s expectations were wrong
- Something He was suspected of (John 7:42)
- Something He was mocked for (Mark 15:32)
- Something He was arrested for (Luke 23:2)
- Jesus came to be Messiah
- The king who would win victory over the enemies of God’s people
- The king who would bring peace (Isa 9:6-7)
- But, the enemy was not Rome or some human institution
- It was sin & death
- And the peace He offers is not simply a lack of conflict
- But real peace with God (Rom 5:1)
- That was the message that the shepherds heard that night over 2000 years ago (Luke 2:10-14)
So What?
- Do you know Jesus as King?
- Do you have peace with God through Jesus?
- That is what why we celebrate this time each year
Meditation Verse: Luke 2:14
Monday Dec 11, 2017
Monday Dec 11, 2017
The Coming of the Savior
Luke 2:10-14, various texts
Why a Baby?
- Why did we need this child to come into the world the way He did?
- If God wanted to step into human history, could He had done so without becoming human?
- Or could He had simply come as an adult?
- Not if He wanted accomplish part of Jesus’ mission
- To be a Savior for humanity (Luke 2:11-12)
- Jesus coming as a baby was a sign that He came to be our Savior
- He came to be human in every way, so that He might experience every aspect of humanity
- In order to sympathize with us (Heb. 4:15)
- Thus, the rags & manger
- Before this, Jesus did not know what poverty was like
- As, God owning all things
- Before this, Jesus did not know what powerlessness was like
- As God, being all-powerful
- So, He took on the lowest, most vulnerable of humanity to know what it was truly like to be human (Phil. 2:6-8)
- And He invites us to do the same
- He came to be human in every way, so that He might experience every aspect of humanity
- In order to redeem it all (Titus 2:14)
- In order for Jesus to do His redemptive work on the Cross, He needed to be an appropriate substitute for us (Heb. 2:17)
- Before this, Jesus did not know what poverty was like
- Thus, the rags & manger
- In order to sympathize with us (Heb. 4:15)
The Great Savior
- Jesus came to be our Savior because we needed saving
- From our sins
- From death
- From ourselves
- That’s why He is named ‘Jesus’ (Matt. 1:21)
- It means “The Lord saves”
So What?
- We celebrate Jesus coming to be our Great Savior
- Saving us from our sins, death, and ourselves
- Are we trusting Him to do this in us?
- And declaring it to the world!
Meditation Verse: Matthew 1:2
Monday Dec 04, 2017
Monday Dec 04, 2017
The Coming of the Great Shepherd
Luke 2:8-14, various texts
Why Shepherds?
- Why did God choose shepherds to first hear the good news about the birth of Jesus?
- In that day, shepherds were social outcasts
- There is a strong link between shepherds and Israel’s history
- Abel was a shepherd (Gen. 4:2)
- The Patriarchs of Israel were all shepherds
- Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
- When the Israelites moved to Egypt under Joseph because of a famine in Canaan
- They were given the land of Goshen to live in because it was good land for herding sheep (Gen. 46:34)
- And the Egyptians detested shepherds
- Moses served as a shepherd to his father-in-law (Ex. 3:1)
- David was a shepherd before he was king (1 Sam. 17:34)
- They were given the land of Goshen to live in because it was good land for herding sheep (Gen. 46:34)
- The image of the shepherd became associated with the leaders of Israel ( 27:17; 2 Sam. 5:2, 7:7; 1 Kgs. 22:17; 1 Chr. 11:2, 17:6; 2 Chr. 18:16; Ps. 78:71)
- And was often used as a lament when there were no one godly to lead, especially during the time of the Prophets ( 10:2; see also Jer. 22:22; 49:19; 50:44; 51:23; Ez. 34:5, 8; 11:16-17)
- But God is also described as a shepherd (Isa 40:10-11; see also Gen 49:24; Ps. 23; 28:9; 80:1; Jer. 31:10; Ez. 34:15)
- And the promised Messiah is described as a shepherd (Ez. 34:15-16, 23-24)
- God sent the angels to these shepherds to declare the coming of the promised Shepherd who would:
- Seek the lost
- Bind up the injured
- Strengthen the weak
- Bring justice to the oppressed
- And who to better recognize a good shepherd than other shepherds
The Great Shepherd
- Jesus claimed to be God’s shepherd (John 10:14-15)
- Sent by the Father
- Taking care of His sheep
- Who, in turn, listen to His voice (John 10:4)
- And follow where He leads
So What?
- We can celebrate because Jesus came to be our Great Shepherd
- Seeking the lost, binding up the injured, strengthening the weak, and bringing justice to the oppressed
- Are we listening to His voice like good sheep?
Meditation Verse: John 10:14-15