Hinckley EFC

The Gift Of Incredible Hope.

The Gift of “Incredible Hope”

December 01, 2018

 

I BELIEVE …

I believe in the sun

          Even when it is not shining;

I believe in love,

          Even when I feel it not;

I believe in God,

          Even when He is silent.

 

it’s important to remember that even though times and cultures may change, God’s character remains the same. Hebrews 13:8 tells us that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever…      He never c________…

 

In the angel’s message to Zechariah we find hope.

 

First, we can count on God when we face impossible personal situations!

Their “impossible problem” involved their f____________….

          Elizabeth felt d______________

          Many were sure it was because of s_______!

 

“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents?”  and Jesus replied, “it was not that this man sinned or his parents, but that the works of God might be displayed in him” John 9:2

 

(Have you ever considered that just possibly YOUR “impossible situation” just might also be “so that the works of God might be d____________ through you?)

 

Impossible situations often seem possible when we l_______ u___… so l_________ u____!

God specializes in hopeless cases!!!!

 

“The same God who brought a child to a hopeless elderly couple is still God today.

Think about those words…. “Your prayer has been heard”!  

And pay attention, it was while He was about the w_____ that had been assigned to him that God spoke… It was while he was about the Fathers business that he found the framework of hope…

 

My friend, today God is a_______________ at work causing the events of your life to work for g________….

 

Second, we can count on God to fix an “impossible” situation for mankind!

God uses p___________ to process His p_____!

 

God’s not d_____. He’s very much alive and very much c_______ about you. You are never forgotten.

 

God said to all who feel hopeless, “N__________ will I leave you. N________ will I forsake you.” (Heb. 13:5)

 

The message Zechariah heard from God is for us as well: “Don’t be afraid. I haven’t forgotten Y____! Your prayer has been heard.”

 

The first real gift of Christmas is the gift of  “Incredible HOPE!”

Becoming A People Of Service: I Peter 4:7-11

Becoming a people of Service!

I Peter 4:7-11

November 18, 2018

 

As a people of service; we glorify God as our worship overflows in p__________ expressions of faith and faithfulness s__________ others.

 

• Through Worship:
  • The d____________ of worldly values are exposed,
  • the world-inflicted w_________ are healed,
  • the eternal perspective of being seated with Christ in the "Heavenly places" is r_______.

 

• Worship is an essential means which r___________ us and s_____________ us for His purpose.
• Worship cleanses, restores, and equips us to serve in the Coming Kingdom...
  • We come not because we are worthy, but because He is worthy and declares us worthy in Christ.
  • When we feel the least worthy to come to God, we can best recognize the w_________ of Grace. 

 

• Our confession of sin frees us from i___________ which dilute our sense of n_____. It also awakens us to the hope which empowers obedience.

 

• In worship, we experience the reality of being made r______ with God by faith in Christ. Then, we are prepared to go forth in faith and obedience.

 

Four primary categories of service that will flow directly from our worship. 

• The first is the service of "w__________" or "t_________________".
• The second category of service is the service of love and compassion.
  • The first form of service that is mentioned is "f__________________",
  • "H_________" for the household of faith....
• The third category of service is the service of spiritual warfare.
  • This battle is waged on many fields; the field of p_______ ministry, resisting t__________, and confronting moral corruption and injustice in society.
• The fourth general category of worship inspired service is the service of stewardship in all of l____.

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God this is your spiritual act of worship. “Rom.12:1

 

• Present your bodies.... that is a thoroughly I_____________ concept..!
  • Our bodies represent our career, our relationships with family and friends, and our work in the community where we live... our responsibility to the state, and nation in which we live and the world that we touch in both t__________ and in m___________.
  • All of these are a__________ for our living sacrifice.... the presentation of our bodies in the s_________ of God!!!

Becoming A People Of Celebration. I Peter 2:9-12

Becoming a people of Celebration

I Peter 2:9-12

November 11, 2018

 

• Worship is God's remedy for spiritual a___________. Every worship service announces and celebrates what God has done for us in Christ Jesus.  The memory of Grace makes us more alive in Christ.

 

In Christ we share a unique identity... 

• Peter here reminds us that we are a C_____________... ....
• He saw n_______________ in us and chose us because of that!!!

 

Then, we are R________________!!!

• Our text tells us that Christians, that is us, are Royalty!  That is who you are if you are a child of God.... Royalty!!!  And it doesn't matter how royal you  look either.... You are a "royal priesthood."

 

• What does a Priest do??? 

 

• A priest is someone who goes directly to God and says, "It's me God".... He has permission to enter into the very p____________ of God.... 
• But that is not all that a priest did.... A priest takes other p____________ into the presence of God.  
• And here is a good point to insert the fact that we are not talking about the ordained, professional, paid, clergy here..... NO!!! All b______________ are priests.

 

• Now another of the words that Peter uses here to describe the believer is the word "H_________“
  • .... "Holy" means, simply, "s____ a_______"...
• . It is good to be Holy, but sometimes being holy feels more like being peculiar... different.  Sometimes it will not feel good, but we are set apart.  We are different ... We will always be different!!!!

We are citizens of a holy nation that does not have any g__________________ boundaries. 

 

• "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful d__________, which war on your soul." (vs 11) 

 

• we are "a People b_________________ to God".... He created us.... we are His..... And the starting place for worship is to recognize that God created us and we belong to Him.

 

What is OUR purpose??  Why are we who we are???

verse 9. "You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light".

 

We exist to d___________ his praises.        

 

• In Christ we have a new f___________....  
• "Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.“ vs 10

Worship: Becoming A People of Praise. Rev. 7:9-17

Worship -Becoming a people of Praise

Rev. 7:9-17

November 04, 2018

 

When directed by faith in Jesus Christ the act of praise cuts us free from the ties of this world, lifting us heavenward.  Then praise becomes a source of spiritual r_______________ and r___________.

  

 "How can we direct our praise capacity toward God?”

 

First of all, there is Confession of Sin....

 

• When we confess our sins, we are h_____________ ourselves before God, we are acknowledging His h_______________, experiencing His faithfulness and righteousness in His forgiveness of those sins, and accepting any c_____________ that He may see fit to give, and in doing all of that we are in a unique position to praise Him!!!

 

• I John 1:9 is very familiar... " If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
  • The word, "confess“ literally means "to e__________ the same thing", or to be in complete a____________....
  • Confession of sin is fully agreeing with God about both the responsibility for that sin and the awfulness of it.

 

• In fact, confession serves the dual purpose of being an act of worship itself, and it prepares the repentant sinner for worship.
• Hebrews 9:14 says cleansing purifies the c____________ "to serve the living God.”

 

• .... confession of sin glorifies God... it acknowledges that He is holy when He acts in j____________ against sin.

 

The second area that I would like to look at is what I call "Verbal praise"...... 

That is, we glorify God by praising Him with our m________.  In Psalm 50:23 God says, "Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me:"..

• In the K.J.V the 107th repeatedly uses the expression, "Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness and for His wonderful works to the children of men".

 

• Worship through praise is to be the chief activity of e_________.
  • "since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your          minds on things above, not on earthly things."  (C____ 3:1-2)
  • "Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with fullest confidence, that we may receive mercy for our failures and grace to help in the hour of need. (H___________ 4:16, J.B. Phillips paraphrase).

 

• when we offer a real sacrifice of praise it will require trading in our p_______, our a___________, and most valued of all our human l_________.

 

• Hebrews 13:15 "Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise the fruit of lips that confess his name.
  • We don't need to focus on in-depth descriptions of our problems.... we need to describe in more vivid and comprehensive terms The Lord who is the answer to all of our problems.

 

We are called to cultivate praise as a lifestyle. 

• First, the habit of praise renews our f__________!...
• Second, the lessons of praise shape our p_________...! 
• Thirdly, the power of praise energizes our c_______....!

Worship. The Pacesetter Of Life. Exodus 31:12-17

Worship: The pacesetter of life

Exodus 31:12-17

October 28, 2018

 

 “Man’s chief end (purpose) is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever. (Westminster shorter Catechism)

 

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind".....(Matt 22:37)

 

• In other words, in real Worship, we place God's w___ above everything else.

 

• "Worship" a p__________ experience within the context of a p________ event, in other words as God's people meet together.

 

1. Worship cultivates a sense of His p____________.
2. Without worship we lose a l_________ knowledge of God.... without worship, the sense of God's presence is only a memory.... a dim, distant memory!!!
3. When we take time to focus on his Word and to remember His work, our spirit awakens to the hope that is ours in the "s_______" of the Lord's Day.
4. Worship r_________ the guidance systems of our lives. Worship keeps us from the disorientation that comes from over-valuing the "stuff" and activities of life.

 

2. worship makes us available for the transforming power of God to r_______ our minds and s________ the life of Christ within us.

The instruction to worship is given in Exodus 31:13  "... so you may know that I am the LORD, who makes you holy.

• we can celebrate not only the creation of the world in six days, but the new c____________ of our new lives through the resurrection of Jesus Christ on the first day of the week.
• In a culture that emphasizes performance, we find it very difficult to understand that the most significant means to our life-transformation comes from being a_________________ to God....
• Worship puts us in a place where we are open to God, and in an a___________ that makes us co-operative with Him as well.
• Worship changes u___.....
• When we, that is you and I, begin to experience this transforming power in worship, our l________, our c_______________ will never be the same.

 

3.The third promise that is inherent in keeping the Lord's day is one of  r________.

• It is the rest of satisfaction and contentment that comes from having the eternal p______________ on our temporal lives.
• Our lives are rooted in the created order and plan of God.....

 

how can we make worship the pace setter of our lives.... 

• commit yourself to developing a new u_____________ of worship....
• commit yourself to p__________ for weekly worship.
• commit yourself to "p___________" weekly worship in the days that follow.

On What is YOUR Life Built Matthew 7:24-27

On what is YOUR life built?

Matthew 7:24-27

October 21, 2018

 

Comparisons between the two different men...

 

What are the characteristics of a foolish man?? 

• First of all the thing that I notice here is that the foolish man is always in a h_________....
• Secondly, I think that this is the person who has the mentality that says ‘I don’t need any i______________, I can figure this out on my own’....
• The third characteristic of a foolish man is that he failed to think through the c_______________ of his actions....

 

The wise builder is just the opposite of the foolish one....

• He also wanted to have a house.... but He was not in such a hurry that he would forego basic d________ and c_________________ principles.
• You see, the wise builder takes the time to find out all of the i__________________ that he can...

 

So, the real difference here is the f_______________ or the lack thereof....!

 

The foundation material that these two men used:

Principle number one is that if the foundation is not good, the whole b____________ is not good.

 

there are only two options.... sand or rock....

 

• what are you building the house of your life upon????

 

The trials and testing’s of Faith.....

everything that we are relying upon, every preparation that we make, our whole view of life, is going to be subjected to t_______.......

it is something that  is u__________...  It is something that is going to happen to the wise as well as the foolish.....

 

n___________ in the Bible are we told that when we come to Jesus , when we become a Christian, that all of our problems are going to be over and the remainder of our life will be rosy....

 

The truth is that there are certain things in life which are unavoidable

• Whether we like it or not the world comes. The answer is not e______.... for there is none....

 

• ....It is clear that “we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers,.... against spiritual wickedness in high places”.

 

In Ephesians 6, Paul tells us that the only way to stand is to put on the whole a_________ of God…

 

Nothing will avail but the pure foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Deciding Factor-Obedience Matthew 7:21-23

The deciding factor -- Obedience

Matthew 7:21-23

October 14, 2018

“Cheap Grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without Church discipline, communion without confession, absolution without personal confession.  Cheap Grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate.”

   “The cost of Discipleship” Deitrich Bonhoffer

 

The message here is designed to open our eyes again to the great danger of s_________________ and s______________________.

Our Lord is emphasizing once more that nothing a____________ in the presents of God but true righteousness, true holiness..... the ‘holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord” (H_____________ 12:14)

 

The general principle behind this teaching is that self-deception, with regard to the soul and its relationship to God, is generally due to our relying upon f______ __________ of Salvation.

 

• The first piece of false evidence that some people rest on is rather surprising..... it is none other than a correct b____________.

 

To be a Christian means that we rest our entire case.... our whole S_______________, our eternal destiny entirely upon the ___________________.  That is why the true believer says, “Lord, Lord”.

But the alarming aspect of all of this is that the Lord makes it clear that n______ everyone who says this will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

^“You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble!”
 J__________ 2:19

 

We are all in danger of becoming content with an i______________________ to the truth!!!

 

There is the danger of trusting your f________ instead of Christ, or trusting your b____________ without really becoming regenerate.

 

• The second area in which many people find a false spiritual confidence is in the area of w_________

.

“Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?” vs. 22

 

“For by Grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God --- NOT of works lest any man should boast.” Ephesians 2:8&9.....

 

The question we need to answer this morning is not “is Jesus God”? 

But” is He Your God”? 

          Not “is Jesus Lord”?...

                    But “is Jesus Lord of Your life”?

          Not” is Jesus the Savior”,

                    but “Is He YOUR Savior”.

Dealing With Deception. Matthew 7:15-20

Dealing with Deception

Matthew 7:15-20

October 07, 2018

 

The greatest danger lies in the fact that there are going to be agents of the devil in the CHURCH!

 

"And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.  It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.”   2 Cor. 11:14 & 15

 

What is a prophet??? 

*today the word usually means one who is able to tell what is coming in the future. 

*In Biblical times it has a much broader meaning.  A prophet was one who s________ for another, and particularly, one who spoke for G______.

 

How can we recognize false teachers, false prophets???? how can we detect just “who” is a “wolf” in sheep’s clothing?????

 

First of all there is no “s__________ g______” in the teaching of a false prophet... no “narrow way”!

when you hear preaching or teaching or read books or magazines, ask yourself, does this system of thought have the Lord Jesus as its c_________???

 

The second test... is this:  False prophets do not have disturbing doctrines in their messages, even though the true state of man d_____________ it.

 

True teaching involves the realities of men’s depravity and sin.....God’s wrath and coming judgment, the need for repentance, and the answer to mans sin in Christ’s atonement.

 

The third test is the test of g______ w________.....

Jesus shows that men are like fruit trees, good ones only produce good fruit.... bad ones only produce bad fruit.

that means two things:

 

First of all it means that there must be fruit if the Christian life is g_______________....

• there must be good works, and the evidence, or absence of them can be a good test of false doctrine.

Second, the fruit must be s___________ fruit, and not just good works of which the world is capable. 

• To put it practically ask, “does the teaching really strengthen and encourage the h_________?? Is it matched by blessing and true Christian character in the life of the teacher???  

If we put these three things together ....

• whether or not there is a s___________ gate in the message,
• whether there is the unpleasant theme of s___ and j___________ dealt with, along with the wonderful message of God’s love and Grace,
• and is there real and satisfying f_______ in the teaching....

Then, and only then, we can know if it is from the Lord!

Straight Gate, the Narrow Way. Matthew 7:13-14

Straight gate, the Narrow Way

Matthew 7:13-14

September 30, 2018

 

The Scriptures state that there are but two ways for mankind to go....

one is n____________,

the other is b____________......

 

“What will this ‘narrow way’ cost???  What will we have to leave behind in order to “enter in”???

First of all we have to start by realizing that when we become a Christian, we become something that is different, something e____________!  You are making a break with the crowd....

 

part of the cost is to recognize that one person is responsible for me, and that is m__________!!! 

I am responsible for my life, for my c___________...

 

we move from following the crowd, to the place that we are willing to go it alone....cause the strait gate and the narrow way has only room for o_____ at a t_____.

 

First of all this is the way that leads to “L_______” ...

John 10:10 “"The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly."  

 

--- this life that He came to give us was HIS life --- R_____________ life.... Christ l__________ in us!!!!

 

In Romans 6:23 the Apostle Paul said, “"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.“

eternal life is NOT something that you get when you die if you have been g_____ e___________.... that is the concept of every works related religion... (and incidentally, that is every other philosophy other than Christianity.)

 

So, what is the alternative to this ???....Jesus calls it the “broad way” or the “wide gate”....

The Bible has many different words and phrases to describe this;

“f____________”...... or “p____________”....... I Cor 1:18 tells us; “For the preaching of the Cross is to them that perish, foolishness”

“l______” ......II Cor 4:3 tells us;  “But if our Gospel be hid it is hid to them that are lost.”

 

Lets go back to I John 5:13 ... "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may k______ that ye have e____________ life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

 

Eternal life  --- eternal death or destruction.... these are at opposite end of human society....

 

The real question is what is your lot in life...

 

Jesus said, “I am the way the truth and the life... But He must be the way for you!!!

He said, I am the door... But you must enter it!!!

Foundations For Prayer. Matthew 7:7-11

Foundations for Prayer

Matthew 7:7-11

September 23, 2018

We are called to live above and beyond our own n________ a________ (Be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect!)

that option is only available to us as we s_________ to God and allow Him to live out His life in that person of our lives.

 

to capitalize on this wonderful promise, there are a couple of things that we will need to come to grips with....

 

• First of all we must recognize our n_______....
  • the first two essential to salvation are first of all to realize our own need, and secondly to realize the riches of the G__________ that is in Christ.
  • When we recognize our need we “Ask”, We “Seek” and we “Knock”

“The most fatal thing in the Christian life is to be content with passing desires.  If we really want to be men of God, if we really want to know Him, and walk with Him, and experience those boundless blessings which He has to offer us, we must persist in asking Him for them day by day.  We have to feel this hunger and thirst after righteousness, and then we shall be filled.” Dr. D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

 

• The second thing that we need to address is the fact that God is our F_________.

This concept is really c_________ to prayer itself....  It is an argument from the lesser to the greater.... that is; if an earthly father does so much, how much more will God do????

 

“… how does God become “my” Father?? 

 

John 1:11 -12 tells us, "He came unto his own, and his own received him not.  But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name:“

• B___________ in Him, we r____________ a new nature and we become children of God.
• He will also give us His Holy Spirit, ‘the Spirit of a______’ whereby we cry, ‘Abba, Father’(Rom 8:15)
• It means that, as my Father, He is i________ in me, that He is c___________ about me, that He is watching over me, that He has a p_____ and p_______ with respect to me!! It is His desire to bless and benefit me!!!

 

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." 

• And this is based on His understanding that “If God be for us, who can stand against us????? (Rom 8:31)
• Because He is your Father, He will never give you anything that is e_________.... He will only give you that which is g_________....
• "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Rom 8:28