Monthly Archives: May 2022

1 Corinthians 9:19-27 – “Doing all for the Sake of the Gospel”

Leave a reply

1 Corinthians 9:19-27

My sermon notes for Sunday morning, May 29th.  Remember, these are my personal study notes and not a manuscript of the sermon. They are provided as an outline each week for our Tabernacle Church family. The church provides a live stream of the service each Sunday at 10:30 on Facebook. We also provide the services through YouTube by Sunday afternoon.  You can find Sermon Notes, Family Devotional Guides, Prayer List, and other resources at our Church Website.

INTRO

  • In vv. 1-18 Paul discusses his willingness to let go of his rights and privileges for the sake and good of the Gospel.
  • In vv. 19-27 he demonstrates how he lives this life out.
  • Verse 19 makes the charge and vv. 20-27 shows us how to accomplish it.

v. 19 For though I am free from all, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win more of them

  • We are free
  • Yet we have made ourselves servants
  • So that I might win the more (impact & influence)

Romans 6:18 and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.

Consider the spiritual needs of others – vv. 20-22

1 Cor. 9:20-22

I must be willing to be in the world but not in it

I must be willing to build relationships so that I can share the Gospel.

Never compromising truth – keeping my motives pure

  • in order to share the Gospel.
  • What is my goal…FOR THEM TO LIVE MORE LIKE CHRIST…RATHER THAN ME LIVE MORE LIKE THEM.

Jews, Gentiles, and the weak…that covers everyone

Focus on the Gospel – v 23

1 Cor. 9:23

I do it all for the sake of the gospel – v. 23a

The communicating of the Gospel

  • We tell others the Good News
  • Not merely a
    • Presentation
    • Looking for a decision

The truth of the Gospel

  • We must never cut corners in the message
  • We do not save… GOD DOES.
    • Truly doubt we can talk someone into it or out of it
  • MAKE THE GOSPEL A BIG DEAL
  • We are guilty of watering down the Gospel
  • What is “True Saving Faith”
  • https://pastorjonbeck.com/what-is-saving-faith

that I may share with them in its blessings – v. 23b

The sharing in the blessings

  • The seeing of someone coming to faith is Christ
  • Becoming a brother and sister in Christ with someone
  • Coming alongside them and seeing them grow

Start with the end in mind – vv. 24-27

1 Cor. 9:24-27

Run the race – Go make disciples.  THIS IS OUR PURPOSE

STARTING AND FINISHING

  • We seem to start well, but how is our finishing
  • Are we worshiping, Serving, Investing in such a way that people are coming to faith in Christ and growing in Christ

AS A CHURCH AND AS AN INDIVIDUAL

ME AND TAB

  • Where I have been.  The Start
  • When I am – Now
  • Where I am going – The future

Self-control – v. 25

  • Controlling my passions and desires
  • Living in holiness
  • Previous verses… denying my rights.

Live with purpose – v. 26

  • Running aimlessly
  • My walk with Christ
  • My hope in the Gospel
  • My ministry to “make disciples”
    • Deny self
    • Consider others

Discipline your body – v. 27

  • My life is dedicated to finish faithful.
  • Effort … work.
  • Ongoing… this is a good thing.
  • Eph. 2:8 – Created for good works.
  • 1 Tim. 4:7 – Train/Discipline yourself for the purpose of Godliness.”

SO THAT I WILL NOT BE DISQUALIFIED

  • Damaging our witness, hindering our ability to serve the Lord.  SIN ALWAYS COMES WITH A COST

1 Corinthians 9:1-18 – “Giving up our rights for the sake of the Gospel”

Leave a reply

My sermon notes for Sunday morning, May 22nd.  Remember, these are my personal study notes and not a manuscript of the sermon. They are provided as an outline each week for our Tabernacle Church family. The church provides a live stream of the service each Sunday at 10:30 on Facebook. We also provide the services through YouTube by Sunday afternoon.  You can find Sermon Notes, Family Devotional Guides, Prayer List, and other resources at our Church Website.

1 Corinthians 9:1-18

INTRO

  • Paul is addressing Christian liberties and rights
  • What we can do / What we should do
  • The encouragement is to keep one’s interest not on oneself, but rather on the Gospel
  • All for the sake of the Gospel
    • Giving up “our rights” for the sake of the Gospel

Paul’s Rights and Privileges – vv. 1-12a

The rights that Paul possessed as an apostle

  • He had seen Christ – Acts 9:1-19 – Road to Damascus
  • He was sent by Christ

Paul was justified in having the church support his ministry

  • Because of His calling
  • Because of his ministry

Yet…

  • He knew his position was not as important as his purpose
  • He was part of something much greater than himself

Paul’s Lessons in Forgoing His Rights – vv. 12b-18

Endure all things for the Gospel– v. 12

  • Endurance – keeping on when things are not the best
    • Key is how we respond to the things of life
  • He did not want to put an obstacle in the way of the Gospel

Boast only in the Gospel – v. 15

  • What did he have to boast in?
  • Him nothing… The Gospel everything.
  • Boast… found joy
  • Romans 15:17 – In Christ Jesus he was proud of his work
  • Paul would not boast in his ministry but in the Gospel of his ministry.

Steward the Gospel – v. 17

  • Steward God’s resources
  • He was not REWARDED… as if he had done something
  • We forgotten about GRACE
    • A biblical understanding of salvation is key.
  • Rather, he was a steward (managed what was given)
    • Our gifts
    • Times, Talents, Treasures
    • Our Purpose and Passion
  • Colossians 1:24-27

Preach the Gospel – v. 16

  • Woe is me if I do not preach the Gospel
  • Preach, Teach, Proclaim (church and beyond)
  • Salvation and Sanctification
  • Listen to, Trust in, Live out

Concluding Thoughts

  • How easy is it for us to think highly of ourselves? (I see it at times in ministry)
  • What we are entitled to may not be what is best… we may need to forgo our rights for the sake of the Gospel.
  • What if our greatest desire was for the Gospel to be proclaimed through our life?

Nehemiah 1:1-11

Leave a reply

My sermon notes for Wednesday night, May 18th.  Remember, these are my personal study notes and not a manuscript of the sermon. They are provided as an outline each week for our Tabernacle Church family. The church provides a live stream of the service each Wednesday at 6:30 on Facebook. We also provide the services through YouTube. You can find Sermon Notes, Family Devotional Guides, Prayer List, and other resources at our Church Website.

Nehemiah 1:1-11

INTRO

  • Nehemiah is a Godly man that accomplished much.
  • Nehemiah is often referred to as a great book on leadership.
  • Tonight let us consider the Godly Leader and their relationship with God  (their prayer life and devotion)

A Kingdom Concern vv. 1-3

News came for Jerusalem

  • His heart was focused on God’s Kingdom
    • God’s rule and reign through His people
  • He was devoted to God.
  • Seeking after God

A Kingdom Petition vv. 4-11

The Attitude of his Prayer – v.4

  • Brokenness
  • Reverence
  • Presence (He was aware of the holiness of God

The  Content of his Prayer

  • Adoration – v. 5
  • Confession – vv. 6-7
  • Thanksgiving – vv. 8-10
    • Deut 28-30 – Judgement and Blessing
    • He knew God would forgive and restore… if they obeyed
  • Supplication
    • Prov. 21:1 – God moves the hearts of kings.

The Persistence of his Prayer

  • 2:1 – 5 months later

1 Corinthians 8:1-13 – “Our Christian Liberties”

1 Reply

INTRO

  • Paul is asked about food offered to idols
    • one portion sacrificed,  second given to person…Third to priest.
    • What priest did not use was sold in the market.  It was cheaper than the typical meat market.
  • It was causing some Christians to question the practices of others.
  • CAN WE EAT FOOD OFFERED TO IDOLS?
  • What about us today?  What is our “food sacrificed to idols?”
  • When something is not explicitly dealt with in scripture.
    • Things I have encountered over the years… Alcohol, lottery, non-Christian music, movies, Sunday activities…etc.
  • How can we determine our freedom?

Understand Knowledge and Love

Knowledge is important. Paul is constantly encouraging the church to grow in their knowledge and understanding of the things of God.  We cannot believe that which we do not know.

  • Knowledge/Facts are very important… but WISDOM IS CRUCIAL
  • Knowledge alone puffs up.  Knowledge must be followed by practice.  (To Know and Love)

Love is a verb.  If we know God we will love God and love others.  We will stop looking so selfishly at our life and begin to look at others.

Col. 1:9 – exhorted to grow in knowledge (DOCTRINE)

1 John 4:19-21 – exhorted to love. (UNITY)

They are not enemies of one another

  • True Knowledge will lead to True Love
  • True Love will lead to True Knowledge

I have noticed over the years that we typically lean more one way or the other… and have a hard time understanding why others do not see things the way we do.

  • Just love people like Jesus did
  • Get doctrine right like Paul did

Do Not Live in the Extremes

Legalism – WHAT I HAVE TO DO

  • Rules
  • What we do or do not do.
  • No gray area…black or white based on our understanding.  We take the gray out for you.

License – WHAT I AM FREE TO DO

  • Freedom to do whatever, as long as not scriptural issue.
  • We can do anything.  It’s all good!
  • Danger of turning everything gray.  Did God really say that?

Examine the Issue Theologically & Biblically

Is it biblical…is it addressed in scripture

  • The weak – lack of knowledge and understanding
  • Proof texting verse the big theological picture

Check Your Motives

WHY – THIS IS CRUCIAL.

  • I KNOW YOU CAN, BUT WHY DO YOU WANT TO
  • Why do I want to do it
  • Selfless love?

Consider Your Witness

Will it build up or cause to others to stumble.

  • Am I doing this to fulfill the Great Commission or am I doing this for myself?

Continue to Grow in Your Faith

We are never there yet, we continue to mature in our faith

v. 12 – “you sin against Christ”

  • Strive to move from weaker to stronger in our faith.  WE NEED TO GROW IN KNOWLEDGE AND LOVE
  • Grow as a weaker brother
  • Come alongside the weaker brother. OTHERS NEED TO GROW IN KNOWLEDGE AND LOVE

Nehemiah – An Introduction

Leave a reply

My sermon notes for Wednesday night, May 4th.  Remember, these are my personal study notes and not a manuscript of the sermon. They are provided as an outline each week for our Tabernacle Church family. The church provides a live stream of the service each Wednesday at 6:30 on Facebook. We also provide the services through YouTube. You can find Sermon Notes, Family Devotional Guides, Prayer List, and other resources at our Church Website.

INTRODUCTION

A great site providing introduction to the book of Nehemiah

ESV Global Study Bible – Intro to Nehemiah

HISTORICAL TIMELINE

1140 BC

  • God brought the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery
  • If they broke the covenant, they would be slaves once again (Jeremiah 2:14-15)

722 BC

  • Assyrians take northern Kingdom
  • 10 tribes were scattered and intermarried with Assyrians or left.

586 BC – Jerusalem Falls to Babylonians

  • Nebuchadnezzar was ruler
  • Daniel to Babylon

538 BC – Persians defeat Babylonians

  • Cyrus was ruler
  • Allowed conquered subjects to return to their homelands
  • 2 Chronicles 36:7 – Was allowed to take back possessions taken from Temple.
  • Ezra 1-4
  • Rebuilding of temple

522 BC

  • Darius is ruler
  • Greeks defeat Persians at Marathon
  • Haggai/Zechariah encouragement to build the Temple
  • Temple completed

486 BC

  • Xerxes is ruler
  • Esther is chosen to be queen (479 BC)

465 BC

  • Artaxerxes is ruler
  • Nehemiah is cupbearer

445 BC

  • Nehemiah goes to Jerusalem to build the wall.

THOUGHTS

  • Where Ezra deals with the religious restoration, Nehemiah is concerned with the political and geographical
  • Both are concerned with the restoration of Israel.
  • God uses both for His Glory!
  • Nehemiah 1-7 is the restoration of the wall
  • Nehemiah 8-13 is the restoration of the people

KEY VERSES

Nehemiah 6:15–16 – So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. And when all our enemies heard of it, all the nations around us were afraid and fell greatly in their own esteem, for they perceived that this work had been accomplished with the help of our God. (ESV)

Nehemiah 8:8 – They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading. (ESV)

KEY THEMES

Nehemiah’s Trust in God

  • His obedience to God’s leading in His life
  • Coming before the King
  • Taking on such a task…finishing the task
  • Nehemiah 7:5

Nehemiah’s Perseverance

  • Nehemiah faced continuous opposition, disappointments, and setbacks, yet he continued with the task

Nehemiah’s Devotion to the Word of God

  • The spiritual revival came in response to Ezra’s reading of “the Book of the Law of Moses” (Nehemiah 8:1-13)
  • Reading, Explaining, Understanding, Doing the Word (the will of God)