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| To the Unknown God (Acts 17.22-34) |
| 30.3.08 |
As is my custom, here is an outline of the sermon I am scheduled to preach today at my church, Antioch Fellowship Baptist Church.
Introduction: While in Athens, Paul saw the idolatry and was moved to preach everywhere he went in the city. This lifestyle was normal for him. He used logic, the culture and a confrontation of their religious views and spiritual ignorance as an opening to share the truth found in the Gospel of Christ with those in Athens. During this he saw an altar dedicated "to the unknown god." He would introduce the people of Athens to the God they did not know. The Religion (v. 22-23) - Paul's spirit was "provoked within him" at the idolatry in Athens (v. 18) so he preached Christ
- He was taken to the Areogapus (a.k.a. Mar's Hill- Greek: the hill of Ares, Roman equivalent to Ares was Mars, thus Mars' Hill), the Athenian court- common for religious matters as well (no church and state issues there)
- Paul perceived they were religious- the term was ambiguous, either meaning a compliment or superstitious in their religious life depending on context
- He pointed out an altar "To the unknown god." He preached that God was their unknown god
- Likewise, our spirits should be provoked within us over the idolatry in our society today
- We can recognize ignorant religiosity around us- religion based on superstition or a denial of truth
- Every church built on Christ that rejects Him is an altar to an unknown god; every oath that swears us by the name of God while the court or institution is secular is an altar to an unknown god; every person that comes to church and does not have a saving faith in Christ worships at an altar to an unknown God
The Reasoning (v. 24-31) 30 "The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent..." - Paul preaches a message grounded in OT Scripture- citing God as the Creator, opposing idolatry and over every movement in history
- God's plan is to lead people to Him, that He may be sought and found by them
- Paul also uses the concept of "the unknown god, the words of their poets and the truth of judgment and Christ to reason with the people
- The people of Athens were polytheists, but they had a far of offending a god that they might not have known, thus the altar
- How many today give respect to an unknown God?
- Paul said that God "winked at" (KJV) or overlooked (ESV- better in this case) ignorance in the past, but now is the time for repentance
- "Behold,now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6.2 ESV)
- Judgment is sure; the resurrection is evidence of this truth
The Reaction (v. 32-34) - Some mocked- some reject the Gospel of Christ
- Some put it off- some want to "wait until later" (no guarantee of "later")
- Some believed- some have been prepared to receive the Gospel and will be saved
Conclusion: That leaves us where Paul was. Some are Christians, it is our calling to preach the Gospel to those who do not believe as Paul did. Some will mock, but "God is not mocked" (Galatians 6.7 ESV). Some will delay, but they "do not know what tomorrow will bring" (James 4.14 ESV). Some will believe. If you are here today and have not received God's salvation through faith in Christ alone, which of these will you be? Will you mock God (unsuccessfully)? Will you delay? Or will you bow before the King in surrender and believe? Labels: Sermon Outlines |
posted by pregador27 @ 09:02   |
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| Failing Our Foundation (2 Chron. 7.11-22 ESV) |
| 26.3.08 |
I was asked this afternoon to lead the Bible Study tonight. Here are the "bare bones" of my notes.
INTRO
Our Scripture tonight deals with our foundations as a nation (the United States), a church (in the United States and Antioch) and individually. Our response to God's expectations for us will result in receiving His promise or falling into the wrath He warns us about.
FOUNDATION OF FAITH
11 Thus Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king’s house. All that Solomon had planned to do in the house of the Lord and in his own house he successfully accomplished. 12 Then the Lord appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him: “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place for myself as a house of sacrifice.
When the nation is dedicated to the Lord, when the church is dedicated to the Lord, when the Christian is dedicated to the Lord- the communion is sweet and intimate. The United States was built on such a foundation. We have gone astray. The church in the USA was built on such a foundation- are we going astray? Are we salt and light? (ponder)
FAVORED RESPONSE
13 When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, 14 if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Verse 14: Key Verse- the action of a faithful people is what God expects of us. If bad things happen, we need to react in a godly way. IF- God's people 1- HUMBLE THEMSELVES (not look to ourselves: 9-11 we threw money at the problem, no national revival) 2- PRAY 3- SEEK GOD'S FACE (not His hands- seek Him, not what He can do for you) 4- TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS (Repent! do not sacrifice to God and remain in sin- God hates that; see Isaiah 58 as an example) THEN- He will 1- HEAR 2- FORGIVE 3- HEAL. God is the answer to our problems. He alone is faithful. JESUS É FIEL!!!!
FATHER'S PROMISE
15 Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. 16 For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time. 17 And as for you, if you will walk before me as David your father walked, doing according to all that I have commanded you and keeping my statutes and my rules, 18 then I will establish your royal throne, as I covenanted with David your father, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man to rule Israel.’
For Israel, obedience and faithfulness to God was rewarded by the attention of God and the stability of a king in a line of kings appointed and blessed by God. For the United States, national faithfulness brought blessing from God and political stability for over 200 years. Is it unraveling? For the Church, faithfulness means intimacy with God and that He is our King forever.
FATHER'S WARNING
19 “But if youturn aside and forsake my statutes and my commandments that I have set before you, and go and serve other gods and worship them, 20 then I will pluck youup from my land that I have given you, and this house that I have consecrated for my name, I will cast out of my sight, and I will make it a proverb and a byword among all peoples. 21 And at this house, which was exalted, everyone passing by will be astonished and say, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this land and to this house?’ 22 Then they will say, ‘Because they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers who brought them out of the land of Egypt and laid hold on other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore he has brought all this disaster on them.’ ”
But when Israel, the United States or the "church" is not faithful, ruin and separation from God. Has our nation been faithful to God? Have we kept God's command to His people? Have we personally sought God faithfully, shared our faith with the unbelievers around us or turned from our sin?
BRIEF CONCLUSION
Our nation and the church have both been built on a foundation of faith. Our nation is abandoning that foundation. We must be faithful, as those who are called by His name- CHRISTians- and humble ourselves, pray, seek after God and turn from our wicked ways. It is our call and our duty.Labels: Bible, Sermon Outlines |
| posted by pregador27 @ 18:09 |
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| The Southern Error |
| 22.3.08 |
 The South, in my opinion, was right on all counts except slavery. Slavery was as evil in the United States and Confederate States as it was in Egypt. However, too many of the rich white folk in the South would rather die than give up slavery. That doomed the Confederacy from the beginning.
The attack on Fort Sumter was justified, Federal lies provoked the South and threatened the Sovereignty of the Southern States.
That all said, the South could have won. Let's look at the facts. The North had about 2.2 million troops with more set to be thrown into the meat grinder at Lincoln's pleasure. The South held up a strong- maybe superior given the numbers- effort with only about 800,000. The South had potential for allies from Europe, but there was one major obstacle. Slavery.
If the rich white folk would have treasured Nation above self-worth, they could have freed the slaves and given the freedmen a reason to fight for the Southern cause. If it happened before Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, it would have taken the wind out of Lincoln's sails and probably prevented his re-election.
If the South could have added even 200,000 former slaves to the military there is little doubt the war could have turned a bit more toward the South. With such a change, European nations would have had more reason to support the South and recognize the Confederate States as a Sovereign Nation, and not a bunch of rebels in a mere civil war.
The Southern Error was the mistreatment of human beings through the institution of slavery. It could have changed the result of the war.
The Southern Error is part of why racism is prevalent in the United States today. The Reconstruction Era led to the ravaging on the South by Carpetbaggers and other evil men. This raised hateful feelings between both blacks and whites. Such feelings have been exploited by such men as David Duke, the "Reverend" Jesse Jackson, the "Reverend" Bob Jones, the "Reverend" Jeremiah Wright, Robert Byrd (DemocRAT Senator), etc.- to promote hatred due to the color of one's skin.
The Southern Error, the one major error the South lived with, doomed the Confederacy and made things worse into the 21st Century.
(image from: http://webpages.charter.net/sirhc0721/CoAoftheCSA.htm)Labels: Southern |
| posted by pregador27 @ 12:25 |
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| When Al Qaeda Wore Blue |
| 14.3.08 |
Terrorism is evil. Those who use terrorism are evil. In the short history of a new nation, a terrorist was responsible for the deaths of many. Murder. Soulless torture. Allowing rape and robbery in the name of victory for the army and against the natives of the land. This predated Al Qaeda by over 120 years; the victim was not the newly independent United Stated of America. The victim was the Confederate State of Georgia in particular.
With the blessings of Grant and Lincoln, William Tecumseh Sherman launched an attack on the infrastructure and civilian population of Georgia. It is known as "Sherman's March to the Sea." It is glorified in history books. However, it is terrorism in its early form.
Some may say the South deserved it for the slavery that was so wide-spread. But Sherman used freed slaves for labor and had them build a bridge and then left them stranded as the soldiers pulled the pontoons up. Women and children were murdered. Women were also raped callously and discarded. Homes were burned and fields destroyed so families would starve. It was a policy of "hard war" as Sherman called it.
His targeting of civilians is considered terrorism today. But this evil, inhuman man has monuments in his honor. They names a tank after him. Maybe we should erect Hitler and Bin Laden monuments. They are as evil as Sherman. How about the Saddam Tank?
I equate the dishonorable William T. Sherman with Jeffery Dahmer and Jim Jones.
Future Posts Planned: Illegal Abe, The Emancipation Crock-ulation, The Faith of the Generals. (All under the "Southern" label when complete)
Labels: Southern |
| posted by pregador27 @ 17:24 |
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| Evil in Religion: The Honor of Murder |
| 7.3.08 |
As the civilized world mourns the loss of life at a Seminary in Israel, Hamas "backtracked" from their claim of responsibility according to Fox News in this article: Thousands Mourn Massacre at Jerusalem Seminary; Hamas Backtracks on Responsibility Claim.
Do not take this as Hamas showing a human side. They are still animals. The quote in the backtracking was reported as follows:
Abu Obeida, a spokesman for Hamas' military wing, confirmed the group was not taking responsibility for the attack — at least yet.
"There may be a later announcement. ... But we don't claim this honor yet," he said. (emphasis mine- from the above linked story at Fox News)
This is more evidence that Muslims are blinded by the deception of a satanic religion. A religion that justifies murder and hatred. A religion that esteems revenge and the slaughter of the innocent over the compassion and selflessness of Christ and the Biblical Christian faith. In the Biblical Christian faith, revenge is left to God, not sinful men.
You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD. Leviticus 19.18 (ESV)
Do not say, "I will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done." Proverbs 24.29 (ESV)
And he sent messengers ahead of him, who went and entered a village of the Samaritans, to make preparations for him. But the people did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, "Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" But he turned and rebuked them. And they went on to another village. Luke 9.52-56 (ESV)
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. Romans 12.17 (ESV)
Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, "Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord." Romans 12.19 (ESV)
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans 12.21 (ESV)
See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. 1 Thessalonians 5:15 (ESV)
Labels: Evil in Religion |
| posted by pregador27 @ 23:51 |
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| Finding Love in a Storm |
| 6.3.08 |
The two, Rose and Joseph, walked out of the two-story apartment building toward the lake. Rose went on ahead to meet her mother. Her mother was ankle deep in the lake looking at the approaching storm clouds.
Joseph stood still a few yards from the shore watching them and realizing that he was falling in love with Rose. Just earlier they determined that they were now an item- they were "girlfriend and boyfriend."
Rose was a brunette with medium length hair and a maturity and a youthfulness; Joseph
was less mature than his age would normally require, but somehow managed to be what he termed "somewhat successful."
Out of his daydream he noticed that Rose was about ten feet from her mother in the water watching the increasing severity of the storm. Lightning began to fall. Several small strikes were followed by quick bursts of thunder. Then small swirling short arms of lighting began to spark from the sky. The clouds varied from a mountain-gray to a charcoal black. The wind picked up and pushed through the shore with a fury.
The lightning grew in intensity. Large strikes began to hit with a devastating force. It was like a war-zone.
Rose looked to her mother with a new concern- she woke from her fascination with the storm- and began to call to her mother. The wind was strong, but loud also. Her mother was deaf to her cries.
Joseph walked toward Rose, ducking a bit due to lightning strikes not far from their part of the shore. He approached Rose knowing that the danger was more than he had ever faced in his life. He took Rose by the hand. As she looked at him the danger of the situation became clear. She now worried about Joseph. Before she could say anything, Joseph said to her, "If lightning gets you it will get me too. I will not let you go without me." They began to run from the shore toward safety. As they passed by a tree just before it disintegrated from a lightning strike he continued, "I am not going to lose you this way- it you break up with me that's one thing- but if anything happens, it happens to both of us."
Rose knew she had found her true love.Labels: Short Stories |
| posted by pregador27 @ 18:34 |
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