Sermon: What are you dreaming?

01/03/2010 What are you dreaming?
Acts 2:14-18 – Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: " 'In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

• We should be dreaming really big in 2010
• God provides a better life
• We need to dream again
• Keep having something to do
• Do you have something challenging you want to do
What are you dreaming?
God spoke to the prophet Joel about dreams –Joel 2:28-32.
This was a prophecy of the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and the gift of the Holy Spirit upon individual believers.

Joel spoke about the gift of the Holy Spirit
• God spoke in a dream in prophecy
• Fulfillment of dreams and vision

From this point on, from Pentecost on, the mission of the Church is to give young people a vision of what this world can be, and of who they can be, and to keep old people DREAMING, not letting them get discouraged about the DREAM- dreaming clear to the end.
• God did not leave the old people out


I. What you dream reveals your deepest desires
• This is not referring to the dreaming you do when you are sleeping
• But of visions and ideas
• Deeper than the heart of the first century Jews who want a spiritual kingdom
• We want to be set free to be more spiritual, more in touch with God
• Isaiah 9:1-6
 Speaks about dreams, ideas and visions
• Visions, ideas and thoughts are revealed

II. What you dream reveals your basic beliefs
• Hugeness of desires, and smallness of reality
• In pursuit of your dreams, you will experience defeat many times
• How big is this world you live in?
• Acts 4:13-20
• What are those beliefs:
 Your belief about your own significance
 Can you make a difference in this world as others have?
 They were no different than you and me, they just went for their dreams and desires
 Your belief in God’s plan
 Does God care what you do with your life?
 God cared enough to call Moses and Paul
 God cares for others, does He care for you? YES
 Your belief in God’s power to work in and through you
 2 Corinthians 4:7:
 But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.
 Look in the mirror and see you and God within you

III. What you dream reveals your ultimate Hopes
• People in Scriptures reach beyond what others can even reason
• Hebrews 11:11-16
 We get stuck in a path
 There is the longing for a better country
• Vision of what you can be with God in you
• Be willing to pay a price for the vision

Challenge to re-dream the dream
• Listen to your heart
 Listen to God speaking, read the bible, Psalms and Proverbs
• Give your life to something you care deeply about
• Be flexible
 Don’t give up
• Believe that with God all things are possible

The major roadblock to dreams and visions is FEAR. Wafa Sultan has written, “Nothing tortures the human spirit more effectively than making someone a prisoner of her own fears.” Jesus has come to set us free to dream HIS dreams for us. We are to fear no man for HE is with us. DREAM ON! – Dr. Phil Lineberger

Sermon: Light changes us

12/27/09
“Christ plays in ten thousand places.” Gerald Manley Hopkins

“We returned to our places, these kingdoms, but no longer at ease here, in this old dispensation.” – TS Eliot

• To the Magi, there was something different about this star
• God is speaking using a star
• God speaks human, He speaks to us
• The star announced a promised King, Messiah
• Their journey concludes in Jerusalem
• King Herod: victorious for killing family because he feared losing his throne
• New kingdom will include strangers
• Arrive at Mary and Joseph’s home
 It has been two years since the birth of Christ
• Despite Him being a toddler, they see a messiah
• Christ comes in all sorts of ways
• No telling where we’ll find Him next
• Wise men have an alarming dream telling them to not return to the king
• The old was not enough, they need more
• Our lives change because of Christ
• Our encounter must alter us
• Want to find Jesus, try these:
 Missions
 Get involved with someone who cant give you anything
• God is everywhere
• Experience Jesus in a fresh, new authentic way
• Live a new adventure
• May our routes change

May each of us be Magi. May we be the strangers seeking Him. May we experience Him so fully that we cannot be the same, ever again. May our lives be different this year because of His life. May we find Christ playing in ten thousand places and as a result, may our routes change. – Griff Martin

Sermon: Children of the Light

12/20/09 Children of the Light
John 12:36 – Put your trust in the light while you have it, so that you may become sons of light." When he had finished speaking, Jesus left and hid himself from them.

Philippians 2:14-16 – Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life—in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing.

We are children of the Light by virtue of our personal relationship to Jesus Christ, who is the light of the world
• We can choose to be His children
• John 1:9-13: Christ was born into a Jewish community, but they rejected Him
As children of the Light, we are enlightened by the Spirit of Jesus in our inner person
• Ephesians 1:17
• Wisdom: mind and experience
• Knowledge and experience wielded together
• Revelation: revealed by God to us
• We didn’t think it up
As Children of the Light, we are to shine as lights “in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation”.
• Shine like stars
Why does it matter that believers are children of the Light?

I. We live in a world of darkness
• Deuteronomy 32:5
• Crooked: a generation that left the straight path that God gave us
• In this generation, Christians have declined
• Because we live in a world of darkness
• Evil is the influence of the evil one
• There are bad, immoral things that have become a part of everyday life
• We brush them off because society tells us its ok, even if it goes against the Word of God
• Why should we shine? Because we have a message of Light

II. We have a message of Light
• We are to always be visible in a dark world
• We should shine in the darkness
• Genesis 1:14-19: we are placed to provide a light for the world
• The light Jesus gave isn’t for us, but it is for others
• Ephesians 5:6-10: don’t live like the average person who does not know Jesus
• We must shine out for others
• Do it without grumbling so we can be blameless
• Philippians 1:27-28
• To be unafraid of those who oppose
• We don’t provide the light to the world as we should
• Philippians 2:15
• Numbers 11:1-6
• Numbers 1-14 – grumble against Aaron and Moses (because they shine)
• Matthew 5:14-16
• Never get comfortable where we don’t recognize the darkness we live in
• Hold out the word of life
• John 1:1: Word was God, God built it Himself through Jesus Christ
• The bible tells us that God loves us
• God is love
• John 6:63
• We’re the light that shines
• Hold out the word of life

Challenge:
• Become aware of the darkness
 Tv
 Internet
 We live here to reach out
• Cultivate a servant attitude
 know Christ, and be His servant
• Ask God to confront you with a need
• Share the Gospel with at least one person

We are Children of the Light by virtue of our acceptance of Jesus Christ, the light of the World. As children of the Light, we are shine as lights in a darkened world. Dr Phil Linerberger

Sermon: Walking in the Light

12/13/09 Walking in the Light
1 John 1:5-10 – This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

• In Him is absolutely NO darkness
• He’s not hiding
• Not even one small shadow is found in Him
• 1 John 1:6-8: truth
• Verse 9: Faithful, just
• God wishes to be seen and known by men
• He makes the way clear

The Light of God is frequently found as a metaphor for the life or salvation that He imparts: Psalm 36:9, “For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.”
• We all want to be saved
Psalm 27:1, “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?”
• Psalm 49:6
• Isaiah 60:19
• 1 John 1:1: says they didn’t make it up, but knew it, saw it, touched it
• John was an eye witness, companion of Jesus to pass on What God was like
• Something real, positive, not perfection
• John is not saying that we are perfect in our behavior
• One cannot be perfect (1 John 1:8-10)
• We tend to sin (verse 10)
 It was passed onto us through Adam through behavior
 We sin every day
The theme of this passage is that “walking in the light will have positive meaning for the life and conduct of the believer”. “Walking in the Light” means “believing and doing the gospel.” It does not mean “perfection”.
• There are certain sins we don’t commit, we are not tempted to them, but we do commit others
• We say we have no sin, then we make God out to be a liar
• It does mean a life lived primarily around the gospel teachings
• That is what is expected of us
• Conformity to the Will of God who is The Light
• What is in the should comes out in the body
• The life of practical godliness is expected of us
• All truth is moral truth
• We are called to walk in the light, to make steady progress in the life of conformity to the revealed will of God, who is the Light

If we are walking in the LIGHT:
I. We will have fellowship with God
• You cannot fellowship with someone you don’t know
• If God is hidden, always trying to find Him, then cant have fellowship
• John 10:27: “My sheep hear my voice” (Jesus says)
• Is it possible to hear the voice of God? Absolutely!
• Spirit reminds us of all those things
• We have HIS word (voice) & His Spirit comes from the inspiration illumination of Scripture
• We have others that God speaks through
• We have fellowship with someone we know
• He loves us and wants to share Himself with us
• We’re His children and He loves us
• John 12:46: we don’t have to be perfect
• Spend our lives in awareness of our obligation to Him
• Consciously seeking all the time that personal relationship with God
• Praying regularly, dropped quickly
• Discipline: Have a habitual practice of prayer
• Bible Study: God’s will to focus in our life
• Need regular corporate worship
• God is not relegated in the shadowy boundaries, He’s out there but not in the center if we don’t pray!
• 1 John 2:15: people who habitually pattern their live and values after the values of the world walk in darkness
• 1 John 2:21 -
• 1 John 3:4 – breaking God’s laws
• 1 John 4:20 – filled with hatred for others
• Difficult to have fellowship with God when walking outside those boundaries and on the periphery of life

II. We will have fellowship with other Believers
• Fellowship: sharing in common
• 1 John 3:23:
 Don’t have to like every one, but have to love them
• 1 John 4:7 – love one another because Love comes from God
• 1 John 4:11 – love one another
• Fellowship: test of reality of truth; no belief can be fully Christian if it separates one man from another
• Christianity draws us closer to people and God, brings enrichment and encouragement
• In Christ’s time of darkest hour, he needed encouragement
• He drew around His disciples in Gethsemane

III. We will confess our sins
• If we say the same word about our sins that God says, we’ll be forgiven
• Our sins will be revealed and we’ll be more aware of our need to fix them
• To confess is to talk in the Light without any deception
• Confession is not some kind of act we have to go through to deny ourselves or abuse ourselves
• Confession is simply saying the same that about sin that God does
• Not an act we have to go through its saying about sin that God says
• Admit to God what He already knows
• God is Light, He doesn’t want us to hide
• He wants us to confess when we sin, and admit it

IV. We will be confident of forgiveness
• We’re required to admit our sins, we’re not condemned to bear them on our shoulders
• 1 John 2:8:
• If we confess, He’s faithful and just to forgive
• To send away our sins (in reference to guilt)
• Psalm 103:12
• Isaiah 43:25
• Acquits sin for the sake of Christ
• He is as righteous and just when he forgives us as He is when He condemns someone
• He is faithful (Isaiah 44:22)
• Micah 7:18-19:
• Constant justification
• Sins daily confessed, sins daily forgiven
• Blood of Christ cleanses us of ALL sins
• Ephesians 1:7
• Hebrews 10:23
• When we confess, God is involved and forgives us

William Barclay, “A man’s own character will necessarily be determined by the character of the god whom he worships.”

Walking in the light means that our daily conduct is consistent with a personal relationship with Jesus Christ
Walking in the light means caring about others on a consistent basis
Walking in the light means confessing our sins regularly and living positively in light of God’s continual forgiveness

Challenge:
• Pray everyday
 Pray Psalms each day
• Do one good deed for someone in need
• Confess sin daily and specifically
• Accept God’s forgiveness as soon as you confess it
 He removes them as far as the east is from the west
 Puts them at the depths of the sea
 Don’t carry them on your shoulders
Dr Phil Lineberger

Sermon: The Light Within

12/6/09 The Light within
2 Corinthians 4:6 -For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

• Jesus: NT teaching that God brings to our life
• Life does harsh things to us on purpose
• Metaphor of darkness:
 The harsh things in life
 Things that frighten, intimidate, oppress us, cause us anxiety and worry, generally squeeze joy out of life and light out of life
• There’s physical darkness:
 Relationships fail
 Can get sick
 Nations ruin economies
• Spiritual darkness:
 Estrangement from God
• Darkness symbolizes the evils with which we are entirely too familiar
• Paul writes: “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ”
• Charles B. Williams translation: “For God who said, ‘Let light shine out of the darkness,’ is the One who has shone in my heart, to give me the light of the knowledge of God’s glory, REFLECTED on the face of Jesus.”

The light within is the presence of Jesus Christ in our Lives

I. The Light within will overcome our darkness
• John 1:4-5:
 Darkness hasn’t mastered (overcome) it
 The darkness will not, cannot over our master, The LIGHT
• Darkness cannot overcome our master – the Light
• The darkness is powerless to extinguish
• Jesus Christ (Light of the World) has pushed back the eternal darkness of death
• That last, ultimate enemy, the one we fear coming to us, Jesus has pushed back that darkness
• He did it through His resurrection
• Jesus has already conquered all
• He’s won the victory
• Romans 8:35-39:
 Light has pushed back darkness
 In all these things, we are conquerors, through Him who loved us
 Nothing will bring us darkness of life
• 1 Corinthians 15:57:
 God gives us “Victory” through Jesus
• Light brings hope, joy, love, forgiveness
• Pushes back the darkness of guilt, sin, hopelessness and anger
• 2 Peter 1:19:
 Jesus (Light) that pushes back darkness
 Our darkness: relationships, illnesses, spirit, emotions
• Jesus is the Morning Star that rises in our hearts
• Never forget in the dark what God has told you in the Light
• What has God told us:
 Remember: darkness has not overcome the Light

II. Light within us will enlighten our own lives
• John 1:9:
 True Light gives life to every man in the world
• Jesus is the dawn of a new day for everyone
• Jesus called Lazarus out of a tomb, death is not the last word, but that Light was
• Jesus called us out of our darkness
• Jesus called Paul out of his spiritual darkness
• We know more about Christ and see Him working in every day of our lives because Jesus is the Light in the darkened world
• Jesus didn’t come to punish us, but to protect us
• We can and are:
 Fully exposed, and completely protected
• Cleansed by Light that casts no shadow
• Jesus is full of truth and grace
• The Light fully exposes, and yet fully protects

III. The light within will empower our lives
• Ephesians 3:16-19
 The work of the Light: to empower us, to give us strength to live everyday
• I shall emerge one day – the Light of Christ
• There may be darkness pushing against me, but it cannot overcome me, for I have the Light
• Darkness cant overcome the Light
• Light sets boundaries
• Find strength “within”
 Could be lonely, scared but use the Light of Christ
• Light is God’s gift in love in Christ pushing back darkness
• Shines in our hearts, darkness is powerless to extinguish
• Birth, is the beginning of assurance
• We know the dark corners, shadows, God is with us
• We know our sins, God is with us

NEVER FORGET IN THE DARK WHAT GOD HAS TOLD YOU IN THE LIGHT
(Pray, think, dwell each day)
• The Light of FAITH – the darkness is powerless to extinguish it
 Romans 1:16-17
• The Light of HOPE – the darkness is powerless to extinguish it
 Romans 4:18, 20-21
• The Light of LOVE – the darkness is powerless to extinguish it
 1 John 4:9-11
• The Light of JOY – the darkness is powerless to extinguish it
 John 15:11
Dr Phil Lineberger

Sermon: Light of the World

11/29/09 “The Light of the World”

Witness of Scripture by Pastor Massar:
John 8:12, Matthew 5:14-17, Ephesians 5:14
• Jesus Christ said these words at the feast of the Tabernacle
• The people celebrate that in the desert God came to them as cloud by the day and fire during the night
• They saw God as Light
• Psalm 2:7:
• Isaiah 69:
• Job 29:3:
• Revolutionary Statement made by Jesus
• The people were astonished and asking, “who do you think you are?”
• The question is, who do you think he is?
• Mathew 5:14-17: “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”
• Jesus Christ said that we are the light of the world
• Ephesians 5:14: “for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”
• Last chapter talks to baptism
• Jesus Christ calls us to be the light
• What are we doing with it
• John 3:16-21: For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.
• God isn’t condemning us, but offering us to come into the light

Sermon: Light of the World
• There’s an edge to Christmas
• Who is Jesus to you?
• Got to learn to deal with darkness
• We haven’t learned to deal with the darkness
• We live in the light
• There is a darkness we don’t want to see so we flood ourselves with artificial light
• Our calling is to be the light in the darkness, and we cant do that in here
• We’re called to go into the darkness
• We’ll never get the keys to the Kingdom in the artificial light
• Take the light we have here to the world out in the darkness
• Bring God’s good news to someone desperate for it
• It means coming out of our comfort zone
• Jesus came to change the world
• Jesus said “I am the Light of the World”
• What will you do with that light?
-Pastor Mike Massar

Sermon: Giving Thanks in all Circumstances

11/22/09 Giving Thanks in all Circumstances
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

• Testimony time: get up and say something that you are grateful for
• Thanksgiving should not be a tradition that we forgot why we even do it
• Thanksgiving is a unique holiday in America
• We do not celebrate a great vitory in battle or honor a great person who did many things for others
• Instead, we thank and honor God who provides all our blessings
• Blessings present, repressed by trouble and hardships
• In 1621: they celebrate as if they have everything
• Gratitude was IN someone

• Thanksgiving cannot be contained in a single day
• It didn’t become a national holiday until Abraham Lincoln
• For the believer, thanksgiving is a spirit and a way of life which should be celebrated everyday
• Thanksgiving is the quality of our lives in the good times and bad

• Paul says to “give thanks IN all circumstances”, not FOR all circumstances
• There are may circumstances FOR which we cannot be grateful
• But we can be grateful IN all circumstances

I. God’s Presence in Creation
• How can you do that honestly
• There are tragedies and we are commended to be grateful
• Deuteronomy 8:10
 When you sit down to eat, look around at the world and thank God
• Its what we have, not what we don’t have
• Be grateful for what we have
 There are 6 billion people in the world
 4 billion people go hungry every night
 There is not enough to eat to survive
• Water
 3% of water in the world is fit to drink
 Over half o the world has NO water
• Look at what God has done for us in food and clean water
• Psalm 103:1-5:
 Begin by recognizing the presence of God in creation

II. God’s Presence in Incarnation
• Incarnation means fleshed out
• In any other faith, no deity has done that
• Only in Christianity
• God’s presence in Incarnation
• He willingly loves us
 That ought to lift our spirits
• John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that He sent his one and only Son, that whoever so believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.
 He made a personal visit to us
• Romans: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
• God loves you in that sin and He wants to cleanse you
• 1 John 2:1:
 Jesus Christ died for us and He stands up for us
 He intercedes for us
• Hebrews 10:11-18
 We should be so grateful!
 We enter into perfection in God’s sight and are being made holy
• He forgives and forgets
• Why should you worry about it or even remember it?
• Stop beating yourself up because you aren’t worthy and get where God wants you to be
• Romans 8:31-39
 Who can be against us?
 NOTHING can separate us
• How can you not breathe in the joy of GOD


III. God’s Presence in Tribulation
• John 14:18-20
• God’s participating presence
• God will not leave us
• Other religions try to reach their gods
• Our God participated in our lives
• He is with us
• John 14:26:
 He is our Guiding Presence
• God say’s He will remind us of what He taught us
• John 14:27
 Trouble and fear on every hand
• Jesus Christ said don’t let your hearts be troubled
• John 16:33: overcome the world
 Final destination
• We’re just passing through
• This isn’t it (LIFE)
• Romans 8:28:
 God’s healing presence
 God is working with us in our circumstances
• Get to know Him
• Understand Him
• Believe Him
• Bring and Invite Him in
• The beginning of life is death
• God’s presence in Tribulation

It is good to give thanks because it will shield us from cynicism
It will keep us from criticism
It will protect us from pessimism
It will draw us closer to God

What can we do as we prepare for Thanksgiving?
1.) Read Psalm 92:1-4 every day

2.) Pray a prayer of Thanksgiving for something different every day

3.) Ask yourself: If it had not been for God, where would you be now?

4.) Think of a reason you are grateful for each and every friend and family member and Thank God for them

Sermon: Who's Hugging You?

11/15/09 Who’s hugging you?
Hebrews 1:14
Mark 1:12-13

• There are beings with great influence
• The devil’s busy in the world
• We don’t talk about angels
• 1 Thessalonians 4:16
 Michael is the trumpeter
• 69% of Americans believe in the existence of angels
• 46% believe they have guardian angels
• 32% said they felt an angelic presence
• Christians, Jews, Muslims believe in angels
• So do Hindus, Buddhists and many more

There are approximately 300 references to angels in Scripture

• Angels are created beings
• Their appearance in Scripture varies
• Only cherubim and seraphim are represented with wings
• Winged angels are in the courts of God
• Often in the OT angels appear as ordinary men
• Sometimes, however, their uniqueness is evident as they do things or appear in a fashion clearly non-human, such as the bright white appearance in the NT
• They are called “holy ones”, “heavenly hosts”
• Kings 22:19
• They worship God
• Isaiah (verse that says holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty?)
• Only two angels are named in Scripture
• Gabriel (messenger)
• Michael (Warrior)
• Jude 9
• Revelation 12:7

Angels belong to a different dimension
They have higher powers
They are ministering spirit and messengers
The writer explains the function of angels in Hebrews 1:13-14
His purpose is to show that angels are not equal with Jesus or God or the Holy Spirit
They are servants
The angels are commissioned to run errand for Jesus
They are commissioned to take messages to those who are part of God’s family
It is the limit of their activity
They are not to preach the gospel – that is reserved for the church – example of Cornelius being sent to Peter to have the gospel explained
Angels can aid, inspire, and guide us

I. Angels are God’s Ministering Spirits
• They are sent forth
• Sent to particular people
• Uniquely sent to those who have professed Christ
• They minister strength to God’s people
• Mark 1:12-13
• Luke 22:43
 Not wanting to suffer
 An angel strengthened Him
• Ministering angels strengthen us
• Acts 6:15
 Being attacks
• Acts 27:23-24
• Psalm 34:7
 We’re not alone
 Angels encamp around us
• Daniel 6:22
• Matthew 26:53
• Acts 5:19
• Acts 12:7
• Acts 12:11
• God dispatches them to strengthen and deliver us
• Angels protect God’s people
• Psalm 91:11-12
• We could have been destroyed many times but weren’t
• Isaiah 63:9
 God’s angels pursue us in love and mercy
• Matthew 18:10
 Angels guard the little children
• They minister to us in death
• Matthew 28:2
• Matthew 28:5-7
 Angel rolled away the stone and sat on the stone as if death isn’t the end
• People don’t transition into death like they’re alone
• They take your hand or speak to someone we cant see (as per experience of Dr Lineberger in hospital room of someone who is passing on)
• Luke 16:22
 The angels carried him
• John 1:51

II. Angels are God’s Messengers
• Matthew 11:10
• Messenger: one who is sent
• We get the word “apostle” from it
• They convey message on behalf o God
• The bible doesn’t draw us a picture of what angels look like
• Tells us, rather, what message they bring
• Genesis 16:7-10:
 She was driven out and was alone – the messenger tells her to go back
• Matthew 1:20
 An angel came with a word of hope
• Luke 2:9
 Word of encouragement
• Matthew 2:13
 Warning
• Acts 8:26
 Message of guidance
• Angles come to us
• Sometimes we don’t hear the message
• Acts 10:3
• Angels don’t tell us how to be saved because God uses churches and us
• Luke 15:10
• You hear the message
 Messenger may not look surreal (but may look normal/ordinary)
 When someone receives Christ, angels rejoice because someone listened to them
• They come from God and speak directly to us

Angels are a sign of God’s interest in His children, of His desire to give us guidance
In Scripture, God uses angels to guide people to begin new ventures, to protect themselves, to wait, and to trust

What should we do?
1.) Keep your eyes open to angels
• Don’t confine your vision to just wings

2.) Look for angels in people around you
• Hebrews 13:2

3.) Expect message to come
• Over 300 times angels are mentioned in the bible
• God sends messenger in time of trouble
• Expect he messenger to come

Sermon: Who's Bugging You?

11/8/09 Who’s Bugging You?
1 Peter 5:8-9:


There are beings around us that we are unaware of

Steve Pressfield says: there is a force resisting the beautiful things in the world and too many of us are giving in.
What’s behind such rude behavior?
Rudeness is human nature
We’re self involved jerks

The Scriptures teach us that behind every kind of jerky behavior is an unseen enemy, an adversary with powerful abilities to adversely influence each and every one of us. Our problem is that we are often unaware of the spiritual enemy behind our destructive behavior and totally unprepared to defend ourselves

How do we deal with an unseen but powerful personality?

I. Be aware of a spiritual enemy
• We put the blame on a bad day
• Things we can see, but we don’t say anything about the unseen
• People’s ability to not believe in the unseen forces goes into the devil’s plan
• The devil, next to Jesus, is the most popular
• Job 1:7
• Be aware of his presence
• The bible says that he’s an adversary
• Matthew 5:25
 He lines up against you
• Zechariah 3:1
• Every day that you live, there will be opposition
• Mark 4:15
 The Good Word is sewn
• Be aware of his purpose
• We need Scripture because he’s always trying to take away God’s Word
• Ephesians 4:27
• 1 Chronicles 21:1
• Spirit possessed us or others
• The spirit of pride led to the devil’s fall
• The spirit of hatred
• Where does all this evil come from?
 The spirit of that one who fell
• Matthew Chapter 4
 The devil shows up to stop God’s plan
 He’s an influence where he controls someone’s life
• Be aware that the unseen is against us

II. Resist that enemy by faith
• Stand firm in the faith
• Scripture teaches us how to resist
• Don’t be swayed by feelings, but be led by fact
• God’s Spirit will open up Scripture exactly where we need it
• James 4:7: Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.
• Matthew 12:29:
• Matthew 18:18:
• God can drive out evil spirits that make us upset, depressed, mad, and so on
• Interesting book: “The People of a Lie”
• Matthew chapter 5: Jesus Christ delivered the man
• Matthew 5:18-19: God wants to deliver us from a demonic adversary

III. Recognize that all believers are targets of that enemy
• 1 Peter 5:9:
• 2 Corinthians 11:14:
• We can resist the devil
• Ephesians: be strong


• There is a force resisting the beautiful things in the world and too many of us are giving in
• We don’t have to give in to this “roaring lion”, the devil, the old serpent.
• We can resist this evil one by the faith given to us in Jesus Christ as revealed in the Scriptures
• We can believe God rather than believing Satan

How can we resist the devil today?
I. Live in God’s strength
 Stop living in the “world”
II. Put on the full armor of God, which is truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, Scripture (take it with you), and prayer
 Take the armor of God
 Stand firm with God’s Truth
 Ephesians 6: 10-18
 Be in constant prayer

We have God’s strength
By doing this your standing strong and resisting evil
~ Dr. Phil Lineberger

Sermon: Why Missions?

October 25, 2009 – Why Missions?
Matthew 28:19-20 – Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

• Why are we so involved in missions?
• Several Baptists in the past didn’t think the bible spoke about missions
• Acts: Church is scattered through Jerusalem and the world
• It is the scattered message of Jesus Christ
• It should be done on purpose
• We are going with His Presence
• Luke 11:46 – Jesus replied, "And you experts in the law, woe to you, because you load people down with burdens they can hardly carry, and you yourselves will not lift one finger to help them.
 Jesus condemns the religious people

Where you go should make a difference in people’s lives. In fact, Jesus said that “as we go, we should make disciples.”

From the time of Christ to the year 300, the center of Christianity moved from its epicenter in Jerusalem to Armenia, which is the oldest Christian country. By AD 500, the center of faith had moved west to Greece and Rome. In the next 500 years, the center of gravity of the church continued to move further west in Europe, where it became synonymous with culture and art. In the next 1000 years, the center of the Christian Church moved even further west, into North and South America. While the Pope remained in Europe, all the cultural action, innovation, change and life in the Church was focused in the Americas. By AD 2000, the United States in particular came to see itself as the headquarters of Christian belief, now removed halfway around the world from its origins. In other words, for the past 2000 years, the center of Christianity has steadily moved west.

These huge demographic swings already in motion suggest several things. One, unless Christianity in the United States does a better job of evangelization and discipleship, what happens in North American Christianity in the next 500 years will simply be a slideshow. The main event will happen elsewhere around the globe. (The Fermi Project)

I. Going on Purpose
• Missions will not turn somebody to be just like you
• We want them to have a purpose in Jesus Christ
• Matthew 23:15 – “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.
• Making disciples involves a heart and a head
 A personal encounter with Jesus Christ
• The Great Awakening was about falling in love with Jesus
• Romans 8:1-4 – Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
 God doesn’t condemn you
 So why condemn yourself?
• God’s laws are met because of Jesus Christ who resides in us when we accept Him as our Lord and Savior
• Jesus Christ becomes God’s righteousness
• We don’t go for one thing – we go to help the people be set free
• We tell them they are set free
• Ephesians 2:10 – For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
 Not just saved to go to Heaven, but saved to serve
 Share the Good news with someone else
• Teaching “all” things
• John 14:25-26 – "All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
• John 16:12-13 – "I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
• We’re afraid to witness because we may not have an answer
 But realize that the Spirit of God leads you
 Have to Love God and love each other
 Matthew 22:36-40 – "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 'This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
 Teach to love God with all their hearts
• We are afraid to go witness
• All laws, prophets hang onto loving God and your neighbor
• John 13:33-34 – "My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: Where I am going, you cannot come. "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." Simon Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?" Jesus replied, "Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later." Peter asked, "Lord, why can't I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you." Then Jesus answered, "Will you really lay down your life for me? I tell you the truth, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!
• When we disciple ,tell them to love and serve God
• Matthew 8:5 – When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help.
• The bible tells us that when we welcome a child in the name of Jesus Christ we welcome Him in as well
• John 13:14-17 – Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.
• Being blessed means to be happy and healthy
• If you serve others and God, then you’ll be a happy person
• God instructed us to be more blessed when we give
• Many Christians done know who God is

II. Going with His presence.
• John 14:18-20 – I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.
• Received Christ – His presence is in us and always will be
• Acts 1:8 – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
• All we have to do is release the power
• You are going on purpose and you will go with His presence

Jesus’ final instructions to his disciples are relevant to every believer today: As you go make disciples – where you go make disciples! When we go on PURPOSE, we have HIS PRESENCE AND HIS POWER as we share the Good News of God’s Love in Jesus Christ.
- Dr Phil Lineberger

Sermon: The Kingdom of Non-Sense

10/18/09 Sermon by Griff Martin: The Kingdom of Nonsense
“If the Lord is indeed our shepherd, then everything goes topsy-turvy, losing becomes finding and crying becomes laughing. The last become first and the weak become strong…if the Lord is our host at the great feast, then the sky’s the limit.” ~ Freerick Buechner


Mark 10:32-34
• Jesus explains that He will die, the final time they are walking down to Jerusalem
• We avoid dealing with death because it hurts

Mark 10:35-37
• James and John are yearning to ask Him something
• How do we react to this great request
• Do we pray for “ourselves”?
 Protect me
 Fix me
 Make my prayers come true
• Maybe we get angry with that request
 Perhaps because we feel that is our place
• Every time that Jesus talks about death, he also talks about denial
• Maybe the disciples don’t understand because they were expecting an earthly king
• We cannot judge because we do not know everything
• Maybe we were sad because of the faith they had and the courage they had

Mark 10:38-40
• Our Jesus Christ of love and grace doesn’t rebuke them
• Maybe Jesus Christ see their faith too
• Jesus then asks, “can you be like me”
• Jesus listens to the questions, asks a question and they says “yes”
• Perhaps its empathy in His voice
• Love will do anything form hurting someone they love
• His answer is that they will have to suffer, but yet the choice isn’t His to make

Mark 10:41-45
• Jesus Christ says they are asking for power in a powerless world
• Power isn’t good, we shouldn’t be involved in it
• We have worked hard to get somewhere, and then realize that is a treadmill we are one, since we have to work harder and harder to keep going
• The powerful one’s are the ones whose names we do not know
• To be like Jesus Christ is to be a salve
• God didn’t come into the world to be served, but to serve

“This much is for sure: whether we can make sense of it or not, serving is how we will transform the world, not from top down, but from bottom up. The ultimate trickle up effect. Our leaders can be servants, and the best ones will be, but we must never surrender our power to the powerful. The power of God has given us is the strongest stuff in the world, the power to serve.” – Barbara Brown Taylor

• May you let go the need for power
• May you see that real power is found in service
• May you see that the way of the Lord is not the way of this world
• May you be called to a life of serving, a life that will make a difference, a life of the Servant
• May you go and serve, and in serving, find life and love

We can either go home, or Follow Jesus Christ
Pastor Griff Martin

Sermon: Is Baptism Necessary for Salvation?

October 11, 2009
Acts 2:38 - Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

One of the criticisms of the Baptist Church centers around the meaning of baptism. Some people think that Baptists do not believe in salvation apart from baptism. In fact, the people who broke away from the Anglican Church in England in the 17th century, Separatists who eventually were called Baptists struggled with the mode of baptism for decades. In reading the Scriptures for themselves, they came to believe that salvation resulted from a personal profession of faith, and baptism to symbolize salvation occurred after that profession of faith. For that teaching Baptists were persecuted, imprisoned and killed.

What do the Scriptures Teach? Is Baptism necessary for Salvation?

I. The history of Baptism
• First profess your faith, then you get baptized.
• History of baptism goes back into most religions.
• Most religions have some sort of ritual to indicate cleansing as a new form of a new life
• Lustration: form of Baptism used by the Jews on the Gentiles and they were henceforth admitted to all the privileges
 Immersed in water
• Taught that Baptism washes away the old life symbolically
• It was never taught as effective, that baptism made the person a Jew
• It was a symbol that the old life has been washed away
• John was Baptizing as a Jew, baptized for the repentance of sins
• Mark 1:4
• It was a symbol that they repented and were preparing for the messiah
• Jesus came meeting all the right requirements
• Came and got baptized, and sacrificed, He was the messiah
• Final commandment from Jesus:
• Matthew 28:19-20
 Make disciples and baptize them
 Did not say, make disciples by baptizing them
• Sacramental baptisms are practiced by other Christian faiths:
 They baptize to bring in grace of life to the children
 Way of saving that child
 Sin of child is forgiven
 Its effective, not symbolic
 Predestination b/c they were predestined by God to be saved
• Church of Christ:
 teaches that you don’t have a complete experience with Christ to be saved until you are obedient to get in water and when you come up out of water, then you are saved
 use Acts 2:38 as authority for Baptismal regenerates
 Baptism regenerates you
 Teach at same time, when you come out of water, then the Holy Spirit dwells in you
 Alexander Campbell forms disciples of Christ in Church of Christ in 1830’s
• Early Baptists didn’t believe that you cant sing in church, no music
• Campbell: formed Church of Christ, based theology on Mark 1:1-10 (Jesus came out of water, saw Heaven and Spirit descend on Him)
• See that Holy Spirit doesn’t come to life till you come out of water, b/c that is what happened to Jesus Christ
• Jesus was Father, Son, Holy Spirit all at once
 Holy spirit was giving testimony
 Acts 2:38 – repent and be baptized

II. Is Baptism necessary for salvation?
• Some don’t want to be dunked
• Does that mean you are not save?
• No
• Not according to scripture
• John 3:16 -
 You profess your faith, you are saved
• Luke 23:43
 2 thieves on Cross, says to Jesus, remember me
 And Jesus says, that he’d be in Paradise
 That man never had the opportunity to be baptized
 That one incident that person does not have to be baptized to be saved
• Nothing about baptism in John 3:16

III. Why is baptism important to believers?
• Baptists were called “dunkers” at first
• Because purpose behind baptism is to declare publicly one’s personal faith in Jesus Christ
• Acts 2:41 –
 Those who accepted message were baptized
 Believe, then were baptized
• Acts 8:12-13
 Believe, then baptized
• Acts 16:13-15
• Acts 18: 7-8
• Opened heart to message, then were baptized
• Anglican church says sprinkling and they are believers
• But the bible doesn’t teach that
• The book of acts is the history of the early church
• The early church never baptized before they believed
• Romans 6:3-5 (baptism is symbolic)
 Cant get that out of sprinkling/pouring water
 Get that out of dunking someone
• Baptize: created by those who translated by KJV
• Baptizio: to dip, immerse, or submerge (never says pour, sprinkle)
• When translators were translating, they recognized they could not translate it or they would have to start dunking believers, they made new word
• Resurrection: to stand and again (to stand again)
 Will die, but will stand again
• Baptism: depicts death, burial and resurrection
• Symbol of passing from death to life
• Cant get that symbol out of sprinkling
• Baptism: (John 5:24)
 Go Down: death
 Up: Resurrection
• Galatians 3:26-27
• Baptism is at the heart of the Christian faith
• It is a symbol that one belongs to Jesus Christ; included being into the church
• It gives us a new identify
• Baptism is identified with the belonging to Christ
• Important because it is being Obedient to the command of Christ
• Last command by Jesus was to baptize
 Very important because it comes from Jesus Christ
• We don’t have to be baptized to be saved
• It acknowledges the inward grace outwardly
• It is your choice

• Baptism symbolizes that it is God who has saved us
• It is not the water nor the act of baptism that saves
• The outward act does no produce the inward grace
• Grace is not something we ear, but something we receive as a gift
• Baptism simply acknowledges that inward grace in an outward symbol
~ Dr. Phil Lineberger

Sermon: Is Personal Faith in Jesus a Western Heresy?

10/4/09
Is personal faith in Jesus a Western Heresy?
Romans 10:9-13 – That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."


In a recent newspaper article, the new Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori, told delegates to the group’s triennial meeting in Anaheim, California, that the overarching connection to the problems facing the Episcopalians has to do with the “great western heresy – that WE CAN BE SAVED AS INDIVIDUALS, THAT ANY OF US ALONE CAN BE IN RIGHT RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD…That individualistic focus is a form of idolatry, for it puts me and my word sin the place that only God can occupy, at the center of existence, as the ground of being.”

The article basically says that we cant have a personal relationship with Christ.
What does Scripture teach about a personal faith in Jesus Christ?

• God knows us like no one else knows us, and He still loves us
• He died for us (John 3: 16), there must be something in me worth dying for
• Because Christ came to earth, flesh and blood, it angers people (reject idea)
• The Episcopal church is basically a form from the Anglican church, hence the Catholic church
• They have 2 Sacraments (which are just symbols that convey grace) (grace from God is conveyed to you if you do them) – these are two necessaries
o Holy baptism
o Lord’s Supper
• Comes from western Catholic church
• Catholic means “universal”
• Psalm 51:5 – Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
o If a child is conceived in sin, the church felt that they had to do something, so they baptize as a sacrament, not a person’s confession
o Since Adam sinned, everybody who came after Adam received that trait, DNA, someway physically that DNA passed and the person became a sinner
o Early fathers decided to baptize, a sacrament, into the life of child, so the child can be considered “child of God”
• More authoritive than Scripture
• They believe in traditions more than the authority of Scripture
• Romans 10:9-13 – says to confess with the mouth, believe with your and then you are saved
• Justified (Declared not guilty) and being saved (rescued from eternal hell) is a theological belief
• Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved

I. There are two elements to personal faith
• First: Belief
• A fetus cannot believe
• Kids have trouble believing
• Romans 10:9, 10:10
• John 5:24
• John 6:40
• John 11:25 – He who believes will live even though he dies
• Death, burial, and resurrection provides our justification
• Belief is personal, no one else can believe for you
• Romans 6:5-10 – if we believe, then we a have a “personal” relationship with Christ
• Galatians 2:15-16 – justified in faith in Christ, not by observing the law
• Saved by faith, not by the laws or works, so its personal
• One element is belief
• Second: Confession
• Romans 10:9 – confess, then saved
• Romans 10:10-11, 10:13
• If you confess with your mouth then you are saved
• Publicly confess, by that confession, are joined by the church (referring to marriage)
• You say your prayer, you ask Christ, publicly say that you want Him to be your savior
• Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame
• You also need to confess

II. Personal faith is an individual experience
• Parents cant confess for kids
• No teaching in all Scripture where a parent believes and confesses for kids
• Presbyterians sprinkle infants to bring them into church
o because they believe that you are predestined to be saved
o baptism confirms you are predestined to be saved
• Grace of God that goes before the child
• Before child can profess faith, the Grace of God acts (John Calvin)
• Wesley: kept tradition of sprinkling the infants
• Symbol becomes vehicle of grace
• Kids aren’t sinners from birth
• Romans 5:12 –Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned—
o Because Adam sinned, we have same tendency
o Because all sinned
o Death may have entered world through Adam, but you are a sinner only when you sin
• Matthew 18:10 – God takes care of little children unlike anyone else
• Matthew 18:14 – God takes care of those who are incapable of helping or believing for themselves
• Martin Luther protested teaching of Catholic Church, but never broke off the sprinkling of Baptism (accommodates himself)
• Romans 10:9 (singular) (personal, not saved as a group)
• Romans 10:10, 11 (Singular)
• Romans 10:13
• John 3:16 (whoever)
• Acts 8:34-36 (not the act of church, act of individual)
• Luke 12:8 (whoever)
• Galatians 1:1 (sent by Jesus Christ and God the Father)
• Paul did not worry about being sanctioned by the church, that he had a personal relationship with God

Is personal faith a western heresy? Absolutely not! Personal faith is a sound biblical teaching stressed by Jesus himself. The faith of the New Testament is a personal faith where each person must make a decision for himself or herself whether Jesus died for his or her sins.

That’s what makes you a follower of Christ or unbeliever, No need for symbols, can happen
Phil Linerberger

Sermon: Fear

9/27/09
Destructive Attitudes Most Difficult to Change: Fear II Timothy 1:1-7

II Timothy 1:1-7 – Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, according to the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, To Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God, whom I serve, as my forefathers did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity (fear), but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

God did not give us a spirit of fear.
So where did that fear come from?

Basil King, author of THE CONQUEST OF FEAR, points out that fear causes more misery than all the sin and sickness of our lives combined. We are not sick all the time. We are not sinning all the time. But most people are afraid of something or somebody all the time.

Sometimes we feel like we are afraid of everything, we are afraid of ourselves. We are afraid of people, we are afraid of the future. We are afraid of the past, we are afraid of life, we are afraid of death.

Over and over again the message of the Bible is clear: FEAR NOT, FEAR NOT! Over seventy times this emotion, fear, is mentioned in the bible – more than any other human emotion. Paul, writing to his young disciple Timothy reminded him, “God has not given us a spirit of timidity (fear), but to love, power and a sound mind.”

If you’re afraid, it didn’t come from God.
How do we change the destructive attitude of habitual fear?
I. Fear is a normal emotion
• Fear can be destructive
• Psychologist identified the fight or flight syndrome
• When we are afraid, our body releases adrenaline, our heart beats faster, because we have to make a decision
• That’s a normal reaction
• God has created us with these abilities
• Fear is a real, common/human emotion
• The first real deep emotion felt was felt in the Garden of Eden by Adam and Eve
• Adam and Eve hid
• Genesis 3:10 – He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."
o I was afraid, a common human emotion
• Mark 4:35-41 – That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side." Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?" He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?" They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!"
• 2 Corinthians 7:5 – For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within.
o Conflicts on outside, fear within
• Fear is a normal reaction
• Don’t have to be afraid of yourself if you fear certain things
• Fear has been with us since the beginning of creation
• We’re not abnormal, God created us in this way

II. Fear has its reasons
• Psalms:
• It could be an employer, spouse, child, teacher
• There are things that cause us to be afraid
• One: we overestimate the problems and underestimate our resources
• Numbers 13:31-33 – But the men who had gone up with him said, "We can't attack those people; they are stronger than we are." And they spread among the Israelites a bad report about the land they had explored. They said, "The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there (the descendants of Anak come from the Nephilim). We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them."
o God told the Israelites to live in a home He got for them
o The spies saw the land, and knew God had the strength to get them there, but saw the people and were afraid
o We have the grasshopper mentality
o The job is bigger, challenges are bigger than we are
• We’re afraid because we think everything is bigger than us
• Two: We fear because we feel we face problems no one else has or feels
• Young adults think they discovered everything
• We think we face problems no one else has ever faced
o Marital/careers/health problems never faced in all of history
• Romans 8:28-39 – 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. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. "No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 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.
o Who are these people that scare you?
o Jesus is interceding for you?
o Will God love you to the very end? Will God love you?
o Nothing you face is new to God
o You do not have a unique problem
• A psychologist uses the term “neurosis” – you are unique with your problem
• You are the only one who is stressed/but you are not
• Sometimes we give people more power over us than we really should
• Proverbs 29:25 – Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.
o Keeps us from being whom God wants us to be
o Nobody is that important
• Jesus had little child sit on His lap
o Jesus said you should listen to the kid
o you get into the Kingdom of God by being like a little kid

III. Fear can be transformed
• fear can hold you prison or faith can set you free
• John 14:27 – Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
o Jesus left us His peace
• Faith in God transforms fear
• Loving God with all our hearts, and doubting with all our minds
• Genesis 26:24 – That night the LORD appeared to him and said, "I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham."
o The immense presence of God
• God became man, flesh and blood
• Unique to all religions of the world, dwelled with us
• Psalm 56:3 – When I am afraid, I will trust in you.
o Says when Im afraid
• Isaiah 41:10 – So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
• Fear can be transformed as we place our trust in God
• Deuteronomy 1:21 – See, the LORD your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the LORD, the God of your fathers, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
• Deuteronomy 20:3-4 – He shall say: "Hear, O Israel, today you are going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. For the LORD your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory."
• There is never a time that you go anywhere without God
• You take God everywhere
• Hebrews 13:6 – So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"
o What can man do
o Being strengthened, encouraged
• Matthew 8:26 – He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
• Faith has a way of transforming our fears
• Faith in God, faith in God’s power
• Our Father owns the land on both sides of the river (death)
• 1 John 4:18 – There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
• John 10:27-30 – My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one."
• God has given us a wonderful gift to transform our fears
• Its not that we wont have fears, we’re just human
• Faith in Him, in His power, in His love
• “therein lies freedom” – allow faith to transform you
• Isaiah 12:2 – Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The LORD, the LORD, is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation."


• What can I do to transform my fear?
• Do I believe in a personal God?
o Ask yourself.
o One who can contact me and I can contact Him?
• How do I know who that God is? What kind of God? How do I know who God is?
o No greater picture of God through Jesus Christ
• How powerful is the God I believe in?
o Is he the creator of the Universe?
o Did he really raise the dead?
o How powerful is the person who can bring life out of death
• How much does God love me?
o That He so loved the world that He gave His own son.
o He gave all He had
Fear is a very normal emotion. It is God’s gift to us to help us to avoid destructive behaviors and circumstances. But abnormal and habitual fear can paralyze and destroy us. God provides us with a faith so powerful that we can be set free from paralyzing fear.
~ Dr. Phil Lineberger

Sermon: Negativism

9/20/09 Destructive Attitudes Most Difficult to Change: Negativism
Philippians 4:8-9 – Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

PD Ouspensky wrote, “The strangest and most fantastic fact about negative emotions is that people actually worship them.”

Paul wrote the words in Philippians 4:8-9 to counter the addiction to negativism. In order to change a negative attitude there are some things we need to understand about our thinking processes and the disciplines needed to effect change.

We should think about the good things
• Negative thinking becomes a bad habit, which over time, becomes an addiction
• In order to change, we need to understand the thinking process
• We need to fill our minds on what is:
o TRUE
o noble
o and all the good things about life
o the best
o the beautiful
• And put all that into practice and God will work you into His excellent harmonies

Thoughts are Powerful
• Positive thoughts produce positive results
• Negative thoughts produce negative results
• All bad things in life came from an idea, which led to action
• From those thoughts have come terrible wars and other terrible crimes
• Our personal lives where we are today, is a result of many thoughts
• Thoughts, if persisted in, can produce results
• Negative thinking: (raises/increases)
o Raises blood pressure
o Fatigue
o Worry
o Stress
• Can wellness be cured by positive-ness?
• Norman Cousins:
o Did a research study lasting for 5 minutes which led him to sleep, experimented with laughing therapy
o Result: People who are more positive news and laughter recover faster
• The bible says laughter is good medicine

It is much easier to be negative than to be positive
• There is a negativity bias
• For the human mind, bad is stronger than the good in our minds
• It takes 5 positive comments to overcome one negative comment because the human brain has a negative bias
• A negative emotion distracts us to emotions rather than decisions
• With positive emotions, we think better and are open to considerations
• Luke 6:45 – The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.
o Prayer, bible studies, good deeds are all stored in your mind
o When you have to respond, you should respond with the strength that is stored up

Negative thinking must be treated like any addiction
• How can we make better decisions?
• God created us with the ability to supervise over decision making process
• Philippians 4:8 – Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
o Disciples
o A disciple knows what to do when they should do it
o According to the Williams New Testament: Practice thinking on what is true
o Practice – is a command in Greek
o
• Verse 9 – Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
o Practice to think and do
o 2 full thrusts of human life
• Supervise brain
• Practice what is true
• The worse a story is the more we believe it is true
• Paul says to practice thinking this whole world is a temple of God
• Think of pure, lovely, pleasing, attractive thinks
• Anything “fair speaking”
• Our minds should be on winsome thoughts
• How:
1.) Look within
 Jesus resides in us
 John 14:20 – On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.
 John 16:33 – "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
 Can look at the media for Jesus Christ
 Don’t let the bad things settle in your mind
 Turn them into good things
 Philippians 4:13 – I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
 Can do through Jesus Christ
 The earth is the Lord’s
 Psalm 24:1 – The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it;
 1 Timothy 4:4 – For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,
 Look within the World

2.) Look above
 Change Things
 Philippians 4:6-7 – Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
 Spend time in prayer
 2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

God did not create us to spend our life in a negative stupor. Jesus came that we might have life and have it abundantly. Part of the abundant life comes “by filling our minds and meditating on the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.”

This Week we can re-orient our minds
1.) Take a notebook, in 10 minutes, write down the good things that happened to you
2.) Write down the good things you did for yourself
3.) Write down the good you did for someone else

Why do this? Because we tend to forget the good and remember the bad
Writing down the good re-programs us!

Dr Phil Lineberger

Sermon: Forgiving Myself

9/13/09 Destructive Attitudes Most Difficult to Change: Forgiving Myself 1 John 1:5-10

The inability to experience forgiveness – God’s forgiveness or our forgiveness of ourselves – destroys our sense of happiness and fulfillment. That sense of guilt – the feeling that something or someone is out to get us – causes us to live tentatively instead of abundantly as God wishes us to live.

We’re always watching the next step. Always wondering, when we’ll get paid back. Rather than living abundantly as God says.

The Key to forgiveness is confession – being honest – saying the same thing about sin God says about sin.

We face the problem of not forgiving ourselves

1 John 1:5-10 – This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.
If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.

What is forgiveness?
• If we confess our sins, He is faithful to us and forgives us
• Forgiveness is the result of a payment for a sin
• Atonement: payment
• Romans 3:21-28 – But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded. On what principle? On that of observing the law? No, but on that of faith. For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing the law.
o Comes through faith in Jesus Christ, not in ourselves
o For all people sin and fall short of the glory of God
o Are justified freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Jesus Christ
o Through faith in His Blood, being Just
• Christianity is a peculiar faith
o Foolishness, gentile
o A righteousness we do not deserve, but receive
• Matthew 26:28 – This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
o To take away sins
• Luke 4:18 – “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed”
o “Release” the oppressed
• Luke 24:46-47 – He told them, “This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.”
o Repentance and forgiveness of sins
o Taking away of one sins
• Acts 10:43 – All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.
o Forgiveness through faith
• Ephesians 1:7 – In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace
• Galatians 1:13-14 – For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it. I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
o Cross and payment for sins go together
• Hebrews 10:15-18 – The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says: "This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds." Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more. “And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.”
o No price we can pay for forgiveness
o No reason for me to be afraid that something will make me pay that price
o No sacrifice I can pay for it
• Forgiveness and atonement go together
• Forgiveness is release from guilt
• Romans 8:1-4 – Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.
• God became human, took all our sins, took it to the cross, buried and rose again
• No other faiths believe God would become human
• Colossians 2:14 – having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross.
o Impossible to live a perfect life
o Jesus took it all away
• Continues to take it away
• Hebrews 10:14 – because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy
• Justification: just as if I’d never sinned, declared not guilty even though I’ve done wrong
• Sanctification: because I have been declared not guilty, I’ll learn how to live as a Christian committed life
• By one sacrifice we’ve been made perfect forever and being made holy – becoming a different person

Why do we need forgiveness?
• We need forgiveness because of guilt
• A value system
• Guilt: everything in life has to be paid for
• Owing a debt that one knows that eventually must be paid
• Known as the great “black mailer”
• Always hurting others; give gifts to pay back
• Guilt makes us do things
• Sin has disappeared from our language systems
• Willful disobedience to God’s standards
• 1 John 3:4 – Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness
• Sin: breaking God’s law
o Sin is a barrier that separates us from God
o Slide across/ slip from slippery rode/temptation
o Lawlessness
o Debt or duty we owe to God or others
• Pushing God to the side

Why do we have difficulty with forgiveness?
• We have difficulty because we deny we are sinners
• Not admitting we’ve done wrong, we rationalize by saying “everyone is doing it” or we feel undeserving of forgiveness
• Ephesians 2:9-10 – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
o Not by works, but faith through grace that we’re saved
• 1 Timothy 1:15-17 – Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
• God displays forgiveness to us and to Paul (he felt he was the worst)
• Then God uses Paul to write most of the New Testament

How do we learn to forgive ourselves?

Use notes during devotion with Bible
Do it in quietness for a few minutes each day: whatever causes you to feel guilty/whatever your sin is, whatever you’ve done

1) Recognize that all have sinned
• Romans 3:23 – for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
• All could not have sinned without our having sinned (that means all of us)
• Write down word “all” – that means me

2) Confess your sins
• 1 John 1:9 – If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness
• We make forgiveness more difficult than God does
• Simple word: if we confess: if we say the same thing that God says about sin then the Bible says he’s faithful and just and He will forgive us our sins.
• Doesn’t say we have to do anything (like make sacrifices, pay homage to Israel, cut your skin) to pay for our sins, just confess
• We have a hard time with that
• That’s why we rationalize it, because we have a hard time setting aside our pride and saying it’s a sin

3) God has done all to forgive us our sins
• God has done all that needs to be done to forgive us our sins
• Hebrews 9: 24-28 – For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.
• Hebrews 10:8-10 – First he said, "Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them" (although the law required them to be made). Then he said, "Here I am, I have come to do your will." He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
• Hebrews 10: 15-18 – The Holy Spirit also testifies to us about this. First he says:
“This is the covenant I will make with them after that time, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.” Then he adds: "Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more. "And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin.
• Make notes, all have sinned, confess, God has done all!

4) “ACCEPT” your cleansing
• Don’t deny God the opportunity of His gift of grace
• That’s what He’s come to do
• For us to hang on to our sin, whatever it may be, just confess it, then accept the cleansing
• For us to think of the sin, just confess it, accept the cleansing


When we violate the laws of God, we suffer greatly. We experience guilt in our hearts and we bring harm to ourselves physically and emotionally, but forgiveness is the great restoring power in our relationships, the relationship between us and God.
Restores the relationship with others. Can enter into the life of freedom.
What a joy and freedom forgiveness brings to our spirits. The Psalmist rejoiced in his own forgiveness. It is by the pure love and mercy of Jesus Christ that forgiveness is offered. When we accept that forgives, God Promises, our guilty feelings are taken away.

Dr Phil Lineberger

Work your way through whatever that guilt sin is.

Sermon: To Hell & Back

9/6/09 Mike Massar: To Hell and Back

• It is a Christ like command
• So many people are living and going to hell
• Hell is no longer a negative meaning in our society
o We say things like: “what the hell is this?”
• What is hell to you?
• It was personal for Jesus
• He went to Hell for our sake
• To go to hell for Christ’s sake
Jonah:
• loved to preach
• He was good at it
• One day he asked God where he should go
• God spoke back to him and told him to go to Nineveh
• He puts God off, dismisses the crowd and goes to the opposite place
• He fell asleep on a ship when there is a bad storm
• All the sailors feel like they are being punished by God so they start confessing
• Jonah tells them the truth and how its all his fault
• They asked to know about his God
• Jonah goes into the water, gets swallowed up by a large whale and he starts praying inside the whale
• Jonah made the whale sick and it threw up and Jonah ended up on the beach of where God told him to go to begin with
• Does God change His mind? He did with Sodom & Gomorrah.
o He did at Mt. Sinai when He was about to wipe out the people
• We, too have a 2nd chance
• Jesus prayed, asking the Lord to take this cup from His hands
o Why would Jesus ask God if God didn’t change His mind?
• God So Loved the World…
• It is our calling to go to hell for heaven’s sake (on earth)
• There are people living in hell here on earth
• If we know about it, then we are responsible for them
• Christ asked us to “stand up”
• Nothing can separate you from the love of Christ
• Our calling: is to go to the hardest places we don’t want to go to
• Romans 5:
o Jesus goes to be ungodly
o Because Christ came for the ungodly

Sermon: Sin difficult to overcome: Gossip

8/30/09
Habitual Sin most difficult to overcome: Gossip
Romans 1:18, 28-32 - The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.
Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Carl Sandberg wrote: “There is an eagle in me that wants to soar; but there is also a hippopotamus within me that wants to wallow in the mud.” GOSSIP is that Hippopotamus within that wants to wallow in the mud. Gossip is one of those habitual sins which is most difficult to overcome because it’s a natural past time.

1. What is Gossip?
• Scriptures take gossip seriously
• Romans 1:18 – The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness
 Suppress the truth
• 2 Corinthians 12:20 – For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.
 “whisperer” is the original word used
 Done under secrecy
 Hint of evil in others
• Psalm 41:7 – All my enemies whisper together against me; they imagine the worst for me, saying
 To imagine the worst in me
• 2 Thessalonians – We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies
• 1 Timothy 5:13 – Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to.
• It is stated in the old testament, that God hates a false witness
• Proverbs 6: 16-20 – There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. My son, keep your father’s commands and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
 We have the most difficulty with these
• Gossip: white lies

2. What does gossip Accomplish?
• Gossip can kill a person’s reputation , prevent a sense of communion
• Proverbs 11:13 – A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret
• Proverbs 16:28 – A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends
• Gossip pushes and guides in the wrong direction

3. Why do people gossip?
• We know we shouldn’t
• Psychologists say its because:
 people are bored with their own lives
 People have a great desire for attention
 Prestige
 Have something that no one else has and want to share it
• People who gossip, according to research, have an inferiority complex
• People gossip for the desire for security
 Maybe we are insecure about ourselves

4. What can one do to overcome gossip?
• To overcome gossip
a) The bible says bring every fault in obedience to Christ
 2 Corinthians 10:5 – We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ
 We cant keep the thought coming to our mind, but we can bring it into captivity
b) Lean on the Holy Spirit
 John 14:25-27 – "All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid”
c) Think the best of all people, different challenges
 Ephesians 4:25-29 – Therefore, each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He has who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
 We don’t want to be judged on the 5% times we have been bad, but on the 95% we have been good
 Ephesians 4:14-15 – Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ
 Don’t borrow trouble
 Luke 6:41-42 – "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.”
 Rather than borrowing trouble, pay attention to your own business


• Mind your own business
• Gossip is a serious business
• God says: Your mind can be redirected, bring it in obedience to Christ

Until we can love others as God love s them, we cannot judge others as God judges them. ~ Dr Phil Lineberger

Sermon: Gossip

8/30/09
Habitual Sin most difficult to overcome: Gossip
Romans 1:18, 28-32 - The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.
Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; they are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Although they know God's righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.

Carl Sandberg wrote: “There is an eagle in me that wants to soar; but there is also a hippopotamus within me that wants to wallow in the mud.” GOSSIP is that Hippopotamus within that wants to wallow in the mud. Gossip is one of those habitual sins which is most difficult to overcome because it’s a natural past time.

1. What is Gossip?
• Scriptures take gossip seriously
• Romans 1:18 – The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness
 Suppress the truth
• 2 Corinthians 12:20 – For I am afraid that when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder.
 “whisperer” is the original word used
 Done under secrecy
 Hint of evil in others
• Psalm 41:7 – All my enemies whisper together against me; they imagine the worst for me, saying
 To imagine the worst in me
• 2 Thessalonians – We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies
• 1 Timothy 5:13 – Besides, they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying things they ought not to.
• It is stated in the old testament, that God hates a false witness
• Proverbs 6: 16-20 – There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers. My son, keep your father’s commands and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.
 We have the most difficulty with these
• Gossip: white lies

2. What does gossip Accomplish?
• Gossip can kill a person’s reputation , prevent a sense of communion
• Proverbs 11:13 – A gossip betrays a confidence, but a trustworthy man keeps a secret
• Proverbs 16:28 – A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends
• Gossip pushes and guides in the wrong direction

3. Why do people gossip?
• We know we shouldn’t
• Psychologists say its because:
 people are bored with their own lives
 People have a great desire for attention
 Prestige
 Have something that no one else has and want to share it
• People who gossip, according to research, have an inferiority complex
• People gossip for the desire for security
 Maybe we are insecure about ourselves

4. What can one do to overcome gossip?
• To overcome gossip
a) The bible says bring every fault in obedience to Christ
 2 Corinthians 10:5 – We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ
 We cant keep the thought coming to our mind, but we can bring it into captivity
b) Lean on the Holy Spirit
 John 14:25-27 – "All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid”
c) Think the best of all people, different challenges
 Ephesians 4:25-29 – Therefore, each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. He has who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.
 We don’t want to be judged on the 5% times we have been bad, but on the 95% we have been good
 Ephesians 4:14-15 – Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ
 Don’t borrow trouble
 Luke 6:41-42 – "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, 'Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,' when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.”
 Rather than borrowing trouble, pay attention to your own business


• Mind your own business
• Gossip is a serious business
• God says: Your mind can be redirected, bring it in obedience to Christ

Until we can love others as God love s them, we cannot judge others as God judges them. ~ Dr Phil Lineberger