Sermon Notes - 2018

The wilderness is only temporary (9/9/2018)

Exodus 13:17-18 and 2 Corinthians 4:13-18

• The children of Israel were in bondage in Egypt for 430 years. The Lord not only hears our cry but He sees our cry also (Behold). This is important because cries are not always loud and clear. “Drowning is really silent.”

• The Lord hears us but do we hear Him? Drowning victims are dangerous and despite needing to be saved, often do no come willingly.

  • Throw, don’t go! Life guards throw the flotation device into the water when possible, instead of jumping in. 

  • God "throws" His prophets (Moses, Elijah, Elisha, etc.) to His people instead of jumping in.  

• Don’t allow yourself to become too discouraged by your situation to think that you cannot be saved.

• The wilderness is a place of discomfort, but it is only temporary. Most people misidentify their comfort zone and attempt to find comfort in the wilderness.

• God did not bring them into the wilderness to starve them to death, but He also did not bring them into the wilderness to get comfortable. It is called a wilderness for a reason! 

• Don't try to get comfortable in the wilderness or you will turn a temporary situation into a permanent one!

• God never sends into the wilderness empty handed. God gives us Provision, Promise, and Presence.

  • Exodus 12:36 (Provision), Exodus 3:17 (Promise), Exodus 13:21 (Presence)

The Cost of Living (9/2/2018)

Exodus 29:38-46 and Hebrews 10:8-14

• In the Old Testament, God required a daily sacrifice of a lamb, one in the day and one in the evening (Exodus 29:38).

• God said that He would dwell among them and everyone would know that He was their God.

• Since they could not live without God, the daily sacrifice was part of their Cost of Living.

• There are five main areas associated to our cost of living:

  • 1) Groceries/Food 2)Housing 3) Utilities 4) Transportation 5) Healthcare

• The cost of living varies by area. You would need an $84,986 income in Manhattan, NY to match a $50,000 income in Silver Spring, MD while you would only need $34,237 in Charlotte, NC to match the same $50,000 income in Silver Spring, MD.

• Physically, we cannot move from Silver Spring, MD to Manhattan, NY unless we can afford it!

• Spiritually, we cannot move from the wilderness to the Promised Land unless we can afford it!

  • We have to be willing to pay our spiritual bills daily.

  • God has already given us everything that we need. We just have to be willing to put in the work.

• Jesus paid the price, once and for all (Hebrews 10:12); however, there is still a cost that each of us must pay daily.

• Have you paid your spiritual bills? If you aren't giving God your best and your all then you are short on your payment!

It's GOD Time (8/26/2018 - Youth/Back to School Sunday)

• Solomon was known for his wisdom and is believed to have written Ecclesiastes toward the end of his life.

• Two main points are established in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

  1. Life is defined by duality. There cannot be good times without bad times, happy times without sad times, life without death.

     • Just because you are born, you will certainly die but you must choose to live.

  2. Time cannot exist by itself.

     • Time is an illusion created by man as an attempt to establish control over life.

     • Agreement must occur in order for time to exist and act as a constraint and guide.

     • If service is supposed to start at 11:00am and no one shows up then the issue is agreement.

• God's time can and does exist by itself; however, God's time is not quantifiable by man and does not depend on agreement.

  • We always want to know "when"

  • Service starts and ends when God says so, whether we say service starts at 11:00am or not.

• Ruth went from widow to Great Grand Mother of the king (David).

  • Imagine if she didn't go with Naomi?

  • Ruth was from Moab but became part of the direct genealogy of Judah and Jesus!

  • Ruth looked ahead despite the times of her current situation and was faithful to God.

• We must be like Ruth and not concern ourselves with what is happening on "our" time.

  • Remember the old adage, "If you want to make God laugh, tell Him your plans."

• A child with no name became a blessed man with a great name because of God Time!