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Gregory C. Magruder Parkview Baptist
First Things First
2 Chronicles 1:1-17
INTRODUCTION: We did a study
in First Chronicles in the fall called Building
Your Kingdom. David established his kingdom and laid the foundations for
the building of a new
WORSHIP THE LORD (1-6).
*Worshipreflects on the past and praises God in the present. Then
Solomon spoke to all
SEEK WISDOM
AND KNOWLEDGE (7-13).
*Ask God for guidance in your
life this year. That night God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask for whatever
you want me to give you.” Solomon answered God, “You have shown great kindness
to David my father and have made me king in his place...Give me wisdom and
knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great
people of yours?”(7-10).
DO YOUR WORK
WITH EXCELLENCE (14-17).
*Do your best. Solomon accumulated chariots and horses…The king made silver and gold
as common in
The
Mission 2012
Verse: “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” (Matthew 28:19-20).
Overriding Question: How can we become more effective in evangelism and leading
others to Jesus Christ?
Mission Statement: During the year 2012, the members of
Motto: EACH ONE, REACH ONE.
Objectives: The Vowels of Vision
Action Network – join area churches in
specific projects to change the spiritual atmosphere of
Eastside Connections – begin to network
with Eastside churches to alleviate poverty and family issues.
Immigration – become a voice of conscience
for the community about immigration issues.
Outreach through evangelistic and missional
projects (personal witnessing, revivals, special events …). Missionary Lonnie Turner has treadle pump
water wells we can sponsor for $2000 per well.
United in Spirit to make evangelism a
priority so that every member can tell other people how to find Jesus as Lord
and Savior.
Goals: to be developed by staff and ministry area directors.
Gregory C. Magruder Parkview Baptist
Christ – The Word
John 1:1-14
INTRODUCTION: Many words can describe Christmas. God’s Word gives us some words to live by at
this time of year. The term logos, translated Word, is used by the
Apostle John to introduce Jesus. John
was using a word from Greek philosophy that described “the spiritual principle”
that filled the universe. The Jews used
the word to describe God. John took the idea to describe Jesus, the Son of God
or the Word of God. Jesus is the final
Word from God. No philosophy or person compares to him.
JESUS IS THE ULTIMATEEXPRESSION OF GOD.
In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him
all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him
was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness,
but the darkness has not understood it...The true light that gives light to
every man was coming into the world (John 1:1-5, 9).
*The Word (the Mind, Logic or Intelligence
of God) is
“The Logos is
God active in creation, revelation, and redemption”
– Frank Stagg.
JESUS IS THE PERFECTEXAMPLE OF HUMANITY.
He was in the
world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize
him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to
all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to
become children of God— children born not of natural descent, nor of human
decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made
his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who
came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:10-14).
*The Logos became a little baby. The
Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood (John 1:14, The
Message).
*Jesus lived a normal human life
yet revealed the fullness of the love and true nature
of God.
But in these
last days he [God] has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all
things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s
glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his
powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the
right hand of the Majesty in heaven (Hebrews 1:2-3).
*The miracle of Christmas is that
Almighty God would give up his glory to become like you and me so we
could become part of his family.
Your attitude
should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something
to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found
in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
-
Philippians 2:5-8
*Have you believed in Jesus Christ
and received him as your Savior?
He came to that
which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received
him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of
God (John 1:11-12).
Gregory C. Magruder Parkview Baptist
Christ – Our Peace
Matthew 2:1-12
INTRODUCTION: Many words can describe Christmas. God’s Word gives us some words to live by at
this time of year. The word peace has
always been associated with Christmas. My son, Andrew, asked me what I want for
Christmas this year. I said, “World
peace.” We may joke about that stock answer but deep within all of us we desire
peace on earth. We want the wars and
conflicts, the hunger and oppression, the racial clashes and political
repression to cease. We just want a
world where peace reigns and everyone just gets along. Matthew shares a story of a visit of the Wise Men
after the birth of Jesus. The Magi came to see the King of the Jews. The message of Christmas tells us that
Jesus is the Prince of Peace.
CHRISTMAS BRINGS
US THE GIFT OF PEACE.
*The angels announced to the shepherds
that the birth of Jesus was a sign of God’s grace and a blessing
of peace. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I
bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of
God
wants to bring you peace this Christmas.
PEACE CO-EXISTS
WITH CONFLICT.
*Wise people seek the source
of peace. After Jesus was born in
*Evil always tries to destroy
what is good. When King Herod heard this he was
disturbed, and all
No matter how
bad it seems, God is always working around us for the good.
GOD’S PEACE OVERCOMES
THE WORLD’S CRUELTY.
*Jesus was born to rule as the Prince
of Peace. For to us a child is
born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he
will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6).
*Wise people bow to the Prince of
Peace. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the
child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they
opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and
of myrrh. And having been warned
in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another
route (Matthew 2:10-12).
*Jesus conquers the world and its evil system
and rulers. Jesus told his disciples: “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”
(John 16:33).
*You can experience the peace of Jesus in
your life no matter what your circumstances.
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 (Philippians 4:6-7).
Do you have
this kind of inner peace?
Do you know
the Prince of Peace?
Gregory C. Magruder Parkview Baptist
Christ – Our Joy
Isaiah 46:3-10
INTRODUCTION: Many words can describe Christmas. God’s Word gives us some words to live by at
this time of year. When we sing the
carol “Joy to the World” we recognize that joy is a key part of the story of
the birth of Jesus Christ. The angel told the shepherds “do not be afraid. I bring you good news of
great joy that will be for all the people” (Luke 2:10). Great joy!
Isn’t that what all of us are looking for? We want to be happy. We want to be without pain and sadness and
sorrow. We want life to be good and
pleasurable and, well, joyful!
Christmas reminds us that Christ is our joy. The prophets of old spoke of the life that
experiences true joy. They looked
forward to the day when Messiah would bring joy to the world. Let’s see what the prophet Isaiah had to say
about living a life of joy.
ONLY GOD PROVIDES JOY THAT SUSTAINS US.
*God made us andcarries us through life. “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am
he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will
sustain you and I will rescue you” (Isaiah 46:4).
*We find joy when we find God.
ALTERNATIVES TO GOD’S JOY LET US DOWN.
*False gods deceive
and disappoint us. “To whom will you compare me or count me
equal? To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?” (Isaiah 46:5).
*We make our gods
and they become a burden (6-7). “Some
pour out gold from their bags and weigh out
silver on the scales; they hire a goldsmith to make it into a god, and they bow down
and worship it” (Isaiah 46:6).
*An idol is anything we love more than God.
WE FIND TRUE JOY IN GOD AND HIS ETERNAL PURPOSES
*True joy comes from
being part of something that is bigger than I am and has meaning
and purpose. True joy comes from
attaching yourself to God’s plans for your life. “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times,
what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that
I please” (Isaiah 46:10).
*Prophets
like Elijah proclaimed that God’s eternal plan was to send the
Messiah. “The Lord himself will give you a
sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call
him Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).
*The birth
of Jesus fulfilled the prophecy.
Jesus came to save us from our sins. That is why the angel called the birth“good news of great joy.”
“An
angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, ‘Joseph son of David, do
not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her
is from the Holy Spirit. She will
give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from
their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the
prophet: ‘The virgin will be with
child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ - which
means, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:20-23).
*Do
you know this “good news of great joy.”? Do you know Jesus as your Savior?
“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”
(John
3:16)
Gregory C. Magruder Parkview Baptist
Christ – The Way
John 14:1-14
INTRODUCTION: Many words can describe Christmas. God’s word gives us some words to live by at
this time of year. Christmas is about
the birth of Christ, the coming of God in the flesh. Jesus lived his whole life in order that we
might have life. He is the way to
eternal life, to a personal relationship with the Father, and to life with a
purpose here and now. Christ is the Way to life as God intended.
JESUS IS OUR WAY TO HEAVEN.
*Jesus
prepared his disciples for his death and prepares a place for us after death.
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my
Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am
going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I
will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I
am going” (John 14:1-4).
*Thomas was confused
and Jesus told him the path to take. Thomas said to him,
“Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” Jesus
answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:5-6).
The way to Heaven is a
person.
JESUS IS OUR WAY TO GOD.
*Philip wanted to know
God, the Father. Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father and
that will be enough for us” (John 14:8).
*Jesus said no one comes
to the Father except through him because he and the Father are one.No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well...“Don’t you know
me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has
seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:6-9).
The way to God is a person.
JESUS IS OUR WAY TO ABUNDANT LIVING.
*Jesus enables us to live in reality (truth) and to experience
life as God intended it to be. Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6).
*We can have the same relationship with Jesus that Jesus
has with his Father. He gives us power
for living as we put our trust in him.
“I tell you the truth,
anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even
greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my
name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me for anything in my
name, and I will do it” (John 14:12-14).
The way to fullness of life
is through a person.
Jesus Christ is our way to
Heaven, to God and to abundant life.
Do you know for certain that
you have eternal life and that you are going to Heaven when you die?
Do you have a personal
relationship with God?
Is there evidence in your
life that you are a Christian?
Gregory C. Magruder Parkview Baptist
Christ – Our Hope
Jeremiah 29:1-14
INTRODUCTION: Many words can describe Christmas. God’s word gives us some words to live by at this time of year. The prophets have a word of hope for those who will listen. Jeremiah had warned the people of
FALSE HOPE IS NO HOPE AT ALL (29:8-9).
*The world offers false dreams and lying schemes. Yes, this is what the LORD Almighty, the God of
NO MATTER WHAT YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES, YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE (29:4-7).
*Plant yourself wherever you are and build a life. This is what the LORD Almighty, the God of
*Build the familyhome through marriage and the birth of children. “Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease” (6).
*Pray for the city you live in and seek its peace and prosperity. Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper” (7).
WHERE THERE IS GOD, THERE IS HOPE (29:10-14).
*You can depend on the promises of God. This is what the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for
*God has plans to prosper you and give you hope and a future. “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (11).
*God wants the best for us and will rescue us when we seek him with all of our being.Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile” (12-14).
God wants to give you hope this Christmas. He already proved it by sending his Son Jesus.
You can be God’s instrument of hope to others this Christmas. Look for ways to bring hope to others.
“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”
- (John 3:16).
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