Category Archives: Sermon Notes
Honorology Discussion Guide
Instead of posting my sermon notes today, I decided to post our small group discussion guide. It gives a good picture of the story and how to apply to your everyday life.
PROMISEGROUP DISCUSSION GUIDE: WEEK OF MAY 19 – Honorology – Bringing Honor Back!
What part of our society is missing honor the most?
David was a man of great honor. He honored the man of God, Saul even when Saul hunted David to destroy him. He told his men to never touch Saul.
But David lost his honor when we found comfort in the palace. He found himself lost in the maze of adultery. Sin had crept into David’s life and when that happened, honor was the first to leave. When he found out that his lover, Bathsheba, was pregnant, he sent for her husband Uriah. Ironically, it would be Uriah that brought honor back to the palace.
2 Samuel 11:6 And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David. 7 And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered. 8 And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king. 9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house. 10 And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house? 11 And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing. 12 And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow. 13 And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house. 14 And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.
What part of that story is most upsetting to you?
Where all does dishonor show up in that passage?
What characteristics does Uriah display in this story? How does he honor his God and his country?
What pleasures did he sacrifice to display this honor?
What ultimately happened to Uriah because of his honor?
Because of Uriah’s integrity, honor was brought back to David. His sin was revealed and purity/honor returned to the Kingdom.
Compare the act of Uriah and his act of integrity and honor with the life and work of Jesus Christ.
How does Jesus’ submission to man (disciples and Romans) pave the way for righteousness to return to Earth?
How does our honor or lack of honor display our heart? Explain.
How do we bring honor back to the society where we live?
How can we mirror Uriah and Jesus in modern times?
Is there anyone in your life right now that you need to show your honor to?
How can we pray with you today for any of these questions/topics of honor?
Four Ways to Honor Mom
Here are my sermon notes from Mother’s Day 2014!
Our culture is missing honor. We are so preoccupied with our own progress and contentment, we often forget respect and honor. Although honor is missing in our culture, it is a fundamental part of scripture.
Exodus 20:12 Honor thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Mary witnessed the crucifixion from the foot of the cross. Can you even imagine how she must’ve felt? Jesus turns to John and says, take care of her, and looks at his mother and says, let him stand in my place as your son. John lived a very long life, and I believe he took care of Mary until she went to heaven.
You cannot be wrong with your mother and be right with God. If your mother is still alive, regardless of your and her ages, you can HONOR her in these 4 ways. If your mom is not alive find another one! Many people borrow my mom.
Let’s Talk about 4 Ways to Honor MOM!
1 – HONOR MOM WITH YOUR WORDS
Mom taught us a lot with her words!
• Mothers teach us about foresight: “Make sure you wear clean underwear in case you’re in an accident.”
• logic: “If you fall out of that tree and break your neck, don’t come crying to me.”
• religion: “You better pray that comes out of the carpet.”
• contradictions: “Shut your mouth and eat your dinner!”
• contortionism: “Will you look at the dirt on the back of your neck?”
• perseverance: “You are going to sit here until you eat every last piece of that broccoli.”
• circle of life: “I brought you into this world, and I can take you out.
Men have the philosophy—“I don’t have to say ‘I love you’, you already know it. I have told you before, if I change my mind I’ll let you know!” Or, “I SHOW love, not just say it”
That may be true, but momma needs to hear those words, “I Love You!”
Children need to hear it…and saying it makes you more of a man, not less!
-Erica and I have been intentional about creating a verbal affirmation culture in our family.
Our spouses need to hear it, our children…our mothers also!
Some men would say, “I’m just not comfortable…”then be uncomfortable!”
What could you SAY to your mom that would honor her?
2 – HONOR HER WITH YOUR TOUCH
When’s the last time you gave her a big hug w/ out her asking for it…or a kiss on the cheek, or a neck rub, or just sat on the couch with her? Mom was the first person who ever touched you…she held you in her womb for months. Pregnant moms go through hell.
Her first priority was to hold you, she cuddled you, stroked your head, rubbed your feet, held your little cheeks against her, gave you a finger to grasp…in love she did all these things, including grooming you w/ a licked thumb.
When you were little she could say, “give me sugar”, and you’d pucker up and she’d accept your wet, sloppy kiss and even say thank you! You give her bear hugs so tight she didn’t have to hold on to you…you’d just cling to her as she walked around!
She changed your diapers, Momma CLEANED AREAS THAT YOU PROBALY HAVEN’T CLEAN SINCE, potty trained you, and held the Kleenex for you to blow your nose! She wiped food off of your face years longer than she should have had to!
She constantly touched you! Mom’s life may endure some heavy changes, but she deserves your touch and should never have to give that up completely!
How could you show honor to your mom by your touch?
3 – HONOR HER WITH YOUR PATIENCE
Mothers have an incredible job w/ no pay. Minimum wage: $75,000/year. No position in the business world compares to the physical, emotional, and spiritual commitment she has in motherhood.
In spite of all she does for us, we often become impatient with her.
She was (to some still is) your taxi, chef, nurse, wardrobe manager, career advisor, counselor, mentor, confidant, teacher.
Honor her patiently…just because she’s tender to your needs is no reason to take advantage of her, it’s reason to be patient and to love her all the more!
Teenagers: If you treated your friends like you treat your mom you wouldn’t have friends.
If you treated your friend’s mom like you treat your own, their mom wouldn’t let their kid have anything to do with you!
Your mom deserves better…she’s not a rug to wipe every negative thought on!
For us adults w/ living mothers: Love her patiently.
James Dobson read on Focus on Family Radio—letter from 80 yr. old woman on her birthday:
To all my children: I suppose my upcoming birthday started my thoughts along these lines…This is a good time to tell you that what I truly want are things I can never get enough of, yet they are free. I want the intangibles. I would like for you to come and sit with me, and for you to be relaxed. We can talk, or we can be silent. I would just like for us to be together. I need your patience when I don’t hear what you say the first time. I know how tiresome it is to always be repeating, but sometimes I must ask you to repeat. I need your patience when I think too much about the past, with my slowness and my set ways. I wan you to be tolerant with what the years have done to me physically. Please be understanding about my personal care habits. I spill things. I lose things. I get unduly excited when I try to figure out my bank statements. I can’t remember what time to take my medication, or if I took it already. I take too many naps. Sometimes sleep helps to pass the day. Well, there you have it: Time, Patience, and Understanding. Those are priceless gifts that I want. Finally, in his letter, Paul wrote, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” I know I can, too! It’s a wonderful feeling to know His eye is on the sparrow and I know He cares for me. I guess being 80 isn’t so bad after all!
Love,
Mom
How could you be more patient with your mom?
4 – HONOR HER WITH YOUR ATTENTION
Mom recently caught me in the hall and said, “I need counseling, I haven’t spoken to my adult daughter in days.”
Mothers listen as you pour out your heart…she has a sympathetic ear, always has…and even as an adult you’ve gone to her when you want someone who will really listen and understand…and she’ll always be on your side.
Several years back there was a documentary of men on death row. They interviewed the men and their mothers, too. Invariably the moms would say, “He’s such a good boy!” Interviewer: yes, but he slaughtered 37 w/ an axe!…” Mom responds with, “I know, but he has a good heart!”
It’s no wonder we like to talk to mom…she listens…but now she has issues, and now it’s your turn to be her “rock”…and take time to listen…it’s payback time!
Susanna Wesley raised 19 children including John and Charles. There was a visitor in their home one day when Charles was 5/asked mom question, she answered/5 minutes later asked it again/3rd time…7 x’s total/visitor said, why do you keep answering that question 7 times?/she answered, because, 6 would not have been enough!
Lord, help us to be that patient/attentive to our own parents as they grow older.
In older days, our parents have many fears/anxieties…may we treat them as we’d hope to be treated when we are in their shoes!
How could you honor your mom with more attention?
The Big Picture of God’s Story
Here are the notes from Sunday, April 27th, 2014. You can listen to the podcast here.
“Over the last 200 years we have relied in our culture on social progress and enlightenment to bring about the new world in which we would like. So that we have forgotten that the new world that we would like is God’s gift to us already in the crucified and risen Jesus.” – N.T. Wright
The whole story of God needs to stay in our thinking, worship and prayer culture. This shapes our mission. It energizes our mission. When we remain in the context of the whole story of redemption, we remain in the correct size and role in the story. We remain small. God remains in charge and the story remains anchored around God.
Here are significant parts in God’s story:
How the Resurrection Changes Everything
Here are the sermon notes from Easter 2014! Listen to the podcast here.
There is a day coming when everything will be perfect. As the Prophet Isaiah said, “When the lamb and the wolf will lay down together.” The prophet Amos said, “When justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.” Dr. Martin Luther King said, “When the sweltering heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.”
The Apostle John wrote about the future world:
Revelation 21:3…Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. 4 He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” 5 the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!”… 6… “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. 7 All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children.
V:23 And the city has no need of sun or moon, for the glory of God illuminates the city, and the Lamb is its light. 24 The nations will walk in its light, and the kings of the world will enter the city in all their glory. 25 Its gates will never be closed at the end of day because there is no night there. 26 And all the nations will bring their glory and honor into the city. 27 Nothing evil will be allowed to enter, nor anyone who practices shameful idolatry and dishonesty—but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.
There will be no need for passwords on your computers, you won’t need a security system or even need to lock your doors. In fact, you don’t need doors. There is no need protection. There will be no need of keeping things out or keeping yourself in.
Revelation 22:3 No longer will there be a curse upon anything. For the throne of God and of the Lamb will be there, and his servants will worship him.4 And they will see his face, and his name will be written on their foreheads. 5 And there will be no night there—no need for lamps or sun—for the Lord God will shine on them. And they will reign forever and ever.
This will be an awesome time! An unbelievable place of love, peace, joy, purity, justice. All the situations that we thought were unresolved, God will resolve them. We have always called that heaven. Heaven. The unadulterated Kingdom of God. A place of wonder. HEAVEN IS FOR REAL! Before the movie and book made it famous. We have always known that HEAVEN IS FOR REAL!
But let’s be REAL honest! We live on a EARTH that is FAR different from Heaven!
The world that we live in is filled with flaws. We are surrounded by many people that are far from God. It is evident in their life status and situations. When we look at many of the circumstances of our own lives sitting here at PSM this morning, There are aspects of our lives that are not right. Grief plagues humanity as we see many folks struggling for joy, lost in anger and bitterness, lonely. And includes a lot of people who go to church on a regular basis.
We live in a broken world. Why? We live in a world that is currently separated from Heaven. BUT IT WAS NOT ALWAYS LIKE THAT.
Genesis 1:1 in the Beginning God made the heaven and the earth.
You might think that these two realms were disconnected from each other, but no where in Genesis chapter 1 or 2 does it say that earth was down here and heaven is some disconnected thing far away. It does say that there were lightings in heaven to bring light to the earth, but it also says that birds flew in heaven too. They were distinct but interwoven and connected with each other. We see differences like night and day, land and water, fish and bird, man and female, etc, BUT everything was TOGETHER AND GOOD.
There is no separation or disconnectedness until chapter 3 when Humans decide to bail on God’s plan. From that point forward there is huge distinction and separation between heaven and earth!
For thousands of years, all throughout the Old Testament, the Israelites talked about the end of time when heaven and earth would be resolved again.
As you see the entire storyline of the Bible you begin to see a beautiful picture of redemption unfolding. A redemption that is not just the salvation of your individual soul, but a redemption that includes the entire cosmos.
Paul talked about this in his letter to the Romans
Romans 8:18Yet what we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later. 19 For all creation is waiting eagerly for that future day when God will reveal who his children really are. 20 Against its will, all creation was subjected to God’s curse. But with eager hope, 21 the creation looks forward to the day when it will join God’s children in glorious freedom from death and decay. 22 For we know that all creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.
They called this great day at the end of the world the RESURRECTION.
When each of their loved ones died, they reminded themselves of the day when they would be resurrected. They believed a day would come when all of God’s kids would be resurrected and live with him forever. In Matthew 22, Jesus was asked who would be married to who “in the Resurrection”. He used that moment to teach them about resurrection life.
The topic of resurrection came up again when Jesus was dealing with the death of Lazarus.
John 11:23Jesus said to Martha, “Your brother (Lazarus) will rise again.”24 Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again “in the resurrection” on the last day.”
The statement in the next verse is what changes everything forever.
25 Jesus said to her, “I AM THE RESURRECTION and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
This world of Heaven that was to be reserved for a future resurrection is now personified in front of their eyes! What a BOLD proclamation! The promise of a new life where everything would be made right. The eternal perfect Heaven and Earth coming together.
This resurrection that everyone thought was an event being reserved for the End of Time turns out to be rushing forward from the future to the present time!
A beautiful, perfect heavenly space and the broken earthly space were now overlapping in a person. The only way that Jesus could claim to BE the resurrection as a person, is to in himself conquer death himself!
There will be a day when the earthly realm is completely restored as it was in the Garden of Eden and is united with the heavenly realm FOREVER. Both spaces will be one in the same. They will be inseparable.
Now, in our present, In the man JESUS CHRIST both of these realms overlap. In Jesus and Because of Jesus, the broken world doesn’t have to wait until the end of time to access the heavenly world. He IS the resurrection and the life. He said the Kingdom of Heaven is HERE. NOW.
Mark 1:15 The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.
Through Jesus, the Kingdom of God is here. Now.
In Mark 1:15, the terms “fulfilled” and “is at hand” literally means that the eternal God is RIGHT NOW BREAKING INTO your circumstances. Today.
Jesus says repent and believe. When you repent and believe, you begin living in the overlap of heaven and earth just as Jesus is.
BUT ANYONE WHO CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD, can find peace NOW, can find hope NOW. We can abide in the Resurrection. We can rest in/stay in the hope that Jesus Christ IS our redeemer
There are some of you who are sort of on the outside looking in. You often feel trapped in the world that you live in. It seems as though you are unable to break from the depression. Some of you have job situation that is a dead-end and there seems to be no alternate solution. Others are struggling with a spousal romantic relationship and have given up.
The Resurrection brings Good News to you today.
The Kingdom of God is Breaking In and Bursting forth in your life.
The promised heaven of the future is rushing forwards in time to rescue you heart and mind. Repent and Believe in the work of the Resurrected Christ! What I am trying to say this morning is that your life can reflect the resurrection!
Your mind and heart can be at peace today no matter what type of brokenness you are facing on this earth.
A repentant heart, submitting to the work of Jesus Christ on the cross and the resurrection of the empty tomb begins to live in a NEW REALM. A place where heaven and earth overlap.
The Lamb of the Story
These are the raw sermon notes from my message on April 13, 2014. Palm Sunday. You can get more clarity by listening to the podcast.
Exodus 12:1While the Israelites were still in the land of Egypt, the lord gave the following instructions to Moses and Aaron: 2 “From now on, this month will be the first month of the year for you. 3 Announce to the whole community of Israel that on the tenth day of this month each family must choose a lamb for a sacrifice, one animal for each household. 4 If a family is too small to eat a whole animal, let them share with another family in the neighborhood. Divide the animal according to the size of each family and how much they can eat. 5 The animal you select must be a one-year-old male, either a sheep or a goat, with no defects. 6 “Take special care of this chosen animal until the evening of the fourteenth day of this first month. Then the whole assembly of the community of Israel must slaughter their lamb at twilight. 7 They are to take some of the blood and smear it on the sides and top of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the animal. 8 That same night they must roast the meat over a fire and eat it along with bitter salad greens and bread made without yeast. 9 Do not eat any of the meat raw or boiled in water. The whole animal—including the head, legs, and internal organs—must be roasted over a fire. 10 Do not leave any of it until the next morning. Burn whatever is not eaten before morning. 11 “These are your instructions for eating this meal: Be fully dressed, wear your sandals, and carry your walking stick in your hand. Eat the meal with urgency, for this is the lord’s Passover. 12 On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the lord! 13 But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.
The Passover demonstrates the uniqueness. For Jews and Christians – the Passovers defines and gives identity. At the center of Judaism and Christianity is the bloody death of a helpless victim. Why? What does it mean?
There is a Bible long story of the Lamb.
The Offering of the Lamb
The Pharoh won’t let the people go. God says he will strike down every first born.
v.23 Moses says- the Lord will not let the destroyer into your house to strike you down.
There is a simple fact/law: when you violate God’s laws you unleash forces of destruction, disintegration, and chaos.
Examples:
- If you overwork- career as an idol leads to breakdown of all sorts of life
- Holding a grudge- there is breakdown and disintegration of all sorts.
When God says the destroyer will come, I have scrolled ahead and in one night and in one place, eternal/divine judgment day justice (consequence) will be focused at one point in one place. There will be a preliminary, temporary but devastating judgment day. Not just the forces of destruction, disintegration, and chaos that are out there in general, but for one night there will be a release of destruction.
I’m about to unleash the most irresistible, unstoppable, irreversible force in the universe. The destroyer. It will go through the most powerful military and dynasty that the world has ever seen (Egypt). It will go right through it like a knife going through hot butter.
Robin Steele 