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Weekly sermons from our Pastor, Barry Wilkinson.
Episodes
Friday Nov 22, 2019
Friday Nov 22, 2019
Series: Extra Strength
Sermon: Extra Strength
Scripture: Deuteronomy 33:25
Date: November 10, 2019
Your sandals shall be iron and bronze; as your days, so shall your strength be. (Deuteronomy 33:25)
God's strength is extra strength.
Praise God we have an Almighty God. We have a God who never gets tired. We have a God who is never overwhelmed. We have a God who has all power. He never needs a day off or a nap. To have extra strength, we have to tap into His power.
As long as you are alive, you will have the strength to do what God wants you to do. You will be able to bear whatever life brings your way.
Let's look at what God's promise to us includes:
- The promise includes joy
- John 15:11
- "God's very personality is full of joy. He is a God of joy. He is joyful in His essence and joyful by nature." -Robert Morgan
- "I do not know when I am more perfectly happy than when I am weeping for sin at the foot of the cross." -Charles Spurgeon
- The promise includes prosperity & protection
- We are prosperous in Christ.
- He is our protection.
- 1 John 5:19, NIV
- The closer we walk with the Shepherd, the farther we are from the wolf.
- The promise is for daily strength
- 2 Corinthians 1:8-9, NIV
- "The same God who guides the stars in their courses, who directs the earth in its orbit, who feeds the burning furnace of the sun, and keeps the stars perpetually burning with their fires - the same God has promised to supply thy strength." -Charles Spurgeon
- Deuteronomy 33:26-27a
- Jeshurun: a poetical name for the people of Israel, used in token of affection, meaning, "the dear upright people"
- Isaiah 44:1-2
Wednesday Nov 20, 2019
Wednesday Nov 20, 2019
Series: God's Design for the Church
Sermon: To Serve
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 4:5
Date: November 10, 2019
For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus' sake. (2 Corinthians 4:5)
We are shaped to serve. (Ephesians 2:10; NIV)
Here are 5 easy ways that a church glorifies God:
- Churches grow stronger through worship
- Churches grow warmer through fellowship
- Churches grow deeper through discipleship
- Churches grow broader through ministry
- Churches grow larger through evangelism
God shaped us to serve. Here are three important truths to embrace if we, as Hopewell Baptist Church, are to be His servants in His way:
- We have a Master
- Here's a really big deal: we serve God by serving others.
- Servants make themselves available.
- Is He Lord of our schedules? Are we open to God interrupting our lives? Will we surrender our schedule to God?
- Real servants pay attention to needs.
- Galatians 6:10, NIV
- Real servants do the best they can with what they have.
- Real servants are faithful.
- We have a motive
- We serve others because they mean a lot to Jesus.
- Matthew 8:15
- God shaped you to serve. We ought to want to use what He's given us for Him!
- Psalm 139:13-14, NCV
- Spiritual Gifts
- Heart
- Abilities
- Personality
- Experiences
- 1 Peter 4:10-11, NLT
- DNA molecules can unite in an almost infinite number of ways. The number is something like 10 to the 2,400,000,000th power!
- "What matters is not the duration of your life bu the donation of your life." -Rick Warren
- We have a message
- What's holding you back from serving others?
- God transforms the world by loving personal service up close.
- Galatians 6:3, NLT
WEEKLY GROWTH SUGGESTION: Start each day by asking God to show you people to serve for Him that day.
Sunday Nov 17, 2019
Wednesday Nov 13, 2019
Wednesday Nov 13, 2019
Series: God's Design for the Church
Sermon: To Disciple
Scripture: Romans 8:29
Date: November 3, 2019
For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Romans 8:29)
We were created to become like Christ.
Churches grow...
- stronger through worship
- warmer through fellowship
- deeper through discipleship
- broader through ministry
- larger through evangelism
God fashions us to be like Christ through:
- Direction
- Eternal
- 2 Corinthians 3:18, NLT
- Everyday
- What did I do last week that was intentionally to help me be more like Jesus?
- Ephesians 4:22-24, NLT
- We are to let go of old ways.
- We are to change the way we think.
- We are to develop new godly habits.
- Eternal
- Decisions
- Practices
- God's Word provides the truth we need to grow, Gods' people provide the support we need to grow, and circumstances provide the environment we need to practice Christlikeness.
- Practical
- Philippians 2:12-13
- Practices
- Details
- Happenings
- Romans 8:28-29
- Jesus went through loneliness, temptation, sorrow, stress, criticism, rejection, pain and a whole lot more.
- Humans
- What decision can you make that will help you become more like Jesus?
- Happenings
WEEKLY CHALLENGE: Set your intention each day to become more like Christ. Ask God to show you how to cooperate with Him in His purpose for you.
Wednesday Nov 06, 2019
Wednesday Nov 06, 2019
Series: God's Design for the Church
Sermon: To Fellowship
Scripture: Hebrews 3:13
Date: October 27, 2019
**Please forgive us; the first part of the sermon was not recorded. We hope that you enjoy and are challenged by what you hear today!**
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called "Today," so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. (Hebrews 3:13)
"The church helps us fulfill our five deepest needs in life. He gives us a purpose to live for, people to live with, principles to live by, profession to live out, and power to live on." -Rick Warren
Let's see three important areas we can help each other as we live together as God's family:
- God designed us to help each other with His profession
- Every human being is created by God, but not everyone is a child of God.
- Mark 3:33-35
- Ephesians 1:5, MSG
- Galatians 6:10, NCV
- Romans 14:19, NLT
- Four of the ten commandments are about our relationship with God, and the other six are about our relationship with each other; so all ten are about relationships.
- "Fellowship is a place of grace, where mistakes aren't rubbed in but rubbed out. Fellowship happens when mercy wins over justice." -Rick Warren
- God designed us to help each other with His purpose
- The Bible says we are put together, joined together, built together, members together, heirs together, fitted together, and held together.
- "The person who says, 'I don't need the church,' is either arrogant or ignorant." -Rick Warren
- "Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other?" -A. W. Tozer
- God designed us to help each other with His power
- Just one in three 18-35 year-olds tell Barna they often feel deeply cared for by those around them (33%) or that someone believes in them (32%).
- A church family will help keep you from backsliding.
Saturday Nov 02, 2019
Saturday Nov 02, 2019
Sermon: Calvinism/Arminianism Issues
Scripture: John 3:16; Ephesians 1:4
Date: October 20, 2019
Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame. (Ephesians 1:4)
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
John Calvin (1509-1564) - God chooses us
Jacobus Arminius (1560-1609) - We choose God
Traditional Calvinism has 5 points that can be summarized with the acronym TULIP:
- Total depravity
- People are so depraved & rebellious that they are unable to trust God without His special work of grace to change their hearts so that they necessarily and willingly, freely, believe.
- John 6:44
- John 6:65
- Ephesians 2:1
- Unconditional election
- God chooses unconditionally whom he will mercifully bring to faith and whom he will justly leave in their rebellion.
- John 6:37
- Romans 9:11
- Acts 13:48
- To the non-elect God withholds this monergistic (a work that He independently does) work of grace, passing them by and leaving them to themselves.
- Limited atonement
- John 10:15
- John 10:27-28
- Irresistible grace
- If God has ordained someone to be saved there is no way you will be able to resist or reject the grace of God.
- Romans 8:30
- 1 Peter 1:3
- Perseverance of the Saints
- If you are a born again, true believer you will indeed persevere to the end, and you will not permanently and finally fall away.
- John 5:24
- Ephesians 4:30
Arminianism:
- Free will
- Every sinner has the power to choose to believe in Jesus
- Romans 10:13
- Acts 2:21
- Conditional election
- The sinner's choice of Christ, not God's choice of sinner, is the ultimate cause of salvation.
- God has foreknown from eternity which individuals would believe in Christ.
- Romans 8:29
- John 5:24
- Why do evangelism and missions if God has elected whom He will and save them regardless?
- General atonement
- 1 John 2:2
- John 3:16
- Resistible grace
- A person can resist or reject the Spirit.
- 2 Peter 3:9
- Hebrews 3:7
- Isaiah 55:1, NIV
- To me, the Bible is a big invitation for us to come to God. I hear God weeping over the people to come. Why weep if they can't?
- Falling from grace
- A person is in control as to if they want to be saved or not at any point.
- Matthew 24:13
- 2 Peter 2:20-22
There are seemingly contradictory things about God that are true that don't seem like they can be true.
We are to take no credit for being saved. All glory goes to God.
We must choose to be saved. It is our responsibility.
We are to be on mission with God.
Sunday Oct 27, 2019
Sunday Oct 27, 2019
Series: God's Design for the Church
Sermon: To Worship
Scripture: Psalm 95:1-7a
Date: October 20, 2019
Oh come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving; let us shout joyfully to Him with psalms. For the Lord is the great God, and the great King above all gods. In His hand are the deep places of the earth; the heights of the hills are His also. The sea is His, for He made it; and His hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand. (Psalm 95:1-7a)
Biblical worship is the full-life response - head, heart, and hands - to who God is and what He has done.
The use of the word worship in the Hebrew is the verb "sharjah" which means "to bow down, to prostrate oneself" or to "lay flat on the ground"
"The smile of God is the goal of your life." -Rick Warren
Let's see three things about worship that pleases God:
- God is pleased with truthful worship
- Psalm 95:2
- John 4:23-24
- God is pleased with transparent worship
- Psalm 95:1-2
- John 4:23-24
- 1 Samuel 16:7b
- "God smiles when we love Him supremely. God smiles when we trust Him completely. God smiles when we obey Him wholeheartedly. God smiles when we praise and thank Him continually. God smiles when we use our abilities." -Rich Warren
- The heart of worship is surrender.
- Transparent worship is not just about being real about where you are but also about being where you want to be.
- God is pleased with thoughtful worship
- Psalm 95:3
- Did God get anything out of church today? Did He get anything out of my worship and your worship?
- Everything you do out of love for Jesus is worship.
WEEKLY CHALLENGE: Is God getting anything out of my worship today?
Wednesday Oct 23, 2019
Wednesday Oct 23, 2019
Series: Moses - An Unlikely Choice
Sermon: Life Lessons From Moses
Scripture: Hebrews 11:23-28
Date: October 13, 2019
By faith Moses, when he was born, was hidden three months by his parents, because they saw he was a beautiful child; and they were not afraid of the king's command. By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward. By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king; for he endured as seeing Him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, lest he who destroyed the firstborn should touch them. (Hebrews 11:23-28)
The big deal in this series is to be a person God uses.
Here are three big deals that Moses shows to help us be a person that God can use:
- Live a life that matters
- Here are three ways to live a life that matters:
- Don't compromise your most important commitments
- Hebrews 11:28-29
- Be open to leaving the familiar
- Be ready to do the unusual
- Numbers 14:30
- Don't compromise your most important commitments
- Here are three ways to live a life that matters:
- Live your life everyday to the end
- Too many people die before they are dead.
- Every man dies, not every man truly lives.
- Here are 2 keys to living days that matter:
- Pople involvement
- Numbers 11:28
- Gospel investment
- 1 Peter 1:24-25
- Pople involvement
- Live like you will keep on living
- Deuteronomy 34:1, NIV
- Deuteronomy 34:5-7
- Deuteronomy 34:10-12
- Joshua 1:2, NIV
- Numbers 11:28
Sunday Oct 20, 2019
Sunday Oct 20, 2019
Series: God's Design for the Church
Sermon: Who's Running This Show?
Scripture: Colossians 1:18
Date: October 13, 2019
And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence. (Colossians 1:18)
If Jesus is not in charge of you and me, then He is not in charge of the church.
Here are three good reasons we should seek to truly have Jesus as the Head of the Church at Hopewell:
- He has the best plan
- Colossians 1:14
- We are fully known and fully loved by God
- Colossians 1:15
- Jesus has much to give to His body as our Head:
- Direction
- Usefulness
- Love
- God's plans are too good to miss.
- He has the most power
- Colossians 1:17
- He is to be preeminent
- Colossians 1:18
- In every area of life, Jesus is to come first!
- He is the most important one to be raised from the dead.
- His resurrection assures our salvation. Because He was raised from the dead, never to die again, we know that all of our sins have been completely paid for.
- Jeremiah 32:40-41
- "The stunning implication of this discovery is that all the omnipotent energy that drives the heart of God to pursue His own glory also drives Him to satisfy the hearts of those who seek their joy in Him." -John Piper
WEEKLY GROWTH SUGGESTION: Talk with someone about how you and Hopewell can do a better job of making much of Jesus.
Wednesday Oct 09, 2019
Wednesday Oct 09, 2019
Series: Moses - An Unlikely Choice
Sermon: Arresting Anger
Scripture: Numbers 20:7-12
Date: September 29, 2019
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, "Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals." So Moses took the rod from before the Lord as He commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock; and he said to them, "Hear now, you rebels! Must we bring water for you out of this rock?" Then Moses lifted his hand and struck the rock twice with his rod; and water came out abundantly, and the congregation and their animals drank. Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, "Because you did not believe Me, to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them." (Numbers 20:7-12)
Anger is not always a sin. The Bible says to be angry and sin not.
I want us to see three things that will help us allow God to arrest our ungodly anger, three things that will help us give our anger to God:
- Heart
- "Anger is never without a reason, but seldom with a good one." -Ben Franklin
- Harm
- Anger is harmful to your health
- Studies argue that regular feelings of anger increase the likelihood for heart disease, and that within two hours of an outburst, the chance of a heart attack or stroke skyrocket
- Anger is harmful to the people around you
- Sin can be forgiven but often leaves consequences. This is especially true with anger.
- There are 6 deadly steps to anger: Bitterness > Rage > Anger > Brawling > Slander > Malice
- Anger is harmful to your health
- Helps
- Count to 10; take a breather; take a walk; talk to a friend
- Admit & analyze it
- Repent
- Forgive
- Forgiving does not mean:
- it was not a big deal.
- they get away with it.
- you were not hurt.
- forgetting.
- saying that it didn't matter.
- pretending it didn't happen.
- it is the same as reconciling.
- What forgiveness is:
- letting it go & saying 'you don't owe me anything'
- canceling the debt of one who has sinned again you by promising not to bring it up to the offender, to others, or to yourself
- treating that person like God wants you to treat them.