Hopewell Baptist Church

Extra Strength; The Path to Praise is Sometimes Through Our Problems

SERIES TITLE

EXTRA STRENGTH

 

THE PATH TO PRAISE IS SOMETIMES THROUGH OUR PROBLEMS

HABAKKUK 3: 17-19

January 12, 2020 PM

Habakkuk 3: 17-19 Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls—18Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 19 The Lord God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills.

To the Chief Musician. With my stringed instruments. This means it is a song and Luke will play it on the guitar

 

 

 

Sometimes we arrive at praise through our problems.

 

You don’t have a story until something goes wrong.

 

We don’t really understand faith until something goes wrong.

He did not understand but he did know where to turn.

 

 

 

Let’s see how to process our problems and arrive at praise.

 

1. PROCESSING THE PROBLEM

 

 

Habakkuk 1:2-4 O Lord, how long shall I cry, And You will not hear?

Even cry out to You, “Violence!” And You will not save.3Why do You show me iniquity, And cause me to see trouble? For plundering and violence are before me; There is strife, and contention arises. 4 Therefore the law is powerless, And justice never goes forth. For the wicked surround the righteous; Therefore perverse judgment proceeds.

 

 

He was overwhelmed with the breakdown of morality in his day.

 

Barna reported in 2016 that a majority of American adults across age group, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status and political ideology expresses concern about the nation’s moral condition—eight in 10 overall (80%). 

 

 

“The highest good, according to our society, is ‘finding yourself’ and then living by ‘what’s right for you,” says David Kinnaman, president of Barna Group

 

 

Habakkuk 1:6-7 Look among the nations and watch—Be utterly astounded!

For I will work a work in your days Which you would not believe, though it were told you. I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwellings not their own.7 They are a feared and dreaded people; they are a law to themselves and promote their own honor.

 

 

 

 

 

Habakkuk 1:13 You are of purer eyes than to behold evil,

And cannot look on wickedness.

Why do You look on those who deal treacherously,

And hold Your tongue when the wicked devours

A person more righteous than he?

 

 

 

Habakkuk 2:2 Then the Lord answered me and said:

“Write the vision

And make it plain on tablets,

That he may run who reads it.

 

 

 

Habakkuk 2:4 “Behold the proud,

His soul is not upright in him;

But the just shall live by his faith.

 

 

 

 

Micah 6:8 He has shown you, O man, what is good;

And what does the Lord require of you

But to do justly,

To love mercy,

And to walk humbly with your God?

 

 

 

Galatians 5:6, 14  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love.

 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  

 

 

 

I’d rather be in the hands of Him who has all the answers than to have all the answers.  Robert J. Morgan

 

 

Habakkuk 2:14 For the earth will be filled

With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord,

As the waters cover the sea.

 

 

Habakkuk 2:20 “But the Lord is in His holy temple.

Let all the earth keep silence before Him.”

 

 

 

 

2.PROCEEDING TO PRAISE

 

 

Habakkuk 3:1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet, on Shigionoth.

 

 

 

 

Habakkuk 3: 17-19 Though the fig tree does not bud

    and there are no grapes on the vines,

though the olive crop fails

    and the fields produce no food,

though there are no sheep in the pen

    and no cattle in the stalls,

18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,

    I will be joyful in God my Savior.

19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength;

    he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

    he enables me to tread on the heights.

For the director of music. On my stringed instruments. (means Luke will play it on the guitar)

 

 

 

Habakkuk 3: 17 Though the fig tree does not bud

    and there are no grapes on the vines,

though the olive crop fails

    and the fields produce no food,

though there are no sheep in the pen

    and no cattle in the stalls,

 

 

Habakkuk 3: 18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord,

    I will be joyful in God my Savior.

 

We rejoice that we still have

• God’s presence

• God’s promises 

• God’s protection

• God’s provision

• God’s providence

 

 

 

Habakkuk 3:19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength;

    he makes my feet like the feet of a deer,

    he enables me to tread on the heights.

 

'Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus,

Just to take Him at His Word

Just to rest upon His promise,

Just to know, "Thus saith the Lord!"

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him!

How I've proved Him o'er and o'er

Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus!

Oh, for grace to trust Him more!

I'm so glad I learned to trust Him,

Precious Jesus, Savior, Friend

And I know that He is with me,

Will be with me to the end.

 

What's God's One Thing For You in 2020

WHAT’S GOD’S ONE THING FOR YOU IN 2020?

LUKE 10: 38-42

January 12, 2020

Luke 10: 38-42 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’ feet and heard His word. 40 But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”

41 And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

 

 

 

I want to live saying I’m glad I did not I wish I had.

 

 

Let’s think about one thing we can do; not intend; to move us nearer to God in 2020.

 

 

 

God hopes we'll develop a greater fear of inaction than of failure, because then, we’ll experience with wide-eyed excitement what it’s like to cruise, doing what we were made to do.  Bob Goff

 

 

Luke 10: 41-42  And Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”

 

 

 

Too many of us live life like we’re on a leash, and someone else is in control. We do what’s urgent, not what’s important. Too many important things are being sacrificed on "the altar of the urgent"!

 

 

 

What’s one thing we can do in 2020 that Jesus will be glad and we will be glad we did in our

 

1.FAMILY The better our relationship with Jesus is the better we will be at family relationships. 

 

 

What’s one thing you can do this year to help your family be more of what God wants it to be.

• Pray together- at breakfast or at night- but also at opportune times- traveling, when someone is hurting or sad, before ball game, siren

• Read God’s word together

• Attend church together- talk about it.

• Spend time together- Date night

• Compliment each other- encourage each other

• Play together- find something that each family member enjoys

• Celebrate God moments- answered prayer, things in nature (Joel’s art song), God conversations or opportunities to pray with someone

• Ask waitresses if you can pray for them (John’s family connection with waitress- made her something)

 

2.FRIENDS

 

 

 

“If you have to choose between your plans and your loved ones, go with the sure thing and choose love.”

Bob Goff

 

Who is one person that you are going to pray for this year to come to Christ?

 

 

3.FAITH

 

I want to encourage you to do something not intend something. 

 

 

Here are some things that people have said have helped them grow.

• Daily time with the Lord.

• Pick out a Bible reading plan

• Come to Sunday School

• Attend church regularly

• Tithe and give joyfully

• Read 5 Christian books this year and start tomorrow

• Say something about Jesus to someone weekly

• Begin to pray out loud- by yourself, with family, in SS, in church, etc

• Take notes on sermon or QT and review them

• Find a place to serve others- prayer leader in SS, 

• Speaking up in SS and youth group

• Listen to Christian music- and sing along - loudly if you like

• Journal and/or write out your prayers

 

 

 

 

 

Too many of us live life like we’re on a leash, and someone else is in control. We do what’s urgent, not what’s important. Too many important things are being sacrificed on "the altar of the urgent"!

 

Extra Strength: The Heart God Strengthens (2 Chronicles 16:9)

Series: Extra Strength

Sermon: The Heart God Strengthens

Scripture: 2 Chronicles 16:9

Date: November 17, 2019

 

For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.  (2 Chronicles 16:9a)

This very same promise is as available to us now as it was in biblical times or during the days of WWII.

As we think about the heart that God strengthens, let's look at Asa's life and Asa's lessons:

1. Asa's Life
   • Chapter 1:
     • 2 Chronicles 14:2-4, NCV
     • He is not just saying the right things; he is doing what God wants him to do.
     • 2 Chronicles 14:8-11
   • Chapter 2:
     • We are tempted to think 'we got this' instead of 'God has this.'
     • 2 Chronicles 15:1-2, 8-12, 16
     • He put his own grandmother (or mother) out of her position because she would not repent.
   • Chapter 3:
     • When we start backsliding, we often have slid back way further than we think.
     • 2 Chronicles 16:2-3, 7-10, 12
     • He was aflame for the Lord as if drenched with kerosene.
2. Asa's Lessons
   • Use every significant occasion in life to rededicate yourself to Christ.
     • 1 Samuel 7:12
   • We must keep listening to sound biblical teaching.
     • If you don't eat, you can't keep your strength up.
     • "This book will keep you from sin or sin will keep you from this book."  -D.L. Moody
   • Don't quit before the finish line.

God's Design for the Church: To Be a Mission (Luke 19:10)

Series: God's Design for the Church

Sermon: To Be a Mission

Scripture: Luke 19:10

Date: November 17, 2019

 

For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.  (Luke 19:10)

"But to this solemn resolution I came; I was free, and they should be free also."         -Harriet Tubman

Churches grow:

• stronger through worship.  You were planned for God's pleasure.
• warmer through fellowship.  You were formed for God's family.
• deeper through discipleship.  You were created to be like Christ.
• broader through ministry.  You were shaped to serve.
• larger through evangelism.  You were made for a mission.

I want us to see three things about this mission we were made for:

1. It is the Savior's mission
   • John 17:18
   • His mission is now our mission.
   • Matthew 28:19-20
   • The mission of the church, my mission, your mission, and every Christian's mission is to share Jesus with those around them.
   • 1 Peter 2:9-10, MSG
   • The Great Commission is not the Great Suggestion.
2. It is a significant mission
   • "Have you no wish for others to be saved?  Then you're not saved yourself, be sure of that!"  -Charles Spurgeon
   • Telling others how they can know God and have eternal life is the greatest thing you can do for them.
   • "Could a mariner sit idle if he heard the drowning cry?  Could a doctor sit in comfort and just let his patients die?  Could a fireman sit idle, let people burn and give no hand?"  -Leonard Ravenhill
   • "You can be a world class Christian or a worldly Christian."  -Rick Warren
3. It is a satisfying mission
   • Psalm 119:32, NCV
   • Will anyone in heaven be able to say, "Thank you.  I'm here because of you"?
   • "If I thought I could win one more soul to the Lord by walking on my head and playing the tambourine with my toes, I'd learn how!"  -William Booth

WEEKLY GROWTH SUGGESTION: Pray each morning that God will show you the opportunities He has for you to nudge people toward Jesus.  Agree with God that you will try to make the most of those opportunities.

Extra Strength (Deuteronomy 33:25)

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:

1. 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 
2. 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.
3. 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

God's Design for the Church: To Serve (2 Corinthians 4:5)

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:

1. Churches grow stronger through worship
2. Churches grow warmer through fellowship
3. Churches grow deeper through discipleship
4. Churches grow broader through ministry
5. 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:

1. 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.
2. 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
3. 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.

Nov. 3, 2019 Luke Cullen

Please enjoy a message from our Worship Leader, Luke Cullen.

God's Design for the Church: To Disciple (Romans 8:29)

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:

1. 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.
2. 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
3. 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?

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.

God's Design for the Church: To Fellowship (Hebrews 3:13)

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:

1. 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
2. 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
3. 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.

Calvinism/Arminianism Issues (John 3:16; Ephesians 1:4)

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.