Podcast-Feed5th September 2010 - Dave Newman Finishing Strong (Part 2)
[This sermon is part 2 of Dave’s talk on finishing strong. For part 1, please see 27th June 2010.]
Dave continued his Finishing Strong talk with more principles from the book of Ruth
Reminder: Ruth a picture of Grace at a time when “Men did that which was right in their own eyes” (or as they saw fit) ~ just like today’s society, civil strife, national upheaval, international concerns.
The Book of Grace – 3 keys –Loyalty (1vv14-16), Kindness (“vv10-12), Faithfulness (4v11)
Ruth finished strong
Days of Judges so comparable to today:
Other Gods ~ humanism, materialism, naturalism
Split Culture ~ apparent irrelevance to God, our thought-life and morality
Problem of evil ~ the greatest threat to providence of God in our lives. That is why faith is God’s gift to enable us to cope with life’s uncertainties as Christians
First message: 3 principles
1v16, 2v2 – Ruth was willing to follow the precepts laid out by God
2vv15, 6 – God’s provision is always over and above what we deserve
3v4, 5 – Obedience is the key to finding favour with God
4th Principle
1v4, 22, 2v2, 6, 10, 21, 4v5, 10 – Fulfil your potential, whatever your background. A bad start does not mean you have no future.
Illustration of Alexander Fleming in Finishing Strong by Steve Farrar
Ruth a Moabitess and foreigner. Not just a woman, low standing but a Moabitess too boot! A gentile like us, no wonder we can enjoy the words of Peter – see 1Peter 2vv9-11. See also, 2Corinthians 5 v 17.
See God’s Lavish Grace, p89ff by Terry Virgo
Who you are in God is not what men label you, but how God perceives and sees you. Ruth produced the line and lineage of David (4v18), which gave us the line of Jesus (see Matthew 1). She obviously had a purpose in God’s plan – Ruth was better than 7 sons (4v15). [7, the number of completeness in scripture].
5th Principle
2v12 cf 3v9 – Live under the protection of God. The shadow of his wings is an often used phrase in the Psalms:
• 17v8 – safety
• 36v7ff – refreshment
• 57v1 – stillness in the storm
• 63v7 – help and relaxation
• 91v1ff – hope over fear
“Men who don’t hit the finish line strong have chosen to remove themselves from the Lord’s protection and power” – Steve Farrar Finishing Strong
In Luke 15, the account of the Prodigal Son makes it plain that the son removed himself from the protection of the father. John 15 v 4 – 8, therefore, becomes important to you and me as believers; we must remain in God the Father’s love.
“If God seems far away, guess who moved?” – John Wesley
The prodigal had to come home to be under the shadow of his wings. There is a homecoming for us because there is a home to come to!
6th Principle
1v8, 2v20, 3v10 – Love as he loves us. “Kindnes” (hesed) – steadfast love and faithfulness. N.T. equivalent can be found in 1John 4 vv10 – 11 “love” (agape). Four different words in the Greek for love:
• Agape ~ the highest form of love, sacrificial love, the love that sees only the highest good
• Phileo ~ the love that forms friendships
• Erotao ~ the love that is expressed in desire, sexual love
• Storge ~ the love that a parent would have for a child
See John 21vv15 – 17. Jesus asks Peter if he loves (agape) him. Peter replies that he does love (phileo) him. The third time, Jesus brings the question down to Peter’s level, does he phileo him? How much do we love him and others? How far are we willing to go for others? Boaz went the distance for Ruth and God answered Naomi’s prayer through him.
In conclusion
As I said in my first sermon, God wants you and me to finish strong. Applying the principles mentioned I believe we can and will finish as God intended. How will you and I finish? We need the words of Paul in 2Corinthians 13 vv 5 – 6 or the words of the Chronicler in 2 Chron15 v 7
“But as for you be strong and do not give up, for your work will be rewarded”
At the end of his sermon, Dave played the song “Finishing Strong” by David Hind. It is taken from the album “Painting a Picture”, produced by Authentic Media.
Questions
1] 2 Corinthians 5 v 17 tells us that old is gone and the new has come. What ways has this or could this be true for you as a Christian? If you need prayer in an area of your life that needs to change as prompted to you by the Holy Spirit, why not ask the group to pray with you
Read John 15 v 4 – 8, If we are to live under the ”shadow of his wing” this passage therefore, becomes important to you and me as believers; we must remain in God the Father’s love.
2] What then does it mean to remain in him and what happens to the one who remains in Jesus?
3] What do we mean by “bearing fruit” and what kind of fruit are we bearing as believers?
4] The following Psalms talk about living under God’s protection
• 17v8 – safety
• 36v7ff – refreshment
• 57v1 – stillness in the storm
• 63v7 – help and relaxation
• 91v1ff – hope over fear
Share some times when one or more of the references above have been true for you as a Christian
5] Peter was asked to love by feeding His Sheep. What ways can we show sacrificial love (agape) to one another and in that way show God’s steadfast love and faithfulness to us as believers with acts of kindness?
Listen now! (0:39min / 12MB)
29th August 2010 - No Service
There was no church meeting today.
22nd August 2010 - NewDay Feedback meeting
Peter and Pamela lead this morning’s meeting which featured NewDay feedback from the young people who attended. No recording was made today.
15th August 2010 - Phil Hardy - Growing In Faith
Phil spoke on growing in faith, using Psalm 24-25:1 as a key text.
There are no notes available.
Listen now! (0:52min / 13.5MB)
8th August 2010 - All Age Meeting
Peter and Pamela lead today’s All Age meeting. The theme for this morning was that if we ask God for things, he will provide for us.
Peter’s notes follow:
Story of the car.
• Why did I wait so long to ask?
• Why was I surprised when it worked?
Callum last week described how when he was prayed for and his legs worked that he was shocked.
Game granddad used to play. Demonstrate with Matthew – Matthew struggles, takes ages to get out and uses a lot of effort. Demonstrate with Chloe – Chloe asks to be let out almost immediately. No struggle, no effort!
Matt 7:7-11 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Asking for what you need is a Kingdom principle.
Lords Prayer – give us today our daily bread.
We said last week about God having a banqueting table for all of our needs
[Food game with Chris: eating dry cream crackers without water is very difficult.]
Matt 5:6 “You’re blessed when you’ve worked up a good appetite for God. He’s food and drink in the best meal you’ll ever eat. (The message)
• We need to hunger for the things of God. Then He will give them to us.
How does the Lords prayer go?
Sweet when asked after the right answer.
Matt 6:10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven
• What is heaven like?
• We need to discover the answers
• What does it mean to get heaven on earth?
———-
Unfortunately, today’s meeting did not record correctly so there is no audio file.
1st August 2010 - All Age Meeting (inc Sarah Earlam's testimony)
The Williams Family lead today’s All Age meeting.
During the meeting:
(1) Sarah Smith shared some details of what her first year in Ghana has been like.
(2) There was feedback from some of the kids who went to Bonsall Camp [for children aged 8-11].
(3) Sarah Earlam shared her testimony and details of what God has been doing in her life, including her imminent move to Melbourne, Australia.
You can listen to Sarah’s testimony using the “Listen Now” buttons below.
Listen now! (0:15min / 8MB)
25th July 2010 - Dave Harper - The Power Of Testimony
Dave used Jesus’s final comments in Mark 5:1-20 to emphasise the importance of personal testimony. The demon possessed man was not invited to join with Jesus, but instructed to remain where he was and tell everyone what had happened. Dave went on to explain that, of the 12 disciples, only 2 are known to have been preachers. Yet Jesus instructs all 12 to go and tell of what he’s done.
Jesus said to the man: “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you , and how he has had mercy on you”. Mark 5:19b
Testimony is powerful, we are not all preachers but we can all share what Jesus has done for us
Dave invited a number of people to share their testimonies of healing and God’s provision.
Questions
Read what Jesus said to the man in Mark 5:19. If you had the chance to share with your friends what the Lord has done for you what would it be?
Verse 20 says ‘he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus has done for him’. This man began to proclaim how much Jesus had done for him. Pray we will too and pray we will all have a story to tell.
Listen now! (0:36min / 10MB)
18th July 2010 - Dave Harper - Fresh Hope
Dave spoke on fresh hope, especially for those who have been disappointed. Dave spoke from Hebrews 6:13-20.
Further notes and questions will follow in due course.
Listen now! (0:39min / 10MB)
11th July 2010 - Phil Hardy, David Palmer and Lesley Watmore - Prophecies and Words
Following Dave’s preach on signs and wonders at the Regional Meeting there were three prophecies and words.
(Starts at 0 mins) Phil Hardy – Prophecy about how God is calling us out as a people and how He will give us opportunities to put into practice what we’ve been hearing about. We will be effective across the Peak District.
(Starts at 3 mins) David Palmer – Word about how we are in God’s security. Our risk in His certainty.
(Starts at 4 mins 30 secs) Lesley Watmore – Word about how our sins being remitted (no longer due to be paid by us) so that we can get up and walk.
Listen now! (0:08min / 4MB)
11th July 2010 - Dave Harper - Why Signs And Wonders?
Dave spoke at the Regional Meeting about Signs and Wonders as an expression of the compassion and love of God and its essential place in mission
Matthew 9:35- 10:1,7 was the passage used with cross reference to John 2:11, 14:38 and Micah 5:4. Also Mark 16:20
Jesus the good shepherd has compassion on the crowds who were helpless and harassed and so commands them/us to pray for more workers to help to bring lost sheep into the flock of God. The language is that of harvesting the crop. The first implementation of this is the twelve disciples are sent out to preach the kingdom and to heal the sick and drive out demons. In verse 7 Jesus says GO and preach and heal. Healing and miraculous signs are part of doing mission and presenting the gospel.
As we go, we preach which may mean anything from fully fledged preaching to sharing with a friend or colleague. Only 2 of the disciples were preachers as far as we know but they were all commanded to speak out the gospel
We have been given authority by Jesus to heal the sick and drive out demons. It is already given and as we use that authority we will grow in faith and assurance and ability in using it.
Church planting and signs and wonders are part of our DNA as a church and it is time to intentionally pursue more church plants across the Peaks and beyond. Signs and wonders are not an end in themselves but part of this mission and a revelation of God’s love for the poor and needy.
Questions
After the sermon on the mount Jesus healed first a leper, then a gentile ruler then a woman. (Matt 8:1-16) Matthew finishes this sequence of healings with “He cast out the spirits with a word and healed all who were sick”. Given that he healed ALL the sick then the examples chosen must be intentional.
What do you think is the significance of these 3 examples?
Is there any connection to the passage used in Matthew 9:35-10:1?
Jesus gave authority to the 12 to heal the sick and drive out demons. This was repeated with the 72 others and then to all who believe in him. How can we use and grow in that authority?
The context was to go and preach the gospel of God’s kingdom (v7). Preaching doesn’t mean only ‘preachers’ but for all of us to speak about this kingdom. What to say?? Would you consider going church planting?
[The prophecies and words following Dave’s preach are available as a separate audio file.]
Listen now! (0:45min / 22.5MB)