Court is in Session

Isaiah 1:1-31

Sermon Notes:

1) God’s Rebellious Children Need a Bath, 1-17

• Title and setting of the book, 1

• Israel’s rebellion and ruin, 2-9

• Israel’s ruined worship, 10-17

2) God’s Rebellious Children Have an Opportunity, 18-20

3) God’s Repentant Children Will See Justice Restored, 21-31

• Justice (Paradise) Lost, 21-23

• Justice = Restoration for the Weary, 24-27

• Justice = Vengeance upon the Wicked, 28-31

Reflection question:

1. What is the Bible’s idea of justice? Read Leviticus 19:9-18 and try to see the following points/illustrations/applications (especially the 4th one) of the “Love your neighbor as yourself” principle:

1. Vv. 9-10 – Loving others with our possessions

2. Vv. 11-12 – Loving others with our words

3. Vv. 13-14 – Loving others with our actions

4. Vv. 15-16 – Loving others with our judgments

5. Vv. 17-18 – Loving others with our attitude (Taken from DeYoung and Gilbert, What is the Mission of the Church?, pp. 142-147.)

The End of the Matter: Glorify God and Make Disciples

Ecclesiastes 12:9-14

Sermon Notes:

1) The Dead End: Meaninglessness and Vanity under the Sun, Eccl 1-12

2) Man’s Chief End: Finding Meaning and Purpose BEYOND the sun, 12:8-14

3) Man’s Chief End: Fearing and Glorifying God, 12:13

What does it mean to Glorify God? (These lists are based on some Biblical word studies done by one of our elders.)

A) Fearing God in our hearts. Fear = awe leading to obedience and reliance on God (Paraphrased from Eerdman’s Concise Bible Handbook)

B) Praising and Thanking God in prayer and praise

• Praising Him for who he is

• Thanking Him for what he does

• Such as: His attributes, benefits (including Salvation for us and others!), miracles, providence, and promises.

C) Honoring God in our actions

• Stewardship

• Sabbath rest and worship

• Building and keeping a beautiful place of worship

• Maintaining our physical fitness and chastity (because our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit)

• Obedience (including the fruit of the Spirit, good works including evangelism)

• Suffering for His name’s sake.

4) Man’s Chief End: Keeping His Commandments (to Make Disciples), 12:13

What is a disciple?

A) A follower and imitator of Christ

B) A man/woman of priorities and practices. (He/she believes that they MUST:)

• Worship and serve God

• Serve God in a local church

• Grow in Godly character

• Know and use their gifts (including every gift, like picking up chairs).

• Trust God’s promises

• Pray regularly

• Study the Word

• Develop a Biblical world view

• Testify of God’s goodness to him/her in the gospel

• Finish well

C) A future-focused disciple-MAKER

• Able to evangelize and follow-up until the new disciple becomes a disciple-maker.

Missed Opportunities for Health

1 Corinthians 12:12-26

Sermon Notes:

1. Missing out when we function as individual parts independent from others.

2. Missing out when we aren't serving in the role God called us to.

3. Missing out when we're missing whole parts of the body

Discussion Questions:

1. What are some of your passions? What are some of your skills?

2. What are some of the needs that need to be filled at Forestgate?

3. What unique giftings might Forestgate possess that contributes to the health of the broader, global, body of Christ?

Nothing Shall Separate Us

Romans 8:31-39

Sermon Notes:

1) The Questions that Haunt an Apostle’s Conscience, 31-34

2) The Answers that Almost Make Sense, 31-34

3) The Ultimate Question behind the Other Questions, 35-37

4) The Ultimate Savior that Silences Every Doubt, Conquers Every Fear, 37- 39

Reflection Questions:

1) Do you ever doubt that things are going to work out for you? Why is that? With whom do you share your doubts? Read Psalm 56 and see how (and with whom) David shared his doubts.

2) How does Paul answer the accusations and possible condemnations (vv33-34) in this passage? Did Paul have a lot of things that could have condemned him, or was Paul (formerly called Saul) a pretty good guy? Read Acts 8-9; Acts 13:9; 1 Timothy 1:12-17.

3) Have you ever wondered why Paul has such confidence in the security of God’s love? Did Jesus say or do something to make his people think that? See John 10:27-30; 11:25-26, 43-44; 20:24-31.

All Things Together for Good

Romans 8:26-30

Sermon Notes:

1) Our Perfect God Is Perfecting Our Prayers on the Way Up, 26-27

2) Our Perfect God Is Perfecting His Plans for His People, 28

3) Our Perfect God Is Perfecting His People to Be More Christ-like, 29-30

Reflection questions:

1. Read I John 5:14. Do you ever worry that your prayers are not according to God’s will? How does it help you to know that the Spirit intercedes for us as we pray?

2. Read Proverbs 16:9. Can you think of a time when God showed you His plan in a way that unexpected or very different from your plans? (Also see Gen. 45:4-8; 50:15-21.)

3. Read I Peter 1:6-7. Can you think of a time when God uses “various trials” to refine you and make you more like Jesus? Was it enjoyable at the time? Can you rejoice in it now? Did you rejoice in it while it was happening?

The Glory to Be Revealed

Romans 8:18-25

Sermon Notes:

1) The necessary perspective regarding suffering, 18

• Suffering is a fact of life

• Suffering is a fact of THE CHRISTIAN life (2 Tim 3:12)

• Suffering is temporary (2 Cor 4:16-18)

• We suffer, because this world is not our home (Phil 3:20-21)

2) The worldwide problem behind suffering, 19-22

3) The glorious payoff after suffering, 23-25

Reflection questions:

1. What was the last “first-world problem” you complained about? How could counting your blessings (Eph 1:3-14; 1 Peter 1:3-9; 2 Peter 1:3-4) have improved your perspective about that problem?

2. How does our knowledge of this world’s fallenness help us to sympathize with the pains and groanings that others might express? See Job 2:11-13 (Note: This is the high point for Job’s three friends.)

3. Read 2 Cor 4:7-18; Phil 3:20-21; 1 John 3:1-2. After reading this, how would you describe “the glory that is to be revealed to us” in Rom 8:18?

The Law is So Good Because it Shows Us We Are So Bad

Romans 7:7-25

Sermon Notes:

1. The law is good because it reveals we're bad

2. Sin can misuse the law to make you feel good

3. We grow by using the law to show us we are bad

Reflection Questions:

1. How does understanding our adoption into the family of God help us view obedience as a response to love rather than an outlet to earn love?

2. Do you ever feel tempted to think about your faith as "Justified by Faith" but "Sanctified by Law" (See Galatians 3)?

3. Google "3 uses of the law" (here is a good ligonier article). What are the 3 uses? What then are some improper uses of the law?

4. How can we use the law to increase our faith?

Abba Father

Romans 8:12-17

Sermon Notes:

1) A Debtor to Mercy Alone, 12-13

2) A Death that Brings Life, 13

3) A Divine Father, 14-16

4) A Divine Inheritance, 17

Reflection questions:

1) In what sense are we indebted to Christ? Should that phrase make us feel guilty, or should it encourage us? Consider the story found in Luke 7:36-50, especially vv. 41-43, 47.

2) Are you trying to kill your sin, today, this week? Which sin? Are you asking God to show which sins needs to be killed the most? Read Psalm 139:23-24.

3) Why do you think Paul (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) uses the word “sons” and not “sons and daughters” in this passage? (From the ESV’s preface: “Sons … was used as a legal term in the adoption and inheritance laws of first-century Rome. As used by the Apostle Paul, this term refers to the status of all Christians, both men and women, who, having been adopted into God’s family, now enjoy all the privileges, obligations, and inheritance rights of God’s children.”)

Walking by the Spirit, Not by the Flesh

Romans 8:4-11

Sermon Notes:

1) A Stark Contrast, 4-6

2) A Dominant Hostility, 7-8

3) A Powerful, Resurrection Spirit, 9-11

Reflection questions:

1. Is Paul saying that, spiritually speaking, there are only two kinds of people in the world? What is the difference, ultimately, between those two kinds of people? See Psalm 1:1-4 and Psalm 32:1-2.

2. If we are all “in Adam” or “in the flesh” from our birth (see Ps 51:5), how do we become someone who walks “according to the Spirit,” someone who is “in Christ” or “in the Spirit”? See 1 Cor 2:14; John 3:3; 1 Peter 2:9-10; Acts 9:1-5, 17-19.

3. What is your reaction to the truth that we will never be fully sinless, in our minds and in our actions, on this side of heaven? Is it Rom 6:1a (“Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?”) or is it more like Philippians 3:12-15?

No Condemnation

Romans 8:1-4

Sermon Notes:

1) In Christ, we have no condemnation, 1

2) In Christ, we have freedom, 2

3) In Christ, we have atonement, 3

6 ideas in this verse:

1) The law couldn’t do it, because it was weakened by the flesh.

2) But God did it.

3) God did it BY sending His own Son

4) Sending Him in the likeness of sinful flesh

5) Sending Him for sin

6) God condemned sin in the flesh (Summary of 2-5)

4) In Christ, we have Spirit-filled life, 4

Reflection questions:

1. Do you ever fear the judgement or punishment that man can give? What did Jesus say about such fear? (See Matthew 10:28)

2. How would you answer the rhetorical question posed by Psalm 130:3? (Ps 130:3 – “If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?”) Hint: read the rest of the Psalm, too.

3. How should we respond to the gift of “no condemnation in Christ Jesus”? Consider Paul’s response in the immediately preceding verses: Romans 7:24-25.