Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

Chapter 14 is about how to get along with people in the church who disagree with you on something you feel passionate about. Paul addresses a specific dispute; most likely over whether Christians need to abide by Jewish food laws.

Verse 1 addresses the overall issue as a matter of conscience. A "matter of conscience" is a practice about which God has not specifically spoken in His Word. It has not been clearly forbidden or commanded. It is a preference, and Paul is saying that there are things we will disagree about in church that should not lead to division.

There ARE essentials that should be non-negotiable for all true believers (virgin birth, deity of Jesus Christ, substitutionary atonement, etc...) See also Gal 1:8-9, I Cor 5:1-2

Spiritual maturity is more than

building strong convictions;

it is learning to show restraint

in the weight you give those convictions.

Unfortunately, the longer you are in church, the more you start to hold your opinions on everything and think everyone else needs to live by your opinions. In your mind, these are not even opinions anymore; they are just the way things are-the way mature Christians "should" see the world.

Current "Dividers" in the Church

-alcohol

-the way people dress at church

-school choice (public, homeschool, private)

-politics

How do we live in unity?

Show kindness to those of another opinion (v3)

It is okay to have convictions, but if the Bible hasn't condemned a thing, we should give space to believers whose convictions differ on matters that Scripture does not address plainly.

Trust others to the Judge (v4)

Remember, they don't answer to you. They answer to God. In the Romans church, the "weak" needed to be strengthened, and the "strong" needed to be considerate in the exercise of their freedom. The same is true today.

Obey your conscience (v5)

Listen to your conscious and follow that. As those who live under Truth, God speaks to you and your follow that Truth in your unique way.

Accept that your conscious can be transformed by the Holy Spirit (v6-14)

We all need to hold the "non-essentials" loosely and be open to growing and understanding how other believers see convictions. The Holy Spirit might change your heart and stance on a matter, and that can be very good.

Care more about them than our freedoms (v15-17)

In 1 Cor 10:23, Paul says, "“All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up." Just because you "can" do something doesn't mean you "should". There are always others watching you and following your example, so be careful in what you choose to do.

Let's care more about unity than uniformity.

Let's fight for our unity and not our opinions.

Questions to Consider:

1. Have you ever judged someone for doing something differently than you? What happened?
2. Are there things you feel strongly about that others might see differently?
3. How can we tell the difference between a clear sin and a personal conviction?
4. How would our relationships change if we remembered that God is the judge, not us?
5. Can you think of a time when your actions might have affected someone else’s faith?
6. What is one way we can build each other up this week instead of criticizing?
7. Would others describe me as someone who brings peace—or division? 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy with Jason Elam & Milt Jones

At the end of Moses' life (around 1400BC)(Deut 31) he reminds the people that God will never leave them, and that He wants to be near to them. While God will be faithful, Moses warns the people that they might forget Him. He institutes the Feast of Tabernacles that includes the reading of Torah so that they might remember.

Fast-forward to 586BC. The exile has happened, and many are taken into captivity where there is no Scripture for the next 142 years. Then, in 444BC, we have the story of Nehemiah. In Nehemiah 8, we see that the people are gathered in the square. Waves of people are returning from exile, and the language has changed. The people hear the Scripture for the first time (v1-8), and the Levites are translating it for understanding.

Hearing Scripture is good.

Understanding Scripture is transformational.

The people are aware of God's goodness and of their depravity. They begin to weep. Nehemiah tells them, "Do not weep...the joy of the Lord is your strength." (Neh 8:9-10). God restores His Word to heal people. He restores people to their purpose of knowing Him and loving Him forever.

We must understand the weight

of the bad news

before we can be grateful

for the good news.

God's Word:

1. Every word matters
2. Learn from history
3. Jesus is the center (the fulfillment) of it all

Bible Translation moves people:

1. from silence to understanding
2. from confusion to clarity
3. from despair to hope

"How beautiful are the feet of those

who bring good news." -Isaiah 52:7

What do we do now?

1. Pray for a people group - there are still 494 groups that are very hard to reach.
2. Advocate
3. Give
4. Soak yourself in Scripture - God will continue to change you!

Questions to Consider?

1. What does God's Word mean to you?
2. What is your role in Bible translation?
3. How will you guard your life and those around you from "forgetting God and His Word"?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

Pastor Alex used the illustration of "Get Up, Get Dressed, and Get Going Loving Others" to teach us what Paul was saying to the church in this part of his letter to the church in Rome.

Get Up - Verses 11-12

To "know the time" means that Jesus brought in the kingdom of God and yet we wait for His return. Paul makes 3 statements about time:

#1 - "for you to wake from sleep" is a metaphor for a life of moral carelessness and laxity. In other words, it is the spiritual lethargy that plagues so many people in the church.

#2 - "For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed" is a reminder that we are always getting closer to Jesus' return. This speaks to our past (justification), our present (sanctification), and our future (glorification).

#3 - "The night is far gone; the day is at hand" tells us that we are not "night people" anymore because we are living in the light of Christ.

Get Dressed - Verses 12-14

We need to put on the "light clothes" that we have been given. Ephesians 6:13-18 shows us that we are to put on the armor of God and use the armor for the purposes that they have been given.

Paul goes on to say in verse 13, "Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy." We are to imagine that the day has dawned and that Jesus is standing in front of us as we ask, "how should I behave?", "What is really eternally important?"

He goes on to say, "put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires." (Gal 3:27) Romans 6:3 taught us that we are legally righteous before God. We are "in Him", "covered with Him". This means we have to live as if we are clothed in Him. We are supposed to remember "who we are wearing," what He did for us, what He wanted for us, and what it cost Him."

"Make no provisions" means we must put off specific sins by naming them clearly. These could be envy, lust, anger, impurity, greed, etc... Do not leave the door crached open for sin.

"We don't defeat sin by managing it-

we defeat it by starving it."

Get Going Loving Others-Verses 8-10

"Owe nothing to anyone" links back to verse 7, and that means the command does not prohibit all borrowing but means that one should always "pay what is owed" fulfilling whatever repayment agreements have been made.

The one debt we never cease paying

is the call to love one another.

Paul then goes on in verses 9-10 to explain how "neighbor love" fulfills the law. Paul lists the commandments that instruct our horizontal relationships and sums them up with, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." God's law is God's guideline on how to love others, how to do good for those around us. "Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law" (v10). Paul refuses to pit love and law against each other.

Stott said, "If then we truly love our neighbors, we will seek their good, not their harm, and we will thereby fulfill the law." The law restrains behavior; love reshapes desire.

Questions to Consider:

1. How can we actively “clothe” ourselves with Christ each day?
2. What do you think it looks like spiritually to be “asleep”?
3. If Jesus returned soon, is there anything you would want to change about your life?
4. Are there any habits or attitudes we need to bring “into the light”?
5. How does loving someone actually fulfill God’s commandments in real life?
6. Can you think of a recent situation where you chose love—or didn’t? What happened?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

Today we continued our series in the book of Romans with a passage that specifically speaks to our responsibility and relationship to government. Paul reminds us that we are to be subject to governing authority because all authority is established by God. Submitting to authority is submitting to God who put that authority in place. Sometimes God gives good leaders as a blessing, and sometimes He institutes evil rulers as a means of trial or judgment.

Simply put, the purpose of government is to protect its citizenry and punish wrong doers (v.4). Without government, society would devolve into anarchy… lawlessness. In the Old Testament, at the time of the judges, we see just such an example of that terrible cycle of wickedness when there was no king in Israel and everyone did what was right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25).

While we owe government leaders our taxes and honor, we must never give them our hearts or ultimate allegiance. Pastor Alex put it this way: “Our hope is in God’s house not the White House.” Our allegiance is to Christ as King of all Kings and Lord of all Lords. We run into trouble when we get those allegiances reversed. 

But, is there ever an appropriate time for civil disobedience? We are to submit right up to the point where obedience to the state would entail disobedience to God. At those times we must follow what Scripture tells us and not obey civil authorities. Some classic examples in Scripture of those who chose to disobey were Daniel (see Daniel chapter 1 and 6) and the Hebrew midwives (see Exodus chapter 1). Whenever laws are passed which contradict God’s law, civil disobedience becomes our Christian duty. May the Lord give us the wisdom to discern when those times come and the courage to stand for the truth regardless of the personal cost. 

Here are a few practical ways to honor our governing authorities:

(1) Pray for Them: 1 Timothy 2:1–4 reminds us to pray for those in authority. Our leaders are those put in place by God for His purposes. Pastor Alex challenged us to ask ourselves the following question: Do you talk to God more about our leaders than you talk to others about our leaders?

(2) Give What is Owed: Whether its taxes, revenue (wages), respect or honor, give to all what is owed (Hebrews 13:7). Remember, honoring a particular leader doesn’t mean you endorse or approve of them… it’s to honor God who put them there. 

(3) Engage: Look for ways to get involved. Serve on your city council. Run for office. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

We live in a world that pushes us into division. The word "hate" is prevalent in our culture, and it has become an acceptable way to look at others. In our flesh, this is a normal and natural response, but that is not how we, as followers of Jesus, have been called to live. With the power of the Holy Spirit, we can live peacefully with those we have conflict with.

Paul is writing to the church in Rome that is experiencing some of the same love/hate culture, but the intensity is much greater because their lives were at stake.

Beginning in verse 14, Paul calls us to bless (speak well of) those who persecute you; bless and do not curse (wish ill will) them. The exhortation is to bless our persecutors constantly. (Luke 23:34; Acts 7:60) In other words, we shouldn't let someone else's behavior determine our behavior.

Practically speaking, outside of the spiritual destruction this causes, a lifestyle of persistent resentment and hostility towards others leads to severe health problems and anxiety-related disease. 

Paul goes on to say, "rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep." He is still talking about those who persecute you or those you don't get along with. Again, this can only be done through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Verses 16-18 focus on our mind. We must remember that retaliation escalates, but grace diffuses. We must be careful in "winning the argument" that we "lose the person". It is not worth it.

We also do not need to avenge ourselves (v19). God sees. God knows. God will handle it better than we will. We don't forgive others because we don't think they deserve it. We forgive because we trust God with justice.

"If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head." (v20). Why should we love, forgive, feed, clothe, and bless like that?

1. Jesus commanded it (Matthew 5:33-34)
2. Jesus practiced it (Luke 23:34)
3. People will notice - that is living the gospel

Paul wraps up this section by summarizing it all: "Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." The word "overcome" is a military word that means to "overpower". It is an extremely penetrating and radical insight. Paul says that to repay evil with evil is immediately to lose the battle to evil! The only way to defeat evil is by doing good to the one who has done harm.

If you hate a person who has

wronged you,that person has won!

The only way to defeat the evil 

is to forgive and love the person.

We must forgive as we have been forgiven (Eph 4:32)

God loved us when we were enemies (Rom 5:10; Col 1:21)

Practically speaking, this is how to live out Romans 12:

• I will not gossip about people who hurt me.
• I will not try to "get even".
• I will pray for people who hurt me.
• I will speak kindly about people who hurt me.
• I will not rehearse offenses in my mind.
• I will not poison others against them.
• I will do good if they need help.

Remember, if you try to do these things on your own, it will not work. You will fail. But, when you are abiding in Christ, you have an endless capacity to show love. It will not run out! (Rom 5:8)

Questions to Consider:

1. When someone wrongs you, what is your first instinct—to bless, ignore, gossip, or get even?
2. Do you struggle more with being right or being at peace?
3. Are you more concerned with winning arguments or preserving relationships?
4. Do you trust God to handle injustice, or do you feel the need to take matters into your own hands?
5. Who is the hardest person in your life to love right now? What have you actually done to love them?
6. Do you only show kindness to people who treat you well?
7. Do your words (tone, sarcasm, criticism) create peace or tension at home?
8. What specific “evil” are you currently facing—and how are you responding to it?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Student Teaching Pastor Jason Salyer

The Call to Humility

The passage begins by grounding our identity in a humble recognition. There is an insanity with pride. God warns us not to think of ourselves more highly than we ought, but to see ourselves through His grace. If we think of ourselves on a "path of humility", one ditch we can fall into is pride, while the other ditch is insecurity. We must recognize the grace of God in our lives and renew our minds with this kind of redirected thinking. 

In today's culture, the message we hear is "be true to yourself." Then, the culture trains us to look around for validation. We then remove ourselves from anyone that would question that message. There is a better way! Paul is imploring us to look up and receive our identity from Christ. Then, because we don't have to pursue our own lives, we can give our lives away. Once we think that way, we can recognize correctly the body of Christ.

Members of the Body

To explain how we relate to one another, Paul uses the image of a human body. Just as a physical body has many parts that all perform different but essential functions, the Church is one unified body in Christ. We are not just a collection of individuals sitting in the same room; we are saved into a new life and a new family of faith, being "members one of another," meaning we are truly interconnected and interdependent.

We serve one another because

we need one another.



The path to unity is humility and service.

Gifts to Serve Christ and His Body

When we trust Jesus Christ for salvation, one of the blessings that we receive are gifts from the Holy Spirit. The gifts listed in Scripture are not comprehensive lists, but are examples of ways that you can edify and build up the church.

In Ephesians 4:7-8, Paul writes, "But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it.This is why it says: “When he ascended on high, he took many captives and gave gifts to his people." This passage is referencing a conquering King that has come home and passed out the spoils of victory to his subjects. As the subjects use the gifts, it is a reminder of the victory. In the same way, we have received gifts of the Holy Spirit to remind us of the victory we have in Jesus...but we need to use those gifts!

Because we have different gifts, Paul provides examples of ways our gifts can serve the community. Whether we teach, lead, give, or show mercy, our focus is to express our giftedness with the right mindset. More important than the gift is how we use it. We are called to serve not just with our hands, but with a specific kind of heart of generosity, diligence, and cheerfulness.

You don't have to fully understand your gift to use it. As you give yourself away, others will point out the gift you have been given. Remember, the gift is not about you. It is first about God, and then it is for building up the body of Christ.

Reflection: Do you see the true value and role that you and others play in the body of Christ? How can you better align your perspective with God’s word?

Discussion Questions:

1. Why is it sometimes easier to either overestimate our lives in (pride) or underestimate it (insecurity) rather than see ourselves "soberly" through the lens of God's unearned grace? (v3)
2. Paul says we "belong to one another." How does your view of the church change if you see yourself as a vital organ in a body rather than just an individual attending a service? (v4-5)
3. Paul attaches specific instructions to the gifts (e.g., give with generosity, lead with zeal, show mercy with cheerfulness). Why is the heart-attitude so critical in how we use our gifts to serve? (v6-8)
4. Think of some people at Carmel that you know are using their gifts to serve, give, and love the body of Christ. What gifts do you recognize in them.
5. If you are not currently serving, where could be a place that the church could use your giftedness? Come by the Carmel room next Sunday and let someone know that you are willing to serve where needed.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adult Pastor Brad Ferguson

Paul gives 13 commands in these five verses, but we must be careful that this isn't a "check the box" list. There needs to be an understanding that this is the work of the Holy Spirit in us, but there is work for us to do as well. In these ways that the Lord is growing us, we need to have a devotion to Him.

LOVE

In verse 9, Paul starts with focusing on love because love lays the foundation for everything. (1 Cor 13:13; Gal 5:22; Col 3:14; 1 John 4:16, etc.) 

• This love initiates with others
• It is undeserved, unmerited, and unconditional
• It is tethered to Scripture instead of listening to the world's view
• It is without hypocrisy - don't pretend to love...truly love

Paul goes on to say, "Hate what is evil; cling to what is good". We should be horrified at the evil in the world. We should be horrified at the evil in our own hearts. Unfortunately, as humans, we have a bad habit of normalizing evil over time. Things that once horrified us are now tolerated.

We should run from sin, and run towards what is good (Col 3:2).

RELATE

In verse 10, Paul moves from this general overview of love to how to implement this love with our relationships.

• Love one another deeply (1 Peter 1:22; 1 Thes 4:9; John 13:35) - If we show genuine care for one another, it is a powerful example of the gospel!
• Compete with one another in honoring each other - Be the initiator.

Verse 12 says, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer,". Paul directly put affliction in the middle. We will all face trials and pain in our lives. That is a guarantee. But that affliction should be surrounded by hope and prayer.

Our only hope is Jesus Christ, but He is enough!

We must be persistent in our prayer life. Too often, we give up or just run out of hope. We must let affliction run it's course because we are growing to be more like Jesus through that suffering. (James 1:2-4)

Questions to Consider

1. What is the difference between loving someone because you have to and loving them because you want to?
2. What does it mean to "outdo one another in showing honor"? How can you honor a sibling, parent, coworker, or classmate this week instead of trying to be first yourself?
3. How can we "rejoice in hope" when we are going through something tough? What is a difficult thing right now that we can share together and pray about?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

Paul's writing style typically moves from doctrine (Ch. 1-11) to practice (Ch. 12-16), so the key word he opens with in chapter 12 is "therefore". this "therefore" is there to remind us of all the mercies that God has shown us that Paul mentioned in the first part of his letter:

1. God did not abandon us (Rom 3:23)
2. God gives us a righteousness we could never earn (Rom 3:24)
3. Our relationship with God is restored (Rom 5:1)
4. God's love came first (Rom 5:8)
5. We are given a new master (Rom 6:18)
6. Our guilt has been removed (Rom 8:1)
7. God becomes our Father (Rom 8:15)
8. God redeems every circumstance (Rom 8:28)
9. God's love is fierce (Rom 8:38-39)
10. God's plan of redemption continues (Rom 9-11)

When we realize the depth of God's mercy, Romans 12:1 suddenly makes sense, and our life in Christ is a response to mercy.

The altar of our surrender

is built on the foundation

of mercy.

God's mercies are the motivation for our obedience. This is why we "present your bodies as a living sacrifice". When Paul uses the word "bodies", the original readers would have immediately thought of the sacrifices used in the Old Testament, which represent the totality of one's life and activities. Some offerings in the OT were "sin offerings", which were for shedding blood and asking for forgiveness. Jesus was and is our sin offering. Instead, the offering Paul points to is a "whole burnt offering", which was a valuable animal from your flock. It had to be without defect. This animal would have been very expensive, and it showed that all you had was at God's disposal. The burnt offering was always burnt totally and it represented complete consecration and devotion to God.

The altar isn't a moment-it's a lifestyle.

Surrender isn't a one-time decision -

it's a daily decision.

Paul goes on to say that this sacrifice is "holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." This word "spiritual" literally means "logical".

Tim Keller says, "In short, once you have a good view of God's mercy, anything less than a total, complete sacrifice of yourself to God is completely irrational!"

Verse 2 begins, "Do not be conformed to this world", which means "stop being conformed". (1 Peter 1:14-15) Culture constantly tries to tell us who to be, but we need to let God reshape us into His image.

What we scroll conforms our soul.

For most people, the primary reason we conform is fear. We fear not fitting in, what others will think about us, or the backlash that comes from living differently.

"But be transformed by the renewing of your mind". This is a change from the inside out. (2 Cor 3:18; Matt 17:2). We renew our minds through the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.

Christianity is not about becoming

a nicer version of the old you.

It's about becoming a new creation.

The goal in all of this is that "by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."

Questions to Consider:

1. How has God shown you mercy in your life? Reflect on the relationships, the decisions, the mistakes, and the places you've been and how He has woven them all together to bring you to where you are.
2. How does understanding God's mercy help you want to serve Him?
3. What does it mean to be a "living sacrifice" in your daily life?
4. What are some "patterns of this world" that we are tempted to follow?
5. How can we, in our home, "defend against" the pressure to be like the rest of the world?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

In chapter 11, Paul writes about God's covenant faithfulness. He begins with the question, "has God rejected his people (the Israelites)"? He responds, "By no means!" and then gives 4 examples:

1. Paul himself (1 Tim 1:15-16)
2. God foreknew (v2)
3. Elijah (v3-6) (1 Kings 19:1)
4. There is still a remnant in Israel (v5)

It is God who preserves the remnant, and those who believe do so entirely because of His grace. So what then? Israel failed...

The Word of God has not failed. Not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel. The order goes this way: First, Israel sought the righteousness of God, but when confronted with the choice of getting it by works or gift (grace), the majority sought it through works, while the "elect" accepted it as a gift. Then, the majority was "hardened". Those who so wanted to please God were the same people who rejected His love for them and were hardened by Him. This hardening occurred in the Old Testament (and continues today) and was ultimately manifested in both the ten northern and the two southern tribes of Israel being carried into captivity.

Verse 8 tells us that "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that would not see and ears that would not hear, down to this very day." (Is 29:10) This hardening involves spiritual drowsiness or numbness. God has always treated ethnic Israel in this way...if they hardened themselves, He hardened them, giving them "a spirit of stupor". Paul is quoting Isaiah, who is quoting Moses' words in Deuteronomy. This passage refers to a time of Israel's abject sinfulness, including leadership who were typically drunk. (Is 28:7) (Is 29:10)

To read more, go to: https://carmelbaptist.org/carmel-sermon/romans-111-36/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

Last week we looked at Romans 9, which is all about God's sovereignty in the salvation journey. Romans 10 focuses on our role of how we believe and what role we play in the lives of others.

Paul begins by talking about his Jewish brothers and their "zeal for God". Paul understood this well from his background, but zeal and passion are not enough. The Jews built their own system of righteousness, which falls short (Rom 3:23). They "did not submit to God's righteousness" (v3). Verse 4 declares that Christ is the outcome to everyone who believes. So, a Jew who sought by works to establish his own righteousness would not recognize Christ as "the end of the Law" and would stumble over him.

The point of the law wasn't the law;

the point of the law was to point us to Jesus.

Paul goes on to quote parts of the Old Testament when writing about Moses (Lev 18:5). Paul is saying, "if you want the law to judge you, fine. Go for it. God will judge you by the law, but it won't be good. God demands perfection, so if you're hoping to be justified by the law, you had better live a life without sin. (James 2:10) Jesus Christ is the ONLY one in history that did that.

Paul speaks about "righteousness based on faith" (v6-7). Faith knows that you don't need to ascend to heaven because Christ has already come down from it. Faith also knows that you don't deal with you own sins because Christ has already done that too!

"But what does it say? The Word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart." (See Deut 30:12-14) Word hear in the Greek is "rhema", which means "the word of faith that we proclaim verbally".

Paul goes on to be clear in verse 9: "if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord..." Confess means to "agree". We have to agree with God about Jesus' identity that He is the eternal Son of God. There is an outward confession flowing from an inward conviction that finishes Paul's statement, "...and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead (life/death/and resurrection), you will be saved." In Rome, saying "Jesus is Lord" was dangerous because it meant that you believed that Caesar was not. You had to stand on your faith and conviction.

Our faith is personal but it's not private.

In verses 11-13, Paul is reminding them of God's impartiality, just like he did when discussing human sinfulness (Rom 3). So, everyone has sinned (Rom 3:23) and everyone can be saved (Rom 10:13).

In verses 14 and following, Paul shifts his focus to the role we play in helping others believe. He uses the word "preach" which means "herald". A herald would have been a living newspaper that made announcements in the town marketplace and city streets. We are all in the streets, and we should all be heralds (preachers) for Jesus!

We are sent...to preach...for others to hear...and believe...and then called...and finally saved...to be sent...etc...

We are meant to live a sent life, whether overseas, in the marketplace, or across the street to our neighbors. It is not optional.

Paul then quotes Isaiah 52:7 "how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Good News!" So, we can:

1. Pray - remember, someone prayed for you, so be sure to pray for the lost around you.
2. Give so others can go - maybe you are called to the Nations today, but you have the means to help someone else who is called today.
3. GO to the Nearest (home), your Neighbors, and the Nations.

Questions to Consider:

1. What are ways we sometimes try to “be good enough” instead of trusting Jesus?
2. How does it encourage you that salvation is available to everyone?
3. Have you personally confessed Jesus as Lord? What does that look like in everyday life?
4. Verse 17 says faith comes from hearing the message. How did you first hear about Jesus?
5. Who do you know that prayed for you to trust Jesus as Lord?
6. Who are you praying for daily that is lost and needs Jesus?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

Chapters 9 is a "hard left turn" from Paul celebrating the security of the love of Christ in chapter 8, to thinking of his own Jewish people. Paul is grieving that his "kinsmen" do not know Christ, and he is offering to be "cut-off from Christ for the sake of my...kinsmen according to the flesh" (like Moses did in Ex 32). Remember, the Jewish people are the chosen nation to show the covenant between God and man to the world through the person of Jesus. So what happened?

Question 1: Have His promises failed? (If He failed the Jews, then how can we be sure He won't fail us?)

Answer: True membership in God's chosen people is based on faith, not physical ancestry. He gives an example of Abraham and his descendants. To be a physical descendant of Abraham is not enough. God only has children...not grandchildren. (Romans 4:4). Abraham and Sarah are told they will have a son. Remember, Abraham and Sarah were old, and they "helped" God by producing an heir, Ishmael, through Gomer. God doesn't need us to intercede in His plan. Isaac is the son of promise.

The second example Paul uses is Isaac and Rebekah and their twins, Jacob and Esau.(v10-13). Rebekah was told that "the older will serve the younger" (Gen 25:23). Malachi 1:2-3 is what Paul references in verse 13 when he says, "As it is written, 'Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.'" This reference of hated is a Hebrew idiom for preference, like when Jesus says to "hate your father and mother (Luke 14:26). Again, God is sovereign and has a plan.

Question 2: Is God unjust? (v14) Did God somehow do something wrong by only showing mercy to Jacob and not to Esau?

Answer: Mercy is receiving something that you don't deserve. If you deserved it, it would not be "mercy"; instead it would be justice. So, if God doesn't owe anyone mercy, we can't say it is unfair for Him not to show it to someone. Paul uses the example of Ex 7:3-4 where God hardened Pharaoh's heart. We read this as if it is God's "fault". We must read the whole story because we see that Pharaoh hardened his own heart first. This is the intersection of God's sovereignty and human responsibility. They are woven together. His sovereignty doesn't excuse our responsibility, and we cannot isolate one from the other. We can't fully explain both but we can accept both. God's hardening of Pharaoh's heart was a "giving him over" to his own stubbornness.

When God hardens someone,

He doesn't create the hardness;

He allows the person to go

his or her own way.

to read more, go to: https://carmelbaptist.org/carmel-sermon/romans-91-33/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Question 1 - What shall we say to these things? In other words, how should we think and respond in light of all the things God has done?

-There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ (v1)

-We have been set free from the law of sin and death (v2)

-The Spirit of God dwells in us (v9)

-We have been adopted into God's family (v15)

-As HIs children we are heirs of God (v17)

-We have received the Spirit (v23)

-God called you, justified you, and glorified you (v30)

Question 2 - If God is for us, who can be against us?

Notice that the list of things above do not depend on us. They depend on God Himself. So no one can be against us! He goes on to say "He who did not spare HIs own Son but gave up for us all". The word "spare" is used only one other place in the Old Testament, and it is when Abraham is about to sacrifice Isaac on the alter (Gen 22:12). The word "withheld" is the same word translated "spare" in v 32. God did NOT spare His own Son, and by giving Him over to death, He proved His unconditional love for us. (John 3:16)

Question 3 - Who shall bring any charge against God's elect? It is God who justifies.

Through the sacrificial death, burial and resurrection of Jesus, God declares the believing sinner "justified". That declaration never changes. Even when we accuse ourselves, or others accuse us, there is no ground for eternal charges. (Rom 6:1-2)

Question 4 - Who is to condemn?

"Christ Jesus is the one who died - more than that, who was raised - who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us." Jesus is the One who died for our sins, and He is at the right hand of God interceding for us. Jesus, who alone has authority from God to judge and condemn, cannot and will not condemn His own who are in Him by faith. That is how secure we are in Christ.

He is interceding for us. He is our High Priest who gives us the grace we need to overcome temptation. He is our Advocate with the Father. Jesus has you covered! (Heb 7:25; Heb 4:14-16; 1 John 2:1)

Question 5 - Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?

He lists 7 physical things that are real world issues for us living in a fallen world...tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger, and sword (death). This list increases with intensity, and all of them would be very hard to deal with physically and emotionally. Paul dealt with these things personally. (2 Cor 11:23-38) (Rom 8:17-18)

We will all suffer, but we can have hope. We can trust in the promises of God that no one or nothing will be able to separate us from the love of Christ. Suffering is nothing new, and has historically been the experience of God's people. (Heb 11) (2 Cor 4:7-11)

The purpose of our suffering is so that the life of Jesus may be seen in us through the hard times in a way that shows the surpassing power of God at work in us. This is how we are "more than conquerers" (v37). We can only do this through His power. We have the confidence that God is ever present in our trials, and this assurance is an anchor for us when we do experience those things. God loves us and He is for us.

Paul concludes this section by reminding us that there is no one and absolutely nothing that can ever separate us from the love of Christ and from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. God the Father, Christ the Son, and the Holy Spirit are all keeping you eternally secure. You can't get more loved and secure than that!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

One way to expose ourselves to the Spirit is to think about the extravagant love of Christ. We must "put to death" sin. Through the Spirit, we must fight violently against sin. When we do this, we can love what He loves. Remember, we do not fight sin to "earn" the favor of God. You are already His child!

Verse 15 speaks of adoption. Immediately upon Roman adoption:

1. Old debts and legal obligations are paid in full
2. Receive a new name and identity
3. Father becomes instantly liable for all debts
4. There is an understood obligation to honor a please the Father

This is the how we should see our adoption to God. There is security in this because even today a judge will say, "Do you realize that this adopted child is 'more yours' than any biological child you could have?" The reason for this is that an adopted child cannot legally be disinherited while a biological child can. Your security as God's child is secure!

Verse 16 says that the Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God. This happens through our changed life (conviction over sin, hunger for God's Word, etc..) We live differently.

Paul goes on to teach how we share in what Christ has: heirship, suffering, and glory. Heirship and glory are eternal, but suffering is only temporary (2 Cor 4:16-18).

Three Groanings

1. Creation (v20) - Through original sin, creation longs to be set free from bondage and obtain freedom.
2. Ourselves
3. The Spirit on our behalf

We live in weakness, but the Spirit prays for us, even when we do not know the words to say (v26-27). Be encouraged that both Jesus and the Spirit intercede for YOU!

Romans 8:28 is one of those verses that is often taken out of context or said to encourage...but can hurt. It doesn't say, "all things are good". It says that all things He works together in His understanding of the "big picture" for good.

If we love God for what He does for us,

we will quit.

If we love God for who He is,

we can endure the suffering.

Suffering can make us bitter or better. We must get to a place to be able to say, "I don't understand it, but I trust You."

Verse 29 shows us that "the good" He is working is conforming us into the image of His Son. It is our sanctification. WE are made in His image (Imago Dei) on purpose.

Paul wraps up this section with a powerful "not yet" Truth. He uses past tense language to speak reality of not only what has happened, but what will happen. He says, "He also glorified" us. It is sure because God always finishes what He started. (Phil 1:6)

Questions to Consider:

1. How is being God’s child different from being God’s employee or servant?
2. When do you most forget that you are God’s child?
3. What is an area of suffering for you today? Do you trust God enough to ask, "What do you want me to learn from this?"
4. Is there a situation in your life that feels hard to believe God is working for good?
5. How can you rely more on the Spirit instead of just trying harder?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

In response to what Paul had just previously written (Rom 7:24-25), he writes "there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus." Condemnation is a legal term that references a sentencing. Often we feel like we are one failure away from being out of God's favor, like we are on probation. Paul is saying that the "case is closed" forever, so we do not fear judgement!

Verse one tells us we are delivered from the legal condemnation of sin, and verse two shows us that we are being delivered from the actual power of sin. In this case, to be freed from the law of sin and death through Christ means no longer being "under" the law for justification or sanctification.

Verse 3 shows us how He did it:

1. God sent His Son
2. in the likeness of sinful flesh (the incarnation)-His humanity was both real and sinless at the same time
3. for sin (the atonement)
4. He condemned sin in the flesh - God judged our sins in the sinless humanity of His Son, who bore them in our place.
5. to sanctify us according to His Spirit - the flesh renders the law powerless, and the Spirit empowers us to obey it.

This sanctification is not perfectionism; it is saying that obedience is a necessary and possible aspect of Christian discipleship. Although the law cannot bring this obedience...the Spirit can.

The law of sin and death is real, but the law of the Spirit of life is stronger. We don't overcome sin by effort alone, but by a new power at work within us.

How do we walk according to the Spirit? Verse 5 shows that this starts with our mind. Whatever we set our minds on shapes our lifestyle and character.

Set your mind:

-to focus intently on something

-to be preoccupied with something

-to have the attention and the imagination totally captured by something

Overcoming sin in our lives begins with what we tune our minds to...this means that we never forget our privileged standing or the fact that we are loved, and to let this dominate our thinking, our perspectives, and therefore our words and actions.

The reality today is that we spend a lot more time on social media than we do on the things of the Spirit...

"What we scroll shapes our soul."

Whatever preoccupies our mind controls our life. Our mindset has consequences. (Gal 6:8)

Verse 7 shows us the mindset of the flesh:

-Is hostile to God

-It does not submit to God's law

-In fact, it cannot

Thankfully, in the Spirit, God promises spiritual resurrection now and physical resurrection in the future! May we focus our attention and our lives to live in the freedom of what He has done for us.

Questions to Consider:

1. Where do you find yourself exhausted in trying to beat sin in your own strength? Do you have a phrase of condemnation that plays over and over in your mind? Ask the Spirit to help you let that go.
2. "What we scroll shapes our soul." What content gets the longest stare in your life? How does that impact your mind? How could this week look different?
3. Do you have a friend or family member that you have "forgiven" but still keep an account of wrongdoing? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you live like the Father and let that go.
4. What is one small way your family could set your minds on the Spirit this week?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

As a reminder, the law reveals the holiness of God. It shows us our sin. It condemns us, but it cannot change us. The gospel alone can do that. We need something more than the law. We need the law-fulfilling and sin-bearing substitute, Jesus Christ.

Verses 14-17 and 18-20 say virtually the same things. Paul is reiterating what he is saying because he believes it is critical to understanding. The Christian life includes real struggle with sin. We can be encouraged because the struggle itself is evidence of new life. The fight to push away sin doesn't mean that you are failing; it means you're alive. (Gal 5:17)

We must be careful not to equate struggle with failure. "If you hate your sin, you are not its slave - you are its enemy."

Verses 21-23 remind us that we all have a Civil War going on inside of us. (see also Gal 5:17 and Col 3:9-10) These two selves, the natural man and the spiritual man, are both in you working against each other.

Our struggle with sin is evidence of belonging to Christ.

In verse 24, Paul says, "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" Wretched in this context means "the exhaustion of hard labor". Paul is completely worn out because of his unsuccessful effort to please God under the principle of Law. It is critical for us to see his shift here from "What should I do?" to "Who will rescue me?". Our freedom begins when our self-confidence dies and we see that our victory doesn't come from self-control, but from Christ alone.

We must be careful that we do not "camp out" in Romans 7. This chapter is like a hallway that takes us somewhere. It is showing us the problem, and Romans 8 is the solution...

Our struggle with sin is not surrender to it, and ALL Christ-followers struggle. Grace from God trains us to fight and not settle. This is our struggle on the way to freedom. The struggle is not the destination. Ultimately, in Christ, we will be united with Him and the Civil War within us will be over!

Questions to Consider:

1. Give an example of "not doing what you want to do"? Why is this so challenging?
2. What helps us turn to Jesus when we mess up instead of hiding or giving up?
3. How can our family respond with grace when someone struggles or fails?
4. Who is someone you can trust to talk to when you let sin get the best of you?
5. What is one way you can depend on Jesus this week instead of only relying on yourself?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Worship Pastor Justin Taylor

On Baptism 

“Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his” (Rom 6:3-4).

All too often we can define baptism by what it is not. In other words, we can be correct in stating that baptism is not what saves you and that it is a symbol. However, in order to understand the richness and beauty of what baptism is we must go much further by turning our hearts and minds to the scriptures. Jesus made it clear that we are to be baptized because He commanded us to do it. The word of God leads us to a clearer understanding of what baptism is and what it means should lead our hearts to respond in worship and obedience.

Baptism as Symbol

The authors of the New Testament write about symbols in the same manner of what they point to, similar to how we as Americans view allegiance to our nation in our pledge to the flag. When we are baptized, we are confessing faith in the finished work of Christ before others in the body. (Colossians 2:12-15)

Baptism as Pledge

To be obedient in baptism was to be baptized into the body of the early church and to proclaim faith in Christ alone as Lord and Savior. All too often today, we separate the step of faith of receiving salvation from our baptism, but the Scriptures point those who have trusted in Christ to pursue baptism in obedience to Christ’s command. We are to show outwardly before others what has taken place inwardly in their life. (1 Corinthians 12:13)

Baptism in the Narrative of Scripture

So why water? Of all the many symbols Jesus could have used to symbolize the movement from cross to empty tomb, he chose water to do it. When reading the biblical phrase, “the waters” it most often refers to a symbol of chaos and death. We find this in Genesis 1, Elijah and Elisha, Jonah, and several times throughout the Exodus to name a few. The examples go on and on all throughout the Bible. 

To pass through the waters of judgment, like God’s people did through the Red Sea, we are delivered from judgment and now walk in the freedom of new life. Why? Because all of these symbols of passing through the waters pointed to the ultimate picture of life coming out of death, a picture of glorious resurrection. 

To read more, click here: https://carmelbaptist.org/carmel-sermon/on-baptism-romans-63-4/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

Paul begins this portion by relating the Christian and the Law with an illustration about marriage. In marriage, once a husband dies, the wife is free to re-marry because she is no longer under that law. In Romans 7:4, Paul says, " Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ." Paul is saying that just as a wife is no longer married to her husband when he dies, a Christian is no longer under the law because of Jesus' death on the cross.

In other words, we didn't get better at keeping the law. We died to it. Because of what Jesus did for us, we can belong to Him instead of the law because becoming a Christian is a complete change in relationship and allegiance. We are not "under law" anymore because we don't obey the law out of fear of rejection.

Verse 6 shows us that now believers do not live by the "oldness" of the Law but by the "newness" of a regenerated spirit. So, instead of ignoring the law, we now look at it as an expression of God's desires. We use the law to please the One who saved us. The law is no longer a burden, but it motivates us to obey out of a love to the One that we became attached ("married") to in Jesus.

In Romans 7:7, Paul introduces another question: "Is the law sin?"

Short answer - "By no means!"

Long answer - "Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin."

First - The law clarifies sin - Paul gives the example, "For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, 'You shall not covet.'"

Second - The law reveals sin in us - Paul is saying that the law cannot save us. Unless the law does its work, we will not look to Christ. We need the law to convict us of sin before we can see our need for, or have a desire for, the grace of God in Christ.

Third - the law provokes (arouses) sin in us - We have a deep desire to be in charge of the world and of our lives. Every law that God lays down is an infringement on our absolute sovereignty. It reminds us that we are not God, and prevents us from being sovereign to live as we wish. Sin is a force that hates any such infringement. It desires to be God (Gen 3:4) The more we are exposed to the law of God, the more that sinful force will be aggravated into reaction.

Sin uses the law to deceive us either into pride or despair. These results are both signs that we are focused on the law more than being focused on Christ-centered living.

The commandments were given for a reason, and following them is good for you and for the world. The Law was never meant to be a cure or a fix. It was always put there to be a mirror that reveals who we are, our motivations, and our need for a Savior.

Questions to Consider:

1. Why do you think knowing a rule can sometimes make us want to break it even more?
2. How does this passage show us that the problem isn’t God’s rules, but something inside us?
3. How is living for Jesus different from just trying really hard to follow rules?
4. How does Jesus help us do what’s right when rules feel hard?
5. Read Romans 7:15-25 to prepare for next week!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

If paradise was lost in Genesis when Adam and Eve sinned and the relationship with God was broken, then paradise is restored in Revelation 21 and 22 in the light of Jesus' resurrection and reign.

In Rev 21:1, it begins with, "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more." This is significant because it means heaven is not some new state unlike anything we've ever experienced; it is a renewed, restored, remade version of the world we live in now.

Rev 21:4 says, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Then the imagery shifts in Rev 22 when John's angelic guide reappears. It is still a city, but it moves from a temple-city to a garden-city (v1-5). This is the Garden of Eden restored (including Ezekiel 47).

"Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb." A river flows through the garden-city just as a river flowed through Eden (Rev 22:1; Gen 2:10). The river feeds a tree (Rev 22:2). This is the tree of life that stood in the center of Eden (Gen 2:9). The water of life feeds the tree of life. Ultimately, it is the Lamb who gives life.

Rev 22:2 speaks of the "twelve kinds of fruit". "The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." If there is no disease, no pain, no death, and no tears, then what needs healing? The leaves are for therapeutic means. These leaves enrich life. Think of it like vitamins.

Rev 22:3 describes Jesus as the Lamb, which shows that this new life comes through His death. We "live forever" because we are forever given life through the death of Jesus.

Rev 22:4 says, "They will see His face, and His name will be on their foreheads." This is a beautiful promise and description of restored relationship! In Gen 3:24 angels blocked the way back to Eden so that humanity could not return to God's presence because God's presence was dangerous to people who were now sinful. We also see in Exodus 33:20 that God could not show His face to Moses, because "no one may see me and live." But in the NEW Eden, we will see God's face and bear His name! Seeing God personally, and being with Him intimately, is the best part of heaven!

Questions to Consider:

1. In Revelation 21:3, God says He will “dwell with” His people. What does that tell us about God’s desire for relationship?
2. Why do you think there is no temple in the new city (21:22)?
3. What do you think it would feel like to live with no fear, pain, shame, or separation from God?
4. If God is restoring relationships, how should that affect how we treat each other in our family this Christmas?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

"What was lost on one tree (the tree of the knowledge of good and evil) was restored at another tree (the cross)." When Paul was writing to the church at Galatia, he was writing to a Jewish audience. In Galatians 3:10-14, Paul was using the Old Testament law given by Moses to show the people that the Law wasn't enough.

Galatians 3:10 says, "For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, 'Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.'" Paul quoted Deut 27:26 to show that the Law demanded perfection and that a curse was attached to failure to keep any part of it. The breaking of only one command even once brings a person under the curse; and since everybody fails at some point, all are under the curse. He is destroying any thought that a person can gain God's acceptance by human effort. (Habakkuk 2:4; Lev 18:5)

Since perfect performance was not achievable, the Law could only condemn a person and cause him to cast himself on God in faith.

So, how does God deal with the curse the law reveals?

Men needed a ransom because the law had left them prisoners under sentence of death. Galatians 3:13 says that Jesus became the curse for us.

In the ancient world, certain trees were used to draw toxins out of the soil. Over time, the tree would weaken or die because it absorbed what would otherwise kill the surrounding plants. Using this example, Jesus didn't merely stand near our curse-He absorbed it into Himself. The cross is not just a symbol of love; it is a place of toxic transfer. Jesus gave His life as a ransom for anyone who believed in Him.

Deut 21:23 refers to the fact that in OT times, criminals were executed (normally by stoning) and then displayed on a stake or post to show God's divine rejection. When Christ was crucified, it was evidence He had come under the curse of God. To a Jewish person in that time, the thought of the Messiah hanging on a tree was a scandalous thought.

Gal 3:14 highlights the great exchange:

• The blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles
• so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith

Jesus was our substitute. He received the curse we earned so that we might receive the blessing He earned on our behalf. (2 Cor 5:21)

How did Jesus bear this curse?

1 Peter 2:24 says, "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds we are healed." Jesus was not crucified accidentally. He was chosen to stand in our place. The curse was laid on Him intentionally.

Jesus didn't just die for us on a tree. He was also raised back to life, defeating death, and returned to the Father. Peter, after leaving prison, states this Truth to those who released him. "The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging Him on a tree." (Acts 5:30)

Questions to Consider:

1. What do we learn about God’s love from the fact that Jesus took our place?
2. How does faith in Jesus free us from trying to earn God’s approval?
3. How can we rely on Jesus instead of rules to grow closer to God?
4. Pray that your home would reflect grateful obedience because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. Ask the Holy Spirit to remind you of the gospel during this Christmas season.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

"We aren't sinners because we sin. We sin because we're sinners." This morning we looked at "what went wrong" regarding humanity, and the answer is sin.

In Gen 3:1, the serpent comes to Eve and says, "Did God actually say...". In this statement, the serpent begins with the power of doubt. His question removes the positive statement made by God in Gen 2:16-17. When we doubt someone's word, we doubt them as a credible source.

Eve replies to the serpent by adding to God's words in v3, "neither shall you touch it." God never said this, but Eve has now distorted the Truth. All sin is a perversion of something good.

In verse 4, the serpent shows his true character by moving from a doubt to a lie when he says, "You will not surely die". Satan is a liar from the beginning (John 8:44), and his lie is that we can sin and get away with it (no consequences). God's Word clearly shows us that the penalty for sin is death. (Gen 2:17)

When Eve eats of the fruit, we see that Adam is right there with her. He was close enough to hear and understand, but he passively allowed it and then ate the fruit himself.

To read more, go to: https://carmelbaptist.org/?post_type=carmel-sermon&p=4552&preview=true

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

Other than God and people, the Bible mentions trees more than any other living thing. There is a tree on the first page of Genesis and on the last page of Revelation. In Matthew 13:31-32, Jesus said the kingdom of heaven is like a tree. 

This Christmas series is going to use the examples of trees in the Bible to speak about a biblical worldview:

Creation - Tree of Life

Fall - Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil

Redemption - The Cross

Restoration - Tree of Life

Scripture begins in a garden, which is full of beauty, abundance, and delight. The first thing God does after forming humanity is place them under a tree. (Gen 2:7-17). 

The image of God forming Adam from the dust is not only poetic, but also accurate: humans are “dirt cheap”. (It is estimated that all the elements necessary to form a human costs $4.50!) The value of a human, however, is not derived from the elements we are made of. The value comes from the initial breath from God as ones made in His image.

The Tree of Life:

God intended the tree of life to provide Adam and Eve with a symbol of life in fellowship with and dependence on Him. (Gen 2-3; Rev 22)

In the Bible, the tree of life symbolizes the fullness of life and immortality available in God. The tree of life is introduced in Gen 2, where God causes it and the tree of knowledge of good and evil to grow in the garden of Eden (Gen 2:9).

It is a tree of justice, beauty, truth, love, light, and righteousness.

The Tree of Life stands for Christ. The rest of the Bible centers on the Tree of Life.

Work:

Gen 2:15 says, “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. In other words, before sin, work is worship. Your job tomorrow morning isn’t a distraction from spiritual life-it is part of your created purpose.

The Tree of Life is humanity’s original anchor point:

-life comes from God

-identity comes from God

-meaning comes from God

You don’t discover life by looking inward. You receive life from the One who planted the tree. The Tree of Life reminds us that God didn’t create humans to grind through life, resent life, or merely endure it. He created you to flourish - spiritually, relationally, and emotionally.

Questions to Consider:

1. What do you notice about the garden God made for Adam?
2. God put Adam in the garden “to work it and take care of it.” What kinds of responsibilities has God given each of us?
3. What does this passage show about God’s love and care for people?
4. Where have you settled for survival instead of life?
5. Where do you need to return to God’s design?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

"Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?" Paul is using the term "doulos" that has been translated "slave". A doulos is someone whose life is oriented around the will of their Lord. In this case, someone that is either devoted to a life of sin that leads to death, or someone that is a devoted servant of Jesus—one who belongs to Him, follows Him, and finds freedom under His lordship.

Whatever "master" you follow, either sin or righteousness, will move you somewhere. Sin always moves you toward death. Christ always moves you toward life.

How sin traps us:

-It begins with small compromises

-It grows through habit and desire.

-It ends in bondage.

The alternative is obedience to Christ. In verse 18, Paul does not confuse liberty with license. Freedom in Christ is not an invitation to self-centerdness. The freed in Christ have become slaves (doulos) to righteousness. This means the freed have purpose and direction as they give themselves over completely to Christ.

Paul has shown two master and two slaveries, and in verses 20-21 he describes two results.

Sin's Fruit

Shame

Regret

Emptiness

Spiritual Death

Eternal Separation

Christ's Fruit

Holiness

Joy

Purpose

Meaning

Eternal Life

Paul ends with a beautiful contrast that shows the heart of the gospel in verse 23, "The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." In other words, it sin will pay you, and it's wages is death. God doesn't pay with a wage, but with a free gift of eternal life through a relationship with Him!

Questions to Consider:

1. What are some things people today might become “slaves” to without realizing it?
2. What’s the difference between obeying because you “have to” and obeying because you “want to”?
3. How does serving God make a person more free—not less?
4. What are practical ways we can “present ourselves to God” each day?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

This section of Paul's letter moves us from justification to sanctification. In the first two verses, Paul's answer to his critics is that God's grace not only forgives sins, but also delivers us from sinning. Grace not only justifies, but also sanctifies us by uniting us to Christ. The moment you become a Christian, you are no longer under the "reign" of sin.

To read more, go to: https://carmelbaptist.org/carmel-sermon/romans-61-14/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

Last week, while studying Rom 5:1-11, we saw that theology (justification) has tangible impacts on our lives. This includes peace with God and joy/hope in suffering.

As we continue on in verses 12-21, Paul shows how Adam's life sets up the gospel. Adam chose to reject God's authority and command to avoid the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Because of Adam's choice, death flows to all people. Even though we were not there with Adam, God considers Adam's choice to be ours. This is the Doctrine of Original Sin. Even though it doesn't feel "fair" to be lumped in with Adam, God knows we would have made the same choice.

In verse 13, Paul is not saying that the people who lived and died before the Mosaic Law never had any guilt of their own, because they had the law of God written on their heart (2:12-15). Instead, Paul is pointing out that guilt and responsibility have increased with the knowledge and awareness of the law. In other words, the law did not create sin in us; it just revealed it.

Both Adam and Jesus Christ are "heads" of the human race. Everyone is either "in Adam" or "in Christ". It is wonderful news that God deals with us through a representative head because Adam was a pattern of the One to come.

Verse 15 says "But the free gift is not like the trespass". The first Adam was selfish, but the Second Adam is sacrificial.

The results are opposite as well. Adam represents death and condemnation, while Christ brings life and justification!

We were condemned through the actions of a representative who did what any of us in his situation would have done; but now we are saved through a representative who did what none of us could have done. What Christ has done for us is not just to exchange death's kingdom for the kingdom of life, while leaving us in the position of subjects. Instead, He delivers us from the rule of death so radically as to enable us to change places with it and rule over it, or reign in life. We become those who reign, sharing the kingship of Christ, with even death under our feet now.

Verse 20 says, "Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more," Paul points out that when the formal law came through Moses, sin got more visible and it became worse, because now ignorance was no form of defense. He is teaching that the law proves that it is not a lack of knowledge which prevents us from obeying God and keeping His standards, but a lack of willingness and ability.

We do not need to put in more effort. We need a rescue.

At the cross, grace overwhelms sin and life triumphs over death. The first Adam is not the last word for humanity. The second Adam is!

Questions to Consider:

1. Why is it important to understand the Doctrine of Original Sin?
2. How have you seen sin bring brokenness to the world around you?
3. What did Jesus, the second Adam, do differently from Adam?
4. How does knowing that God's grace is greater than your sin impact your day-to-day life?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

In Chapter 5, Paul begins to talk not only about the process of salvation, but the results of salvation. Paul's "therefore" to start this portion is to connect back to chapter 4 that salvation is not by works, ordinances, or by law obedience.

We have been justified by faith (v1), so that:

We can have "peace with God" - This is not the same as the peace OF God (Phil 4:7). Peace WITH God means that the hostilities between God and us are now over. We each formerly said, "I am king of my world and can do whatever I want", but if we trust His ways and ask Him to be "Lord of my life", then the war is over immediately.

We have obtained access by this grace in which we stand - In Christ, we are ushered into the royal throne room, and we remain there. Justification is not merely the removal of hostility, but goes farther in that it brings relationship.

We rejoice in hope of the glory of God - Christian hope is not a hopeful wish - it is hope-filled certainty. The more we experience our peace with Him and the access we have with the Father, the more we want to see Him face-to-face.

In Christ we have been freed from our past; we are free in the present to enjoy personal relationship with God; and we will one day in the future most certainly experience the freedom of life lived in the full and awesome presence of God's glory.

We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance - In our suffering we are walking the path of Jesus. We look through the suffering to our certainties. Suffering can be productive if we respond to it positively, and not with anger or bitterness. (1 Peter 1:6-7).

Suffering kickstarts our faith, and Paul goes on to show where suffering leads:

Suffering produces endurance - the ability to keep going without any benefits.

Endurance produces character - someone who has been tested and has passed the test.

Character produces hope - Hope is only as good as its object. Jesus is our hope. "Just as our faith can only lead to salvation if it is faith in God, our hoe will not disappoint us because it is the hope of God's love poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit." (Rom 5:5)

Paul goes on to say (vs 6-8) that you can know objectively and beyond all doubt that God loves you - even if your feelings or the appearance of your life circumstances might be prompting you to wonder.

If God has already done the difficult thing, can we not trust Him to do the comparatively simple thing of completing the task? (the resurrection proves His power) If God has accomplished our justification at the cost of Christ's blood, He will save His justified people from His final wrath!

Joy is the great marker of the justified person. It is unique to Christianity because it does not depend on your circumstances or your performance.

Questions to Consider:

1. How does having peace with God change the way you live each day?
2. What is an example of suffering in your life (a hard time), and how did God grow you through that time?
3. Rom 5:8 brings so much hope. Why is it important that Jesus died for us "while we were still sinners"?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To be a son or daughter of Abraham is a reason to praise the Lord! To be saved is to be saved into a family; and as Romans 4:16 says, "Abraham is the father of us all."

The Gentiles inclusion into the Covenant family of God (by faith) was one of the most controversial ideas within the New Testament Church. Paul's letter to the Romans was full of this reality, and it is the sub-text of the entire book. The idea that God could accept the Gentiles was not controversial, but they were seen as a people who had limited access to temple life, limited requirements under the Law, and limited fellowship with other Jews. If you really wanted full participation in the covenant family of God, you had to convert to Judaism by accepting circumcision. But Paul is showing the people that Gentiles are includes as Gentiles. This wasn't by conversion to Judaism, as marked by circumcision; but by faith in Jesus, as marked by Baptism.(Acts 10:45, Eph 3:4-6, Acts 22:22)

Paul addresses this whole concept of Gentile inclusion through the lens of the patriarch of the Jewish faith...Abraham. (Rom 4:16-17)

Abraham is our father if we share his faith

(we believe what Abraham believed).

What did Abraham believe? (Rom 4:18-22):

• Abraham believed God would give him children as numerous as the stars (Gen 15:4-6) - Abraham believed God would, and we believe He did because we are the stars that were promised to Abraham! Being saved means being saved into a family. You have a Father, a firstborn Brother, and many brothers and sisters. (Heb 11:39-40)
• Abraham believed God called his family for a purpose (Gen 12:1-3) - God blessed Abraham to be a blessing, but He called him because He loves the nations - and He wants to bless them as well. (Gen 18:17-18; 22:17-17; 26:4; 28:14) Abraham believed that God loves the nations and wants to bless them. And if we share Abraham's faith, we must believe that too. We have been saved into a family whose calling is to bless the nations.
• Abraham believed in Resurrection (Romans 4:17-19) - Because of his faith, his circumstances, and his actions, we know that Abraham believed in resurrection. He was old (100 at the time), and his wife Sarah was barren and old. Once they did have Isaac, Abraham was told to sacrifice his son. He was willing to do that because he had faith that God would provide. God provided a lamb then, and God later provided The Lamb, Jesus. (Rom 4:20-25) We have been saved into a resurrection family, and when we believe in resurrection, we are actually sharing in the faith of Abraham; who believed it all along.

How does this affect us today? Galatians 5:6 says, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love." This love is not only towards individuals, but between all groups of people - even the groups we do not agree with.

to read more, go to: https://carmelbaptist.org/carmel-sermon/romans-416-25/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Student Teaching Pastor Jason Salyer

In Romans 4:1-5, Paul writes about how Abraham believed and was declared righteous by God. Remember that the idea of righteousness is more than the absence of wrong or even guilt. It is a positive good, meaning that God not only declares us innocent, but also righteous. It is conforming to a norm and standard given by God and a faithfulness to a relationship. We are not righteous in ourselves, but God credits us righteousness by grace through faith. This section of Romans makes it clear that righteousness is credited (imputed) to us in Christ, not infused by us through works. 

In verses 4-8, we see that we do not receive blessing, or salvation, from God because we have earned it as a wage. The better we understand the depth of our sin and the righteous standard of a holy God, the more grateful we are for the mercy and grace we have received. In the Psalm quoted (Psalm 32:1-2), David speaks of those who are blessed, not as those who are justified through works, but as those are cleansed by God, which we receive through forgiveness in Christ

In verses 9-12, Paul returns to the example of Abraham to show the order of faith and works. Abraham believed and was justified by God, but he also acted on that belief in many moments throughout his life. To believe is not to earn but to receive. The gospel is about receiving what is freely given by God, and not seeing our works as a means of earning our merit before God.  In other words, we work "from" His approval, not "for" His approval. Faith can be considered a transfer of trust, from looking to myself or the world around me to a complete dependency on the finished work of Jesus on my behalf. 

In verses 13-17, we find where believing leads to belonging. When we look in faith to the promises of God in Christ, we enter a relationship with God and with His people. We can find security in the certainty that His promises will not fail. We are evidence of that in the hearing and receiving of this gospel as those who, among all nations (people groups) that would be blessed through the offspring of Abraham, Jesus Christ. This was always the plan!

You do not have to prove yourself.

You do not have to find yourself.

You do not have to worry about what Jesus Christ thinks about you.

He has saved you, and He loves you more than you can fathom. The promises of God do not let go of you.

Questions to Consider:

1. How does this passage keep our hearts from undervaluing the grace and forgiveness we receive from God? 
2. How does this passage show us that believing is about receiving more than earning? 
3. Where do you need to turn away from finding your sense of identity and self worth through achievement or affirmation from others and look to Jesus?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Romans 3:27-31

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

Last week we focused on the humbling truth that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Each and every one of us have missed the mark and fallen short of God’s standard. But the great news is that those who place their hope in Christ as Savior “are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24). Remember, justification is that legal term meaning we are declared not guilty by God! 

In our passage today, Paul continues this thought with an important question, “Then what becomes of our boasting (v. 27)?”

If we’re honest, we all have a tendency to boast. Pastor Alex reminded us that boasting is an outward expression of an inner problem: pride. Let’s remember, this is not a new problem. In fact, we can trace boasting (and pride) all the way back to the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve convinced themselves that they knew better than God and chose to go their own way rather than following and trusting Him. 

The reality is boasting is incompatible with the truth of the gospel… that we are justified by God’s grace as a gift (3:24). Elsewhere Paul reminds, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). If salvation were possible through the Law or any means of our own doing, then we would be able to boast in something we could earn. But the only response to salvation as a gift of God is a posture of gratitude and thankfulness to Him. 

Let’s remember who authored the book of Romans. If anyone would have had a right to boast in his accomplishments, lineage, education, and religious pedigree it would have been Paul. And yet, Paul considered all these things “rubbish” (literally garbage) compared to knowing Christ Jesus (see Philippians 3:5-11)!

In addition to running completely counter to the truth of the gospel that salvation is a gift of God by grace alone through faith alone, boasting affects our everyday lives in several ways. First, boasting causes division. When we think better of ourselves because of anything – our race, our social status, or our achievements – it automatically divides and separates us from others. In addition to division, boasting can also reveal itself as anxiety in our lives. When the things that we boast about are threatened – i.e. our marriage, our kids, or our livelihood – we are vulnerable to fear and anxiety. 

Questions to Consider:

1. First and foremost, is there anything in which you are tempted to boast as the grounds of your confidence or self-worth? As Paul reminds us in Galatians 3:14, “Far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Ask God to expose anything that feeds the lie of self-sufficiency.
2. Ask God to expose anything that gives you a heart of pride. Ask God to remove any sense of false security about things we might be tempted to boast about in our own strength. 
3. Ask God to reveal anything that gives you a sense of shame. If you haven’t done so already, confess those things to God, ask His forgiveness, and then thank God for that forgiveness He freely offers (1 John 1:9).
4. If you’ve never put your trust in Christ alone as your Savior and would like to know more about what a relationship with Him looks like, we’re here to help. Send us an email at questions@carmelbaptist.org and someone from our team will reach out to you. 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

This passage is thought to be one of the most important paragraphs ever written. Paul has just spent the last two chapters explaining the purpose and insufficiency of the law, and now he starts with, "But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law". 

"For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" means that all have, are, and will always fall short of God's glory. God is the standard, and we all fall short.

To read more, please go to: https://carmelbaptist.org/carmel-sermon/romans-321-26/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

Paul continues his letter in Chapter 3 by handling Jewish objections to his teaching by using a diatribe, which means he set up a dialogue with his critics by posing questions and then answering them.

Objection 1 - "Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value circumcision?" (v1) In other words, "If my Jewishness doesn't save me and circumcision is no guarantee, then what advantage is there to being a Jew and having the sign of circumcision?"

For us today, it could be stated, "What advantage then is there in being baptized? Is there any advantage to being a member of Carmel Baptist Church?"

Answer 1 - "Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of God (The Old Testament)." God gave His Truth to the Jews instead of to another people group. They were entrusted with it. (Romans 9:4-5)

Objection 2 - "What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of God?" (v3)

Answer 2 - "By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar" (v4)

"God is faithful to all His words - the ones that threaten judgment for disobedience as well as to the ones that promise blessing." If, then, Paul implies, God judges Israel for her sins, He is still faithful, true, and just."

But this same faithfulness that also involved punishment for disobedience was conveniently forgotten.

Objection 3 - "But if our unrighteousness serves to show the righteousness of God, what shall we say? That God is unrighteous to inflict wrath on us?" (v5)

In other words, if my badness makes God look good, then how can God judge me for my badness? I'm a bad person. You're saying we're all bad, but all we're doing is making God look really good...

Answer 4 - "By no means! or then how could God judge the world?" (v6-8)

Sinning like crazy so we will know grace like never before is bizarre thinking. There are no victimless sins. Every choice to do wrong harms someone. Sin grieves the heart of God, and it is an affront to His character. Sin separates the Creator from the creation He loves so dearly.

Verses 10-12 show us we are worthless in terms of our spiritual good, but not in terms of our human worth. All humans are always valuable because the image of God cannot be erased, but it is marred by sin. Sin isn't something we just do, it is something that affects every part of us - our mind, our will, our speech, our relationships. Like a disease, it's spread through the whole system. (v 13-18)

The law wasn't given to justify us, but to silence us because it removes all boasting and exposes the depth of our guilt. The purpose of the law wasn't to correct sin, but to reveal it.

We must let the law do its work, and then run to Jesus Christ. He is the way, the Truth, and the life. God is going to change us, but it's not going to be by the law. (Romans 1:16)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Adult Pastor Brad Ferguson

Everybody believes in something. In this portion of his letter, Paul addresses the church in Rome with two things that he knew that they were struggling with - knowledge and works. It is no different for us today.

Paul is explaining that both Jews and Gentiles are accountable before God. Having the Law (the Jews) or not having it (the Gentiles) does not excuse anyone—what matters is obedience from the heart.

Gentiles who sin without the Law will perish apart from it, and Jews who sin under the Law will be judged by it. "Judged" and "perished" are equal terms that both mean eternal separation from God. Just hearing the Law does not make a person righteous; only those who obey it (perfectly) will be justified. No one can do that.

Even Gentiles, who do not have the written Law, sometimes follow their conscience and demonstrate that the Law is written on their hearts (caring for the sick, honesty, etc.). God will ultimately judge all people through Jesus Christ, the One who came on our behalf to take the punishment that we deserve (Isaiah 53).

Paul then addresses the Jews specifically, pointing out that although they boast in having the Law and their covenant identity of circumcision, they often fail to live by it, which leads to hypocrisy and causes God’s name to be dishonored.

Finally, he explains that true circumcision is not outward or physical but inward, which he describes as circumcision of the heart. This is brought about by the Spirit rather than just following the letter of the Law. True righteousness and identity before God are not based on external rituals or heritage but on inward obedience and transformation by the Spirit. Only His work of grace in our lives will lead to righteousness. He does the work as we submit to Him.

What keeps people from Christ:

1. I've sinned too much - your sins are no match for the love of God
2. I have unanswered questions - everyone does, but you don't have to wait. With the Holy Spirit, you can grow in your understanding of who Jesus is
3. I just can't surrender - no pursuit in life is truly fulfilling except for the pursuit of Jesus. He is the way, the Truth, and the life
4. I've seen too many bad examples - Everyone falls short, and we can not put our hope in a person, but rather we must look to our perfect Father
5. There's too much evil in the world - Due to God's love of us and His design of our free will, the world will always be fallen. But God is here in His creation of beauty, music, joy. laughter, hope, etc..

Questions to Consider:

1. Why is it important that God is just (fair) with everyone?
2. How do you feel knowing that God sees and knows your heart?
3. How can our actions affect how others see God? Why does that matter?
4. Is your faith more "outward" (what people see) or "inward" (your heart before God)? Why?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

We tend to be a lot more vocal in our criticism of others than we are of ourselves. We find all kinds of excuses for our sin. Condemning others while excusing ourselves is what allows us to hang onto both our self-righteousness and our sin. Paul is pointing out in this portion of his letter that, "you are condemning yourself."

Both the Jews and the moral Greeks might conclude that God's condemnation did not apply to them because of their higher planes of living, but the entire human race stood condemned before God because God's judgment is based on three things:

1. Truth (v2-4)
2. inescapable impartiality (v5-11)
3. Jesus Christ Himself (v12-16)

God is not grading on a curve. God's judgment is not based on our self-evaluation of our morals, but is based on the Truth. We should never try to take God's place as judge by condemning others without examining our own lives.

Verse 4 tells of God's kindness, forbearance, and patience. It is God's kindness that leads us to repentance. It is intended to give us space to repent, not to give us an excuse for sinning.

Romans 1 and 2 are setting before us the same two people that Jesus does in His parable about the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). Romans 1 is about the younger brother, and Romans 2 is about the prodigal son. Both are lost. Sin is sin.

Verse 6 is a quote from Psalm 62 where the Psalmist is complaining about a group of religious people who honor God with their mouths while their feet are quick to run after violence. They have an external show of religion, but internally they are still filled with wickedness. Paul's point is that external practices of religion do not equal inward transformation.

Christians are justified by grace alone, but this grace is a transforming grace that leads to deeds. A person doing good shows that his heart is born again. On the other hand, a person who continually does evil and rejects the Truth shows that he is unregenerate, and therefore will be an object of God's wrath.

Without judgement, salvation has no meaning. Without the reality of God's present and future wrath, the cross is emptied of its glory. We cannot appreciate who Christ is unless we have first acknowledged who we are.

"There are but two objects that I have ever desired to behold; the one, is my own vileness; and the other is, the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ: and I have always thought they they should be viewed together." - Charles Simeon

Questions to Consider:

1. Why do you think it’s easier to notice sin in others than in ourselves?
2. How could you show the same patience and kindness toward others that God has shown you? In what areas can you give friends, co-workers, or teachers the benefit of the doubt?
3. How can you cultivate a heart that seeks God’s glory rather than your own interests?
4. Paul stresses that God shows no favoritism. How does this challenge you when you are tempted to think of yourself as “better” than others?
5. If God were to “repay each one according to their deeds” today, what would that reveal about the direction of your life?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

A God of love must hate anything that harms those He loves. Paul spends Romans 1:18-3:20 showing us why we need God to give us righteousness, and why we cannot earn, deserve, or attain it ourselves. God's wrath is a righteous and holy response to humanity's sinful, rebellious nature. Ultimately, Paul is showing us that the gospel is necessary because there is such a thing as "the wrath of God".

Verse 18 tells of a vertical brokenness (ungodliness) and a horizontal brokenness (unrighteousness of men). Another term for this is sin. When we choose to sin, we express contempt for God's character, calling bad things good. The verse ends with the phrase "suppress the truth". In other words, a choice is made to sin.

The natural world bears witness to God through its beauty, complexity, and design. Creation testifies to the existence, greatness, power, and glory of God. God, who is invisible and unknowable, has made Himself both visible and knowable through what He has made (Psalm 19).

So, verses 19-20 show us that it is against this deliberate human rebellion that God's wrath is revealed. It is His righteous opposition to evil, and is directed against people who have a knowledge of God's truth through creation, but deliberately suppress it in order to pursue their own way.

Verse 22 it says, "claiming to be wise, they become fools". In Greek societies, someone who was a "moros" deserved to be silenced because the Greeks despised volitional stupidity. Paul is saying that man chooses to be stupid in his disobedience to a good and loving God.

The heart of Paul's message is idolatry. An idol is any person, place, thing, or thought that you look to in order to get your needs met apart from God. Today's idols are more "mental than metal". In verse 23, Paul is saying that this is the worst possible exchange. Man turns his back from the Creator to the created. In other words, "those made in the image of God start making God in the image of man." Even when people refuse to acknowledge and depend on God, they do not stop worshipping. We always worship someone or something. It is how we are created.

The consequence of idolatry is the moral disintegration of human society (v 24-32). We have a habit of looking to the gift rather than the Giver (Jer 2:11-13). Verse 24 says, "therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves." His anger goes quietly and invisibly to work in handing sinners over to themselves. Idolatry leads to immorality.

The vertical disobedience leads to horizontal disobedience (v 26-28). The men and women of Rome practiced homosexuality, which Paul calls out as "unnatural". Whether it is homosexual sin or heterosexual sin, it is all sin and is not a part of God's plan for His creation. Sex is to be between one man and one woman who are married as a part of a covenant relationship. That is God's way.

Paul ends this portion by saying, "as a society, you asked to be free from God. This is what you get." Then he lists 21 qualities that defined the culture (v29-31).

Not only do the ungodly:

1. know God exists and
2. that what they are doing is morally wrong
3. but they also go further to approve of it, meaning they consent to doing evil and even praise their debauchery. (Prov 28:4)

The wrath of God is all about His love.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

As a reminder, once the Jewish people were allowed to return from Rome, they came back to a church full of Gentiles. They found a church that had become non-Jewish in its customs and practice. This culture clash created lots of tension, and by Paul's day, the Roman church was divided. They disagreed about how to follow Jesus, debating about whether or not non-Jewish Christians should observe the Sabbath, eat kosher, be circumcised, etc. Paul is writing to them to show them how to do life together.

The church in Rome was a big deal because Rome was known for people living in a vile and abominable culture. Paul is thankful "because your faith is proclaimed in all the world."

Why does Paul want to visit this church?

1. To be able to mutually encourage one another with the gifts given to each of them. To encourage means "to strengthen". (v11-12)
2. To evangelize with the gospel

Why?

Verse 14 says, "I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish." This obligation means "indebted to". One definition that applies here for obligation is "to be given something from someone, for someone else, a third party." At this point, you are a debtor to the third party. You have an obligation. You must deliver it.

And what is the debt...the gospel! Paul was in debt to the Romans to give them the gospel that had been given to him by Jesus.

He emphasizes both Greeks and barbarians. Just as the Jews divided everyone into Jew or Gentile, the Romans divided people by Greek (learned and sophisticated) and barbarian (any foreigner ignorant of the Greek language and the Greek culture, whether mental or moral).

Paul is eager to preach the gospel, but why would Paul preach the gospel to people who were already Christians? Everyone needs the gospel, both the "you" inside the church and the "you" who are yet outside it because the gospel is the way people are called to faith, and the way people grow in faith.

Paul then says in verse 16, "For I am not ashamed of the gospel". The gospel will always cause offense, because it reveals us as having a need that we cannot meet. So we will always be tempted to be ashamed of it. 

The gospel message is actually 

the power of God in verbal form.

It is powerful because it does what no other power on earth can do: it can save us, reconcile us to God, and guarantee us a place in the kingdom of God forever! All that is required to know this salvation is belief. (v 16) This is the first explicit statement that the only way to receive the gospel and its power is through faith. Faith is the channel or connection to the power of the gospel. 

Paul does say it is boundless and boundaried. It is for everyone...who believes.

Paul found so much joy in evangelizing Rome because he recognized the gospel: 

1. is an unpaid debt to the world 
2. and the saving power of God

We are in a post-Christian nation. We cannot be "asleep in the light". We must choose, and the choice sticks out to the world. The gospel brings us to life (born again), and we must live like that for the rest of our lives by faith.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

Romans was written by Paul. This is the same man who was Saul, a Pharisee and a persecutor of Christians. On a road to Damascus, he was temporarily blinded and was changed from the inside out. From that moment on, his life was about the gospel. His letters have made up over half of the New Testament, and he is a champion for Christ!

In the year 57AD, during his 3rd missionary journey, Paul was writing to the church in Rome. He did not set up this church and he had never visited there. That said, his reputation preceded him, and he would have been known, at least by the Jews in Rome.

During the early time of this church, the Jews were ordered to leave town, and when they came back, Gentiles were in the church. This was a very "new" development for the early church because Jews and Gentiles did not associate with each other.

Paul chooses to introduce himself at the beginning of this letter, and he didn't start by telling them that he was a Pharisee, a scholar of Gamiliel, or even a Roman citizen. He starts by telling the people that he is a doulos (slave) to Christ, and an apostle set apart for the gospel of God. The word Pharisee means separated, so Paul had lived his early life as an "other" to the people (Phil 3:5). Pharisees prided themselves in being unlike everybody else, but here Paul doesn't say that he is separated from something. He says that he is separated to/for something...the gospel.

6 Markers of the Gospel

1. The Gospel is from God (v2 - which He promised)
2. The OT bears witness about the gospel ( v2 -beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures)
3. The Gospel is about Jesus (v3-4 - concerning His Son)
4. The purpose of the Gospel is obedience (v5 - the obedience of faith)
5. The reach of the Gospel is the nations (v5 - among all the nations)
6. The 'end game' of the Gospel is His glory (v5 - for the sake of His name)

We can say that the good news

is the gospel of God,

about Christ,

according to the Scripture,

for the nations,

unto obedience and

for the sake of the Name.

-John Stott

He finishes his greeting by saying this is "to all in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

Questions to Consider:

1. Why is it so unique that Paul introduces himself the way he does?
2. As a follower of Christ, what do you separate yourself from? Why?
3. As a follower of Christ, what do you separate yourself to/for? How?
4. How might Paul’s introduction prepare his readers for the difficult theological discussions later in Romans?
5. Read the book of Romans this week as you prepare for this sermon series.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

Storms and life go together. There is no place on earth where we can be completely free from trauma, tension, or trouble. The storm will almost always reveal the truth, and where someone puts their hope and trust.

In this wrap up of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus compares two foundations. The people would have easily understood what He was talking about, because His illustration was something they had to live with every day.

A wadi is a valley with two hillsides. The hills were made of bedrock and were very stable. If a storm happened miles away, a wall of water would surprise the people as it washed through the valley. The only thing left after the flood was sand at the bottom of the wadi.

The wise builder put his house on the strong foundation of bedrock, while the foolish builder would be lazy and reckless and build his house at the bottom of the wadi in the sand.

We must ask ourselves the question, "do we do what we say and do what we know?" In other words, are we allowing the Lordship of Jesus be our "narrow path" that leads to life?

So, the sermon ends on the same note of radical choice of which we have been aware of from the start. Jesus does not set before His followers a string of easy ethical rules, so much as a set of values and ideals which is entirely distinctive from the way of the world.

He summons us to renounce the prevailing secular culture in favor of the Christian counter-culture.

The crowds were astonished by His teaching because He spoke with authority. Typically, the scribes quoted the rabbis before them and were afraid to express an idea without bolstering it up by some predecessor. Every time Jesus said, "but I tell you", it was a shocking statement! It definitely caught the attention of everyone there, and it stayed with them. Jesus stood on His own authority!

There is a connection between His voice and your heart. When you hear these Truths, there is a decision to be made. Jesus is inviting you to be like the wise builder and build your foundation deep into His Word so that you can live a life of love and obedience to Him.

Questions to consider:

1. What are some of the highlights from this sermon series that have stood out to you?
2. We have wise and foolish choices we can make every day. What is a choice you must consider, and what are the wise and foolish options for that choice? (relationships, media, work, school, neighbors, etc.)
3. What steps do you need to take in order to be like the "wise builder" in this season of your life?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Student Pastor Jason Salyer

The Sermon on the Mount concludes much in the same way it began. Jesus reminds us that the Kingdom that is coming is right side up in an upside down world. Those who are in this new Kingdom are those who have been transformed from the inside out. He demonstrates this new reality by pointing to two different kinds of trees and a picture of judgment day. 

Inside Out Fruit

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus contrasts two different ways. The deception of the religious leaders Jesus warns us about promotes outward action without inward transformation. God doesn’t want us to simply go through the motions of doing “good things”. Instead, we produce fruit out of a heart that the grace of God has truly transformed. 

Inside Out Faith 

Rather than relying on our ability to work for God’s favor, we can live from God’s favor by stepping into a relationship with Jesus Christ by grace through faith. Just as there are false sheep, there are others who will call out “Lord, Lord” only to be told that Jesus never knew them. We must each look at our own lives and ask ourselves if our faith is in our works or the finished work of Christ on the cross. 

For Discussion:

1. What makes false teaching and false teachers so attractive to others?
2. Read Deuteronomy 6:5. Why does God care so much that outward actions are reflections of inward transformation? 
3. Do you believe Jesus knows you and that you will spend eternity with him? What do you base your response on? 

Resources: 

How Can I Be Sure I’m Saved? - Jeremy Pierre

Very short booklet that helps believers who struggle to receive the love and grace of God. 

Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart - JD Greear

Helps believers find a settled confidence in their salvation, based on the promises of God rather than on the fleeting feelings of a prayer or ritual.

How Can I Be Sure I’m A Christian? - Don Whitney 

More detailed book covering many common struggles of Christians experiencing doubt about their salvation, offering guidance on how to find assurance through biblical truth.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is commanding us to pray. He is commanding us to keep on asking, keep on seeking, and keep on knocking. There is an upward urgency in each of these actions.

Keep on asking

Kyle Mercer said, "I don't think we struggle wo much with unanswered prayer; we struggle more with unoffered prayer." When we ask, we show a dependency on God and a humility. Asking is welcomed by Him because it is based on a relationship.

Keep on seeking

We look for things that are valuable or missing. If we have a right relationship with the Lord, then we should seek to know Him more. (Psalm 105:4; 119:2; Matthew 6:33)

Keep on knocking

There is an idea of persistence here. Knock until there is an answer. Jesus speaks directly to this in the Luke 11:5-8 parable of the persistent friend.

In verse 8, it says, "For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks it will be opened." Experience does not seem to bear this out in our finite understanding. We must choose to pray while trusting in God's goodness and willingness to answer. (Matthew 6:7-8)

How long should we ask, seek, and knock? We do this until we get an answer of yes, no, or wait. If you haven't heard yes or no, then you keep asking.

Being good, our heavenly Father

gives only good gifts to His children.

Being wise as well, He knows

which gifts are good and which are not.

We must always remember that prayer is relational, not transactional.

Verses 9-11 show a very practical way that this works. Children will ask their parents repeatedly for things until they receive a reply. Parents, even with an imperfect sin nature, want to give good gifts to their children, but must discern what is best for them. God, who is perfect in love and understanding, doesn't give harmful things in response to prayer. He gives what is best from the perspective of an all-knowing Creator.

Verse 12 is known as the Golden Rule - "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." Jesus actually (brilliantly) turned around an old saying that everyone would have known. That saying was, "Don't do to others what you would hate to have them do to you." What is so compelling about this is that the old saying didn't require someone to do anything, while the positive version requires action to honor another person.

What Jesus is saying to love people

any way you can.

Jesus turns a corner in verse 13. He compares 4 sets of pairs (gates, trees, responses, foundations). He is saying, "Now that you've heard all of this, what are you going to do about it?" Jesus showed up, rescued us, and calls us to follow His way. He is worthy of our devotion, our trust, and our love. His way is not the easy way in the world's eyes, but it is the way to eternal life!

We will quit if we focus on

the unanswered prayer instead of

the Father who is worth trusting.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Worship Pastor Justin Taylor

When Jesus says, "judge not", He's not talking about judgement in terms of discernment, making good decisions, or even matters of church discipline. He is talking about condemnation.

Jesus doesn't say, "be slow to judge", or "you can judge as long as you're right". The New Testament authors are unanimous on this point, as far as believers are concerned, condemnation is completely out of bounds. We are not allowed to do it. It is a sin, which grieves the Holy Spirit.

Condemnation is a legitimate form of judgment, but it's the last one. Condemnation is final and without hope. Only God has the authority to condemn, and He has decided to wait for the last day! (2 Peter 3:15)

Judgement is for restoration...

not condemnation.

1 Corinthians 5:3-5

What is "condemnation"?

Dallas Willard says, "When we condemn another, we really communicate that he or she is, in some deep and just possibly irredeemable way, bad-bad as a whole, and to be rejected. In our eyes, the condemned is among the discards of human life. He or she is not acceptable. We sentence that person to exclusion."

In other words, today we would say that the person or group is "cancelled". This is the same thing that the Pharisees were doing in the day of Jesus. They were notoriously judgmental, and this is what Jesus was always addressing with them.

The word "judge" means to discern, literally "to separate". A judge discerns (or separates) truth from lies, innocent from guilty, etc. But what the Pharisees did was not simply separate sheep from goats, but they would separate between you and me. At the core, it was pride - they thought they were better than someone else. (Luke 18:9-11).

This was self-righteousness. Instead of me standing alone before a Holy God, I stand together with you. I may not be completely innocent, but I'm innocent by comparison. You become the standard by which I justify myself. The Pharisees had a list of people like that...and most of us do as well.

When we justify by comparison, it is hypocrisy. At the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus begins His message by blessing the very people the Pharisees were most inclined to judge. Jesus says to not be like them!

Jesus is the One who will separate (Matthew 25:31-32), and He will do so precisely according to how we treat the very people we are most inclined to judge (the hungry, the thirsty, the foreigner, the stranger, the sojourner...)

Jesus gives us a very practical way to avoid judging others. He says, "Whenever you feel condemnation coming on, just pretend it's me, and treat them accordingly".

In essence, we are to love others well. Condemnation is without care. Love cares about your Christlikeness (1 Cor 13:4-6).

Discussion Questions:

1. Our culture is very judgmental. Where do you see this the most?
2. Is there someone (or a group of people) in your life you feel judgmental towards? Who is it? Why?
3. Take some time to think about them, but put the face of Jesus on them and see how you would respond differently.
4. As a representative for Christ, how will you let this Truth impact your life this week?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Student Pastor Jason Salyer

Worry or anxiety is something we all experience to some degree, but in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus shows us how to find true peace and rest for anxious hearts and worried minds. Jesus points us to the sources of our anxiety as well as the answer to it. 

Not all responses to stress are bad, but when things turn into the kind of worry Jesus speaks of here, they can also reveal to us where we have misplaced our faith. The good news answer for anxious hearts is that we can trust in the love of God and seek first His Kingdom.

Trust in the Love of God

Jesus makes an argument from lesser to greater. God cares for the birds and flowers, and we are so much more valuable. Our worth is not measured in what we do for God but in what God has done for us. We can trust that God’s love for us is the defining story of our lives and find true peace (wholeness) when we are pulled in opposite ways by our worries. One way we do this is by coming to God often in prayer and thanksgiving.

Seek First His Kingdom

While we need to increase our faith in God’s love, the second problem is that we have a misplaced faith. Jesus challenges our priorities, showing us that we must keep first things first. We can walk by faith by identifying where we are placing our devotion and redirecting our hearts to the Kingdom of God in our daily lives. 

Jesus is inviting us to live in the present. Remember, God is reigning over all creation and He loves you. Let that truth adjust your mind and heart so that you can live in peace (shalom).

Note: If you are experiencing consistent patterns of anxiety that affect your ability to function or impact your relationships with others, you may want to consider speaking with a counselor or a member of our care and counseling team. We do not have to walk through these struggles alone. 

Discussion Questions:

1. What in your life causes the most worry? How does the truth of the gospel change how you see that area of your life? How can we pray for one another in these areas?
2. How does trusting God’s love and seeking first His Kingdom help us deal with worry?
3. How can a deep trust in God and peace in difficulties provide a unique witness to the world around us? 
4. How can we recognize when second things have become first things? Use an example and share how we can adjust our focus when this happens.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pastor Alex Kennedy

Jesus moves from speaking about the private life we should have (giving, praying, fasting) to the public business we have with the world (possessions, food, drink, clothing).

The Pharisees believed the Lord materially blessed all He loved, so they were intent on building great treasures on earth. Jesus specifically begins this portion of His message with "do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and thieves break in and steal". Everything we have in our physical possession will eventually deteriorate and be thrown away. If our happiness depends on possessions, they could be gone at any moment. (Luke 12:15)

In reality, we must remember, "It's not what you own, but what owns you". 1 Timothy 6:10 says, "For the LOVE of money is the root of all kinds of evil."

Jesus shows us a better way when He says, "but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven." Use your money now to send ahead into heaven treasures waiting for you and your heavenly reward. Use your money now for kingdom purposes by doing God's work. (1 Tim 6:17-19)

Your heart will follow your treasure,

and Jesus was denouncing a life

focused on hoarding and selfishness.

When we make wealth our master, we'll be lured deeper and deeper into blind loyalty to it. It will change us.

He goes on to talk about having a good eye vs a bad eye (vs22-23). In Jewish writings, a good eye represented a generosity and a bad eye represented a stingy, miserly attitude.

Finally, Jesus speaks of loyalty in vs 24, "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money."

It is estimated that half of the population in the Roman Empire were slaves, so they would have definitely understood what Jesus was talking about. If you were a slave, you were completely, utterly, and totally controlled by another will. In other words, you cannot be a part-time Christian.

Having a lot of money was/is not the problem. The danger is when money has you-that's when the physical becomes more important to you than the spiritual.

Remember, when you understand that you own nothing, but steward everything, all of this becomes easier. None of it...from your heartbeat to your breath to your family to your 401K is yours. It is all His, and you have a responsibility to use it and enjoy it for His glory!

Questions to consider:

1. Are you living an unselfish lifestyle? Why?
2. How do you demonstrate care and generosity for others?
3. Do you know when enough is enough in acquiring possessions?
4. Where is the danger for you that can lure you into a materialistic lifestyle?
5. Are you content with what God has given you and satisfied with His provision for your simple needs? How does your life reflect this?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pastor Alex Kennedy

Jesus continues to teach as it relates to prayer. He begins by reminding us to not be hypocrites (a theater term for an actor or mask-wearer). First he warns us to not be like the Pharisees, who loved to show people how righteous they were. They focused on showing others how good they were at praying.

Although there is definitely a place for public prayer, it is about the heart and motive of praying publicly that matters. First, prayer should be "in secret". When Jesus says, "go into your room and shut the door", He is referring to the common store room in a home that has the "treasures" in it. The heart of prayer is to seek God. He is the treasure, and the purpose of "secret" prayer is to purify our motives in praying. Then, our public prayers will be an overflow of our personal prayers.

Secondly, Jesus speaks about the Gentiles (pagans) when He says, "do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do". In other words, think about what you are saying.

Martin Luther said, "By our praying...

we are instructing ourselves

more than we are Him."

Jesus goes on to teach us how to pray:

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

This includes:

• The right mindset and heart
• Reminding ourselves
• Coming with humility and confidence

Your Kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

To pray that His kingdom may come is to pray:

• Both that it may grow, as through the church's witness people submit to Jesus,
• and that soon it will be completed when Jesus returns in glory to take His power and reign.

In other words, it is our posture to yield and surrender to the character of God.

The rest of the Lord's Prayer

moves from a vertical focus

to a horizontal focus.

Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

We should be dependent on God and trust Him for today. We must be careful to not take what He has given us and try to be self-reliant.

We should remind ourselves daily of how much we have been forgiven for our lifetime of rebellion to a Holy God and then from a posture of humility forgive others that have wronged us.

The Lord's Prayer can be prayed:

• hypocritically - obsessed with self-glory
• mechanically
• or both

True prayer is obsessed with God's glory!

Questions to Consider:

1. How comfortable are you in praying with others out loud? Why?
2. How can you pray for Kingdom impact?
3. What areas do you need help in fighting against temptation?
4. Will you commit to pray the Lord's Prayer daily this week?
5. Will you pray for our mission teams that are serving in Peru, Kenya, Poland, and Charlotte?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How we give matters. Of course, giving matters to God, but Jesus reminds us that how we give matters even more. The passage today goes back to the words of Jesus that we must exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees. We do this in type, not degree, meaning we live out of the righteousness we have received in Christ, not to prove ourselves righteous before others.

Anytime we meet a need or give to others, we must be careful that it is not for outward show. God cares deeply about the heart’s motive in why we do what we do. It all comes back to the heart. 

People who originally heard Jesus saying this would have been familiar with the language he used, but challenged deeply by his words. Jesus addresses something familiar to many Jewish families, the giving of alms to care for the poor and others in need. While being instructed to give to the poor is a good thing, the religious leaders failed to address the mindset of the giver. 

Pointing beyond outward actions, Jesus borrows from a language familiar to those who went to the theater and watched actors. The term for “hypocrites” points to the role of actors who pretend to be someone different than who they truly are. Jesus’ warning is strong here because any of us can do good things to put on a show, but it is not a show God wants to see. 

You can even give generously and still be doing so with selfish motives. In Matthew 5:16, Jesus reminds us to “let our light shine before others,” so that they will “give glory to your Father in heaven.” In carrying out good works, for some the struggle is boldness, and for others the struggle is pride. We are to shine when tempted to hide. We are to hide when we are tempted to shine.

Before giving, Jesus wants us to consider the why. He illustrates this by saying we are not to let our left hand know what our right hand is doing. That means it is about more than what our hand is doing, it is about what are heart is thinking. Lack of focus in self in giving is like trying to clap with one hand, meaning we can give in a way that doesn’t applaud ourselves, but glorifies God. May God be glorified in how we live, love, serve, and give! 

Discussion Questions:

• Are there places in your life that this passage speaks to or challenges you specifically?

• You have probably heard the quote from Shakespeare saying, “all the world’s a stage”, but how can we use the stage of our lives for God’s glory and not our own?

• Many times, we can give and not be aware of our heart posture. Proverbs 4:23 says, "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” How can we practically carry this out in areas of giving and serving others? 

• Every act of real love is rewarded when a need is met. How can we seek out and meet the needs of someone else this week? 

• Giving to the Pharisees became more about a means of earning our salvation. How should we reverse that mindset and see it as an overflow of God’s gift of salvation in our lives?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Conflict has been a part of the world since the sin was introduced to the world in Genesis 3. There has always been conflict between man and man, God and man, and the nations of the world. In Matthew 5:38-48, Jesus shows us a radical way to love difficult people.

In the times of the Old Testament, there was a saying, "eye for an eye, and tooth for a tooth." When a law was broken by a nation against another nation, the punishment should level out. There should not be more retaliation than was given. But the religious leaders, over time, added more rules to the laws, which made it almost impossible to follow.

Jesus moved this from nations to neighbors and said, "Do not resist (retaliate) an evil person." Instead, do good back! He then gave four examples:

• Example 1 - If someone slaps you - in the day, a backhanded slap to the cheek was a strong and powerful insult. Jesus is saying to "turn to them the other as well". In other words, be vulnerable to be insulted again. (He is NOT saying to stay in an abusive relationship - get out asap.)
• Example 2 - If someone sues you - The average person had 2 shirts and 1 coat. Someone could sue you and "take the shirt off your back". Jesus tells us to not only resist suing back, but up our most valuable clothing - our coat. In Christ, we can "absorb the blow".
• Example 3 - If someone asks you to go 1 mile - It was lawful for a Roman soldier to require a person to carry their gear (70 lbs) up to a mile, and the people hated the soldiers for this. Jesus is saying to volunteer to go 2 miles! In other words, "Go the extra mile".
• Example 4 - Give to whoever asks - Give generously and don't question someone who asks to borrow. Let them borrow without obligation to return.

In our lives, we have done far more to God than others have done to us. We need to remember that God has not treated us our our sins deserved! Why do we think we can treat others more harshly than God treated us? Verse 48 is the key, "Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect."

Remember:

• We have sinned - He gave His Son
• We turn away again and again - He is patient with us
• We take His name in vain - He is kind to us
• We have served idols - He loves and welcomes us

"You have heard it said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy, but I tell you love your enemies and pray for those that persecute you'". Hating your enemy was never in the OT. It was added over time and became a mantra for the people. Jesus gave us 2 ways to love our enemy:

1. Love your enemies - Do loving things for that person. We see a great example of this in Romans 12:14-20 (work at it, revenge is God's responsibility, do what is honorable in public, etc.)
2. Pray for those that persecute you. We should pray beneficial things for those that are against us. It will change our heart towards them.

A Path Forward

1. Keep your heart (Proverbs 4:23) - Keep keeping your heart
2. Guard your words (James 1:19-20) - Slow it down
3. Trust your Shepherd (Psalm 23:1) - I am satisfied with God's management of my life
4. God is at work (Galatians 4:19) - He is always at work, and uses frustrating people to disciple me.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guest Speaker: Jim Kallam

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus is addressing the heart first before outward actions. At the time, many would hear the emphasis of the Pharisees about external obedience while not addressing the heart.

The Sermon on the Mount represents both current and future realities of the Kingdom, but those are all inside out realities. What begins as a work of God in our heart moves outward into our actions and words. Jesus is drawing attention again here to external obedience versus internal intent. 

Oaths were promises meant to encourage honesty before others, but it gave opportunity for some to form new ways of deceiving others. Jesus reminds others that these commands were about our integrity. Integrity begins with connecting our heart with our actions. 

Be Honest Before God

Honesty and integrity must begin with being honest before God. You see this idea reflected so clearly in the Psalms. The psalms include prayers of praise, sorrow, and longing for God’s redemption. Commit to praying honestly and consider using these Psalms as a guide to give voice to your prayers.

Be Honest Before Others

As citizens of this new Kingdom, we reflect a God who keeps His word. We must keep our word before others. 

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” 

We must remember that it all begins our heart sets the direction of our lives. We must be mindful of the condition of our hearts. 

“But above all, my brothers, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your “yes” be yes and your “no” be no, so that you may not fall under condemnation.” - James 5:12

When our heart is trusting and following Christ, it reflects in our word and integrity before others. 

Our honesty and integrity should reflect what we believe about God. Praise God, we can take Him at His word!

Personal Reflection: 

• Can others count on you to do what you say? 
• Are you demonstrating honesty in prayer before God? 

Discussion Questions:

• Why is honesty in our words and actions important to God? 
• Why does Jesus emphasize the heart in understanding and directing our actions?
• How does honesty and integrity before others reflect our lives as citizens of God’s Kingdom? 

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

Last week we looked at Jesus’ teaching on anger and murder from Matthew 5:21-26 which spoke about God’s heart to protect the sanctity of life. This week, as we continue our series in the sermon on the mount in Matthew 5:27-32. God is for the pure in heart - shown by God's love for His people and reflected in the marriage relationship

Our tendency is to simply view adultery as an external, outward act. However, Jesus points out that in reality adultery begins with the heart. He says that everyone who looks at another person with lustful intent has already committed adultery with them in their own heart (5:28).

To read more, go to https://carmelbaptist.org/carmel-sermon/summer-on-the-mount-look-here-not-there-matthew-527-32/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

If we do not deal with our anger properly, it will end up leading to broken relationships and a lack of community. While it is obvious that we should not murder someone (6th commandment), all kinds of relationships get murdered without anyone ever dying (marriages, friends, small groups, parents and children, etc...) Jesus takes this much further to teach us a better way to live with our God-given emotion of anger.

Remember, Jesus had just said "that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the Kingdom of Heaven." Without Jesus' help, this is an impossible task due to all the rules that the Scribes and Pharisees added to the law.

To read more, go to: https://carmelbaptist.org/carmel-sermon/summer-on-the-mount-anger-matthew-521-26/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

Throughout history, there have been those that have said that when Jesus came, the Old Testament became irrelevant. Well, Jesus had something to say about that when He said, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets: I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished."

So, Jesus is actually saying that He is "filling the Law and the Prophets full". The Law was a shadow of what was to come; the reality belonged to Christ. We also see that Jesus fulfilled all of the Messianic prophecies. The Truth in the Old Testament pointed to Jesus, which makes it extremely valuable!

To read more, please go to: https://carmelbaptist.org/carmel-sermon/summer-on-the-mount-you-complete-me-matthew-517-20/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

An influencer is someone who has the capacity or power to be a compelling force on or to produce effects on the actions, behavior, or opinions of others. All of us are influencers in one way or another.

Jesus speaks to this reality when He teaches on salt and light. He is saying to let your character overflow into what you do.

"You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet."

Salt was incredibly valuable in the time and culture. It was used to preserve food and to add flavor. Salt is very stable until you start adding impurities to it, and then it can become useless. When it "lost its taste" it was thrown on the footpaths or roof tops to form a hard top seal.

Salt influences everything it touches.

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house."

"You" is written in emphatic Greek plural tense, which would translate, "you all, and you all alone are the light of the world." Jesus is speaking these words to a people that are seeing the city of Tiberias to their right on the Sea of Galilee. Also, directly across from them were the ten pagan cities of the Decapolis. Both of these cities would have been lit up with light.

Jesus is also telling us that our faith is personal, but it's not private. Hiding a light is contrary to its purpose.

"In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."

Our good works are done so that we may highlight and make a big deal of God. Our light is a borrowed light.

Light influences everything it touches.

You don't need to become salt and light. You ARE salt and light. It is a matter of identity, and our deeds flow from our identity and character. In Christ, we have the power to influence the culture for the Kingdom of God.

Questions to Consider

1. Who is someone that you would consider "salty" in your life? Why?
2. Why is it important for followers of Jesus to be salt and light in their sphere of influence?
3. What is the "salt level" in you? How much light is flowing through you?
4. What is your underlying motivation? What "good deeds" do you do for others and does that bring glory to God or glory to you?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

When the book of Malachi ends in the Old Testament, the Persian Empire is reigning. Between the time of Malachi and Matthew, there are 400 years of prophetic silence. We know God is still working, but we don't hear from a prophetic voice until we hear John the Baptist say, "Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near." At this time, the Jewish nation is under the rule of the Romans. They want a military king to come and rescue them from the oppression of the Roman Empire. It is at exactly this moment that Jesus steps into His earthly ministry.

For generations, Jews anticipated this special deliverer, the Anointed One of God, who would liberate God's people from oppression and set up His kingdom.

The book of Matthew, who was very Jewish, emphasizes what Jesus said to show the fulfillment of Jewish prophecy of the Anointed One.

In Jesus' formal Sermon on the Mount, Jesus continues the trail of the Kingdom when He says in Matthew 4:17, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

The Kingdom can be defined as the sovereign and comprehensive rule of God over all of His creation. Jesus tells us how someone can be a part of His Kingdom in John 3:5 by saying, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. In other words, everyone is welcome into the Kingdom, but only those that confess Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord will enter into His kingdom.

Again, we are all born in sin, so we are in born into a kingdom of darkness. If we confess Christ as Lord, we are transferred to a kingdom of light.

The church is not the kingdom; it is in the kingdom.

Kingdoms have kings, and our King is Jesus! We serve a king that reigns forever, and He doesn't change. He is always good, kind, faithful, just, and loving. He is worthy of our devotion to Him.

When Jesus talks about His Kingdom in the Sermon on the Mount, He gives an impossible mandate. We only get in by grace, and we are forever secured by His grace. He consistently takes the kingdom from "there" to "here".

Questions to Consider:

1. See your calling/vocation as sacred. You are an ambassador for Christ in His Kingdom. How does that thought cause you to think about your work?
2. Spend this week reading and meditating on the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:1-12. Allow the Word of God to shape your heart and your mind to think more like Jesus and less like the world.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Good Life: Matthew 5:3-12

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

The Sermon on the Mount was Jesus' first public sermon, and His sermon was very counter-intuitive. He is declaring not what they may feel like (happy), but what God thinks of them (blessed). John Stott said it this way, "Such a reversal of human values is basic to biblical religion. The ways of the God of the Bible appear topsy-turvy to people. For God exalts the humble and abases the proud, calls the first last and the last first, ascribes greatness to the servant, sends the rich away empty-handed and declares the meek to be his heirs. The culture of the world and the counter-culture of Christ are at loggerheads with each other. In brief, Jesus congratulates those whom the world most pities, and calls the world's rejects 'blessed'."

To read more and for questions to consider, go to https://carmelbaptist.org/carmel-sermon/summer-on-the-mount-the-good-life-matthew-53-12/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Worship Pastor Justin Taylor

R.C. Sproul said, "Theology must always end in doxology: the joyful praise of our Creator; otherwise we have not truly studied the things of God." Doxology is an admission of God's glory. We don't cause His glory. We confess it!

Doxologies Ascribe Glory to God

Doxologies are words of praise that are formulated for use in a worship service. It's an expression of praise to God, and we find them primarily in the letters of the New Testament

• Doxologies are designed for use in community. Most of the letters in the New Testament were written to communities, house churches, city churches. They were meant to be read aloud to a congregation. (Hebrews 10:25)
• Doxologies are designed for use in personal prayer.
• Doxologies are worth committing to memory. (Acts 2:42)

Doxologies often begin with "To Him", and they are typically formal in tone, poetic, and very doctrinally dense. (Rom 11:36; Rom 16:25-27; Eph 3:20-21; 1 Peter 4:11; Jude 1:25; Heb 13:20-21, etc.)

Doxologies Train Our Grammar for Worship

The doxologies written by Paul in the New Testament were actually inspired by the Holy Spirit. God has not only given us every reason to praise Him, but in the doxologies He gives us the words with which to praise Him.

The words and phrasing are not typical for how we speak today, but don't be tempted to "fix them", or improve them because we need to assume the Author got it right the first time! We adapt our speech to His very words. In time, your heart will begin to match those prayers and you will begin to naturally pray that way.

Doxology Completes Theology

We move from the explanation of theology to the experience of doxology. The subject is still the same, but we are making a decided turn from the examination of the things of God to an encounter with the Living God Himself! Doxology is not a response to what you read in your theology - it is a response to Him. (John 5:39)

Doxology Always Happens in Relationship

The New Testament doxology writers never talk about the bigness or greatness of God off by Himself, aloof, uninvolved, or in isolation. It is always about the glory of His love and mercy in dealing with us. We realize how much He loves us and what He did for us in relationship that causes us to sing out to Him! The glory of God is completely irrelevant to us until it touches us in Jesus Christ.

It is Jesus who perfectly ascribes glory to God. It is Jesus who perfectly trains our grammar for worship. It is Jesus who completes our theology. It is in Jesus' relationship with His Father that we now share in that intimate relationship. This is why Jesus is the subject of every doxology by which we ascribe glory to God.

The place where God's glory

touches us is in Jesus.

What a reason to sing!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

There are many different faces of suffering:

The Suffering of Betrayal

The Suffering of Loss

The Suffering of Physical Pain and/or Sickness

The Suffering of Persecution for our Faith

The Bible has a lot to say about suffering.

Plan on It. Expect It.

1 Peter 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:12; Phil 1:29-30

Phil 2:7-8 and Is 53:3 reminds us that Jesus was abandoned, denied, and betrayed by all the people He had poured His life into, and on the cross He was forsaken even by His Father. The suffering of Jesus and the victory of Jesus always go together. Jesus' victory came through His suffering. The glory of the resurrection came through the shame of His cross. We should not thing suffering is strange. It will happen.

Our Suffering Has Purpose

1 Peter 4:13-16; Heb 12:2; Matt 5:11

Jesus is coming back, and Peter says that if we rejoice in our suffering now, then on that future day, when we see Jesus, we will "rejoice and be glad," which means there will be more joy. It's our future with Jesus that makes the difference, and that's what our present suffering points to. The trials we experience today verifies to us that we are on the path to sharing in His glory.

Part of our purpose in suffering is to comfort others with the comfort we have been comforted with. Once we have experienced suffering, we can come alongside others that are experiencing a similar journey.

Our Suffering is Temporary

1 Peter 1:6; 1 Peter 5:10

Our life is like a breath in eternity. Although it seems like an eternity when we are in the middle of our suffering, it is good to be reminded that it will pass, either in this life or when we pass from this life. He will "restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you."

Run to Him not Away From Him

1 Peter 4:19; Psalm 34:18

God is always great and He is always good. Sometimes, in the middle of suffering, we can forget His goodness and His greatness. Suffering can distort our perspective, but that doesn't mean that He has changed. God is still good and great.

Questions to Consider:

1. When is a time in your life that you have experienced suffering?
2. How have you seen God at work in your life through seasons of suffering?
3. When have you been able to come alongside someone else because of a suffering experience that you have had?
4. How can you prepare to run to God instead of away from Him the next time you go through a season of suffering?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Student Teaching Pastor Jason Salyer

"If you read history, you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.” CS Lewis 

Jesus Will Return In Glory

References: Acts 1:6-11, Revelation 19:11-16

Jesus will return physically, visibly, suddenly, and personally.

God will judge sin. The penalty for sin will be faced by all who stand before God in their own sin and works.

Hell is…

• justice and judgment for sin
• the destination of the unrepentant
• avoidable through a Savior 

Jesus completed a mission to redeem and restore us to Himself. We have a new relationship through union with Christ. We live in the Already/Not Yet tension of the Kingdom. Because of that, we can give thanks that we are not where we have been while longing for what is still to come. 

Living in the Already/Not Yet

• Be ready and discerning
• Share the good news

-with a lost world

-with each other and often!

• Set your hope in Christ

-He is the First Fruits in His return, and we follow in a new body as all of creation is transformed 

Jesus Will Reign For Eternity

References: Revelation 22:1-5, 1 John 3:1-3, 1 Corinthians 15:54-58

The goal from before creation was Jesus ruling from a throne. He is worthy for who He is and what He has done. 

Life in the new creation will be lived under the rule of Jesus. This is incredible news because He is faithful and true. We will experience His glory and goodness.

• We will worship (Rev 5:11-14, 7:9-10)
• We will rule with Christ (Gen 1:28; Matt 25:21; Rev 3:21, 5:10, 22:4-5)
• We will joyfully work & rest (Eph 2:10, Rev 14:13, 21:23-27, 22:3)
• We will live in a redeemed community in perfect fellowship (Heb 12:22-23)

Looking to the return of Christ and the mission before us, Martin Luther once said, “I have two days on my calendar: this day and that Day.”

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58

No matter what you are going through, because Jesus rose from the dead, it is going to be ok.

Questions:

What kind of difference would it make if you were to spend 10 minutes in God’s presence in heaven? How can we be about “setting our hearts on things above” (Col 3:2)?

What are you pursuing in your life now that only makes sense in light of eternity?

If you have a relationship with Jesus, what do you look forward to most about the new heavens and new earth?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Senior Pastor Alex Kennedy

Missiology is the study of Christian missions. At Carmel, we define missions as accomplishing the Great Commission in partnership with the global church through the stewarding of resources entrusted to us by God. We believe that the Scripture makes it clear that God's heart is for the nations to know Him (1 Tim 2:4). As a result, Jesus gave His church a mandate (the Great Commission Matt 28:18-20) to spread the message of the Gospel to all nations. Carmel defines a disciple as "a follower of Christ in learning and living."

To read more and for questions to consider, go to: https://carmelbaptist.org/carmel-sermon/the-ology-missiology-the-mission-of-the-church/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Student Pastor Jason Salyer

Too often we define the church by what we do, but it is so important to recognize and understand who we are. The word translated church means "called out" and "assembled together". In Ephesians 3:9-11, we see that we are connected to Jesus and we are connected to others. The church is being brought forth into the light as we are being revealed as being united to Jesus.

To read more and for questions to consider, go to: https://carmelbaptist.org/carmel-sermon/the-ology-ecclesiology-the-church/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pastor Alex Kennedy

In the Old Testament, sin entered the human race through Adam and Eve's disobedience to God (Gen 3). Sin brought with it a curse on creation, death, and a depraved nature in all of Adam's offspring. A system of substitutionary sacrifices for sin was developed because God's people were not able to keep God's law perfectly. The promise of a Redeemer was given by the Old Testament prophets, and then the New Testament declares Jesus of Nazareth as the promised Savior and Redeemer of mankind.

To Read more and for questions to consider, go to: https://carmelbaptist.org/carmel-sermon/The-Ology:soteriology-salvation

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pastor Alex Kennedy

Genesis 1:31 ends with "God finished creating and everything was very good!" Unfortunately; soon after, sin entered the world through Satan, where it existed before the disobedience of Adam and Eve (Ezekiel 28:15-17). Sin then entered humanity through their decisions.

Sin is any failure to conform to the moral law of God in action, attitude, or nature. In the Old Testament, the primary word used for sin is "Chata" which is an archery term that means "missing the mark". The same meaning is used in the New Testament with the word "Harmatia".

So when Adam and Eve ate from the tree (Gen 3:6), they directly contradicted God's command. Neither God nor Satan forced them to eat from the tree; they did so willingly, and so willingly sinned against God. As a result, Adam's nature became sinful.

Sin became something Adam naturally did. Adam's sin also caused us to inherit a sinful nature, one that is naturally opposed to God and His moral laws, which we call Original Sin (Psalm 51).

We received not only Adam's sinful nature, but also his sin-produced guilt. Adam's action resulted not only in his own guilt, but also in the guilt of every other human (Romans 5:12-19).

How Does Sin Affect Us?

• Sin breaks shalom with God - While sin does not affect our status or standing with God, it does affect our fellowship with God because it grieves Him when we sin. God is eternally good in His character and all that He is conforms perfectly to His moral law. So, anything contrary to His moral law is contrary to His character, which means God Himself. God hates sin because it directly contradicts everything He is.

• Sin affects our relationships with others - Sinful words or actions can result in a broken relationship, even between Christians. Even though all Christians still sin, they should not participate in a long-term pattern of greater and greater disobedience to God's moral law, for "no one born of God makes a practice of sinning." (1 John 3:9)

• Sin destroys shalom in ourselves - "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Rom 3:23) "If we say we have no sin, we decieve ourselves, and the truth in not in us". (1 John 1:8) Paul also tells us that we have earned death because of our sin - "The wages of sin is death". (Rom 6:23)

We sin because it feels good...for a season. (Hebrews 11:24-25) (James 1:13-15) We deceive ourselves and believe that there will not be consequences, but we will ALWAYS taste the consequences of our sin.

"We are more sinful and flawed

than we ever dared believe,

yet at the same time

we are more loved and

accepted in Jesus Christ

than we ever dared hope."

-Tim Keller

We must fully understand the darkness of our sin before we can fully understand the beautiful gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. The level of understanding of our sin is directly proportionate to the level of joy we can understand of God's forgiveness through the sacrifice of Jesus.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Theological anthropology is theological because it seeks to understand the nature of the human person in light of scripture, and discerning what it means to be made in the image of God has huge consequences for how we think about every other aspect of our humanity.

Genesis 1:26-31 shows us that we are made in the image of God; in other words, we are the Imago Dei. We are the pinnacle of all of God's creation, and we are unique in that way. Although we are "like" God, we are not God.

Realities of this biblical worldview:

• Man is created - not made by random chance or evolving. We are made with distinct and good genders - male and female, to reflect God.

• Man has purpose - God did not create us because he was lacking or needing anything. He wasn't lonely. He chose to create us to bring Him glory. As creatures made in God's image, we were also made to be His representatives on the earth. Since "the earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof (Ps 24:1), we fill the earth (multiply) and are involved in every place where God rules and reigns.

• Man has value and dignity - The Maker assigns the value, and He loves you because He created you. Every person has equal value in the eyes of the Creator.

• We see and value others because God has assigned value - The fall and curse of humanity distorts the image of God in man but does not remove it from him. After the fall, the image of God remains the basis for human dignity and biblical ethics. C.S. Lewis said, "There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal."

How do we live in light of this Truth:

1. Every ethnicity is equal in value and dignity
2. The pre-born are created humans and deserve value and worth
3. The elderly are created humans and deserve value and worth
4. Those with disabilities are created humans and deserve value and worth
5. The orphan and widow are created humans and deserve value and worth
6. Our political opponents are created humans and deserve value and worth

YOU are created with value and dignity

YOU are created with purpose

YOU are fiercely loved by your Creator

You can't fully love others until you understand how loved you are...

Questions to consider

1. Why do we treat people differently?
2. Where do you struggle with loving people? (What really gets under your "skin" and makes you feel anger or disgust towards a person or group affiliation, or people group?)
3. Where do you need to confess sin and ask for forgiveness?
4. What can you do to have a reminder that every person has equal value? How do you show all people the dignity they inherently have and deserve as God's pinnacle of creation?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Angels are spiritual beings who were created by God to act as messengers to "serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation." (Neh 9:6; Heb 1:14) They are innumerable (Rev 5:11) and have great power (Psalm 103:20). They long to have what followers of Christ have...to be united with the Father through the saving work of Jesus (1 Peter 1:12; Luke 15:10). We do not worship angels, pray to them, or seek them out. We don't become angels when we die. On the contrary, in Christ, we become greater than the angels (Col 2:18; Rev 19:10; 1 Tim 2:5).

To Read more and for questions to consider, go to https://carmelbaptist.org/carmel-sermon/the-ology-angelology-angels-demons/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Even though the word "Trinity" is not in the Bible, we see evidence of a Triune God throughout the old and new testaments. This begins in Genesis 1:1 when it says, "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." The word God in this instance is "Elohim" which is a plural noun. God is in an intimate relationship, a fellowship, and a community of love. There is one God (Deut 6:1), but He has never been alone. Father, Son, and Spirit are eternally related AND subsist in one divine essense.

Out of this perfect community of love, God the Father sent His Son to be born to humanity through the power of the Holy Spirit.

The mystery of the Trinity has been explained in many ways, but all of them fall short. For example, the early church fathers described "The Dance of the Trinity", called Perichoresis, which tried to explain how the three divine Person made up one essence in God. Others try to explain with science, citing water in it's three forms of liquid, vapor, and solid. That doesn't work either because those three forms are not all existing at the same time.

Timothy Keller describes the Trinity like this: " Each of the divine persons centers upon the others. None demands that the others revolve around Him. Each voluntarily circles the other two, pouring love, delight, and adoration into them. Each person of the Trinity loves, adores, defers to, and rejoices in the others. That creates a dynamic, pulsating dance of joy and love."

Jesus speaks to the Trinity through the great commission (Matt 28:19-20) when He says, "go therefore and make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit." He perfectly understands the union of Himself, and teaches us to search deeply to understand how to love one another by pointing each other to Him.

In Paul's letter to the Ephesians, he writes to us to understand the love of the Triune God to us in Eph 3:14-20. Paul's desire is that we experience the fullness of life in and with the Triune God "so that":

We might be strengthened with power in the inner person through the Spirit.

1. Power to endure difficult situations - we can't in our own strength
2. Power to be patient in everyday situations
3. Power to trust God's plan - not the plan we would always choose...
4. Power to forgive
5. Power to love

We have Christ dwell in our heart, His permanent residence, and know the extent of His love.

1. To comprehend His love for us
2. To overcome any resistance, fear, or doubt of His love

We are filled up with the fullness of God.

1. This does NOT make us God, but it does make us godly
2. Experiencing the Trinity is a lifetime of allowing us to grow into all God longs for us to be.
3. We can find satisfaction and fulfillment in Him.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Holy Spirit is co-equal with God the Father and God the Son.

He is God

• At Creation (Gen 1:1)
• At the Virgin Birth (Luke 1:35)
• In His Eternality (Heb 9:14)
• In the Writing of Scripture (2 Peter 1:21)
• In "connecting the dots" (Acts 5:1-4)

John 14:16 - "another" helper - in the Greek, this means "another of the

same kind

• In our Baptism (Matt 28:19-20)

The Holy Spirit is not an impersonal power from God. He is a person, the third member of the Trinity, equal in every way to God the Father and God the Son.

What does the Holy Spirit do?

In the Old Testament, the Spirit came upon believers at specific (limited) times for specific tasks, but did not permanently indwell them.

• Bezalel (Ex 31:1-11)
• 70 Elders of Israel (Num 11:16-17)
• Othniel (Judges 3:10)
• Gideon (Judges 6:34)
• Jepthah (Judges 11:29)
• Samson (Judges 13:25)

In the New Testament...

• The Spirit gave birth to the church on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4)
• The Spirit is involved in the salvation of every believer (John 3:5-8)
• The Spirit regenerates us (Titus 3:5-6)
• The Spirit baptizes us into the body of Christ at conversion (1 Cor 12:13)
• The Spirit permanently indwells every believer (John 14:17)
• The Spirit seals us (Eph 1:13-14; 4:30)
• The Spirit fills us daily (Eph 5:18)- This is our yielding to Him, and brings a freshness to our lives. When we walk in sin, there is not a fullness of the Holy Spirit in us.
• The Spirit equips us with spiritual gifts (Rom 12:6-8; 1 Cor 12:4-11; 1 Cor 12:28) - Any gift listed in Scripture is alive and active in the church today. The gifts are used to edify the body of Christ and bring glory to the Lord.
• The Spirit manifest His presence in our lives with the "fruit of the Spirit" (Gal 5:22-23) - An abiding life produces the fruit of the Spirit. He does the work, which takes the pressure off of us!
• As the Helper

1. He teaches us (John 14:25-26)
2. He inspired the writing of the Scriptures (2 Tim 3:16-17)
3. He illuminates and reveals Truth (1 Cor 2:10-12)

John 15:26-27 shows us that the Holy Spirit will always bear witness to Jesus. His power and His gifts are not what we are to focus on. Those gifts should always point to and glorify Jesus.

In John 16 Jesus says, "it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send Him to you." Jesus was saying that having the Holy Spirit in them would be better than having Him beside them.

The Holy Spirit "will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgement". Sin is not "the" major stumbling block to salvation this side of the cross, but mankind's unbelief in the work and person of Jesus Christ (John 3:6-21).

Questions to Consider

1. Do you give the Holy Spirit the proper attention He deserves? Do you see Him as co-equal to God the Father and God the Son? Why?
2. How will you walk in the Spirit this week? (What does obedience look like for you this week?)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are three statements that must be understood and affirmed in order to attain a complete biblical picture of the person of Jesus Christ:

1. Jesus Christ is fully and completely divine.
2. Jesus Christ is fully and completely human.
3. The divine and human natures of Christ are distinct and yet completely united in Him.

Fully God + Fully Man = Fully Sufficient

To read more and for questions to consider, go to: https://carmelbaptist.org/carmel-sermon/the-ology-theology-christology-who-is-god-the-son/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Paternology is defined as "words about the Father", and we see a beautiful description of God the Father in Psalm 103:8-19.

God has both incommunicable (cannot be shared) and communicable (we can imitate) attributes.

Incommunicable attributes:

1. Immutability - He is unchanging (Psalm 102:25-27)
2. Eternality - He has no beginning or end (Psalm 90:2)
3. Omnipresence - He is present in every place at all times (Psalm 139)
4. Omnipotence - He is all powerful (Psalm 115:3)
5. Omniscience - He is all knowing (Psalm 147:5)
6. Self-existent - He is the uncreated Creator (John 5:26)
7. Sovereign - He has the right and power to do whatever He decides to do (Proverbs 21:1)
8. Transcendant - He is separate from the world and from human understanding (Psalm 113:4-6)

Communicable attributes (Gen 1:26-27; Eph 5:1-2):

1. Goodness
2. Love
3. Mercy
4. Grace
5. Holiness
6. Just
7. Patient
8. Wise

Pastor Alex used the phrase "theology has toes". In other words, what we think and believe about God affects our everyday lives and our actions. It is important to think rightly about the attributes of the Father. Yes, He is an all-consuming fire, but He is also our approachable Daddy.

• We are forgiven - We don't have to live in guilt (what we've done) or shame (wrong belief about who we are). We see God's love for us all over the Bible, but especially in John 3:16-17 and in Luke 15:11-32.

• We have a family - In Christ, we are sons and daughters and sisters and brothers. We are a part of the family of God. (1 John 3:1)

• We can talk to the Father - "Our Father in Heaven" is how Jesus told us to address God. Time Keller said, "The only person who dares wake up a king at 3am for a glass of water is a child. We have that kind of access."

• We have a model and calling to Fathering - There is a clear path in Scripture of what a father does. Dads must keep loving, be present, be purposeful, and be protective with your fathering of your children. Have passion and honor as you lead them.

• We are left breathless in worship - At the end of deep theological Truth found in Romans 1-11 is Paul's response in Romans 11:33-36. Knowing who God is leads us to a posture of honoring Him in worship.

Questions to Consider:

1. When you consider the incommunicable traits of God as a whole, how does that lead you to think about God the Father?
2. How are you using the communicable traits of God to bring glory to Him through your life?
3. How has being a part of the family of God impacted your life?
4. What is something you need to change as a result of what you learned from this study of God the Father?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bibliology is the doctrine of Scripture and revelation. The word Bible comes from the Greek word "biblia", meaning books. This is the term that became associated specifically with "the books" of Christian scripture. In the ancient context, the word would have meant "scroll".

God has revealed Himself to mankind in two specific ways:

1. General Revelation - This is God revealing Himself through creation, and is the broadest way to make Himself known. (Psalm 19:1-6) (Romans 1:19-20) General revelation is primarily a preparation for the gospel. It has no saving power in itself, but must be supplemented and corrected by a clearer and more direct revelation from God.

1. Special Revelation - The understanding of God through the Scriptures. This has come through Christ (John 1:18) and through the Bible (1 John 5:9-12).

2 Timothy 2:16-17 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, that the the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."

• The Bible is a living book
• It was written by the Holy Spirit through men of old
• Written by 40 authors over 1600 years in different parts of the world
• It convicts, encourages, challenges, and equips
• There is no need for a revised version because it is perfect

Why? So that we may be complete (brought to maturity). The Bible changes the way we think and the way we feel, which will affect how we live.

The Bible:

Infallible - It is completely trustworthy

Inerrant - It is without error. The inerrancy of Scripture means that Scripture in the original manuscripts does not affirm anything that is contrary to fact. The Bible always tells the truth, and it always tells the truth concerning everything it talks about.

Why does the Bible consist of these 66 books?

Within early Christianity the idea of a "standard" by which someone discerned the proper books considered scripture was talked about under the category of what was or wasn't "canonical". Canon was first used to refer to a reed stick, which was a measuring rod.

The main criteria of New Testament canonicity for the early Christians had to do with a writing's connection to Jesus - either someone who knew Jesus directly, or someone who knew someone who knew him personally.

367 - Athanasius's Festal Letter lists the complete New Testament canon (27 books) for the first time. This was the list of books accepted by the churches in the eastern part of the Mediterranean world.

397 - Council of Carthage establishes orthodox New Testament canon (27 books). These are the earliest final lists of our present-day canon.

This canon was not a pronouncement but a recognition.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We are all theologians because we all have thoughts about God.

Theology is simply defined as "words about God", but the implications of what you know and how you live out your theology is very important. Without theology, we are left to navigate life driven by emotion and feeling, which leads to a moralistic view of life. That goes wrong every time.

Creeds like the Nicene Creed or the Apostle's Creed were written to give guardrails to the specific beliefs of our faith in order to keep people from developing counter-belief systems. In reality, there are creeds in the Bible, and the first one we see was stated by Moses in Deuteronomy 6:4-7 which reads, "Here O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. You shall love the Lord your God with all your hearts..."

Our doctrine drives our "doing", known as orthopraxy. The doctrine of Deut 6:4 is "the Lord is One." That is the belief statement. We are to respond to that with "loving the Lord with all our hearts, all our minds, and all our strength".

Ultimately, doctrines and creeds imply a relationship. It's a belief in Someone who is the object of our affection. With this relationship, we have a mission, which is informed by our theology. If your theology is bad, then your mission will be bad.

A few quotes:

C.S. Lewis-"If you do not listen to theology, that won't mean that you have no ideas about God. It will mean that you have a lot of wrong ones.

Francis Schaeffer-"Reformation is a return to the sound doctrine of the Bible. Revival is the practice of that sound doctrine under the power of the Holy Spirit."

Charles Spurgeon-"When a man believes wrongly, he will soon act wrongly. Those who do away with Christian doctrine are, whether they are aware of it or not, the worst enemies of Christian living...The coals of orthodoxy are necessary to the fire of piety (right living)."

Steve Swartz -"We love theology because it informs our understanding of the Lord, but theology becomes just an intellectual exercise if it doesn't impact how we worship and how we enjoy the Lord."

Peter Kraft-"Christianity is not a hypothesis but a marriage proposal."

Trevin Wax-"We love the details of doctrine (theology) because we love the God those doctrines describe."

Questions to Consider:

1. We are all driven by our deep-rooted beliefs. Some of those are family "creeds" or "mottos" that your family lives by (spoken or unspoken). What are some of your family mottos? Why are those important to your family?
2. If your theology informs your understanding of God, how do you personally get to know Him more? Why is that important?
3. What is one thing from this message that encourages you in your faith?
4. Which one of the quotes above helps you most in understanding the importance of theology? Why?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Bible contains 66 books written through 40 human authors on three continents in three languages over a period of over 1,500 years. Yet, the Bible is really one big story about God. 



Today we covered 12 key movements of the Biblical narrative. Through understanding history as “His story” we can find our place in God’s story. 

To read more and for questions to consider, go to: https://carmelbaptist.org/carmel-sermon/History-

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In John 8:12, Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." He goes deeper into this at the Sermon on the Mount when He says, "You are the light of the world."

In Matthew 5:14-16, Jesus gives the people two specific examples to show how they are to be seen. The first is that a city on a hill cannot be hidden, and the second is that a lamp is put up on a stand and not put under a bowl." (v15)

To hide a light is contradictory to its purpose, and in the same way, our faith is personal but it's not private. Jesus says, "in the same way, let your light shine before men so that they can see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Jesus promised light...for a reason

Jesus kept that promise...for a reason

Jesus has given us His light...for a reason

He has done these things so that

we can do good works.

Non-Christians do good things, but they are not gospel-driven.

A good work is something that is beneficial to others

and for which God gets the credit.

So, unless God is a part of it, it's not a good work. It's just a good thing. (Eph 2:8-10) These "good works" practically are morally good, but also lovely, winsome, and beautiful.

Thankfully, we do not have to produce the light, but like the moon that reflects the light of the sun, we too reflect the light of His indwelling life in us.

Questions to consider:

1. What good works have other Christians done that stand out most in your memory?
2. Who are the people you have known who have been most radiant with the light of Jesus?
3. What are the ways that God has gifted you to be a bright light to those around you?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Luke 2:8-20 is the account of the angels announcing the birth of Jesus to the shepherds. In that day, shepherds were not thought of in a good light. Actually, the rabbis ranked them with prostitutes and other "habitual sinners". They were considered outcasts. Yet, this is exactly who God chose first to hear about the birth of His Son, Jesus.

"An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them." They were there in the dark and then BOOM!, the sky lit up with the glory of the Lord from this angel. This glory is also spoken of with Abraham (Acts 7:2), Moses (Ex 31), the Tabernacle (Ex 40:34-35), and the dedication of Solomon's temple (1 Kings 8:11). And now, after 500 years of Israel waiting for a visible sign of God's presence among His people, this happens!

The shepherds were terrified! The fear they felt is often a response to the overwhelming majesty of God, but it is accompanied by a profound joy at being in His presence.

The angels themselves must have been amazed when they saw the Creator born as a creature, the Word coming as a speechless baby. 2 Cor 8:9 says, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich." "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord." He did this to be our deliverer and redeemer.

The term Christ is Greek for "Anointed one". Anointing was for special service like that of a priest or a king, but Jesus wasn't simply "an" anointed, but "THE" anointed, the Messiah. And as "LORD", He had absolute ownership and uncontested power over His creation.

"And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!" Thousands of angels filled the sky and worshipped in front of these shepherds! They left, running, and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. And then they told everyone they could about what they had witnessed, "And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them." The sheepherders returned and let loose, glorifying and praising God.

Fear and joy were at the resurrection too. In Matthew 28:1-8, we see the account of the angel telling the women that Jesus had risen. "So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples." v8.

Questions to Consider:

1. What do Christmas lights make you think of? What joy from your past do lights bring up for you?
2. Turn off all the lights in your house except the Christmas lights you have up and think about Jesus being the light of the world.
3. Be careful to not get too familiar with the Luke 2 account. At some point this Christmas season, read Luke 2 in a translation that you are not accustomed to reading from and let the words speak to your mind and heart in a fresh way.
4. Who or what are you afraid of? Do you spend too much time worrying about what has happened or what might happen? What or who we choose to fear will rob us of joy or bring us joy. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you remember to keep your mind on Jesus.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the Old Testament, peace carries the fundamental meaning of welfare, prosperity, or wholeness as well as the absence of hostility. In the time of the New Testament writings, there was a Roman concept of peace that believed that peace only came through war, but the Scriptures show a dependence on the Jewish understanding of peace. It refers to prosperity, which climaxes in the peace that Messiah brings. Jesus achieved messianic peace by means of His death on the cross, which reconciled people to God and to one another.

In Luke 2:25-32, we see that Simeon was promised that he would live to see "the Lord's Christ". Mary and Joseph brought Jesus into the temple, and Simeon "took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, 'Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word.'"

God is faithful to keep His promises to mankind after the fall and the breaking of shalom (peace/wholeness). In Isaiah 9:6, the prophet says, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

1. The Prince of Peace turned the light on - The incarnation of Jesus being born on earth brought light to a dark world. (Is 9:2, Psalm 118, Rom 5:1)
2. The Prince of Peace lights up with His Word - John 1:1 says, "and the Word was God". (Psalm 119)
3. The Prince of Peace is with us - He promises to always walk with us. Peace is not the absence of war, but the presence of Jesus Christ.

________________________________

May the God of hope

fill you with all joy and peace

as you trust in Him,

so that you may overflow with hope

by the power of the Holy Spirit.

~Romans 15:13

__________________________________

Questions to consider:

1. What brings you peace?
2. What brings you anxiety and fear? Peter 5:7 says to "cast your cares on Him". Share a fear or concern that you have in life, and pray about that as you give it to Jesus.
3. Christmas is a time of anticipation. What are you most looking forward to this month?
4. Waiting is a dynamic process, not a passive one. One thing that followers of Jesus are waiting for is heaven. How are you actively waiting now for that day of complete peace?

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Isaiah 49 is the second of four passages focused on the figure of the Servant of Yahweh, often called Servant Songs. While the 'servant" references in chapters 40-48 refer mainly to Israel as a nation, the remaining referencess in chapters 49-55 seem to focus on an individual Servant with a mission to save Israel. The Servant Songs are full of messianic imagery-the Servant suffers and dies on behalf of Israel. Uniquely, chapter 49 highlights the Servant's call and commission by God to save Israel and be a light to the nations.