FOCUS: Not the event…the relationship. (Exodus 12:1-14)

FOCUS: Not the event…the relationship. (Exodus 12:1-14) from Jonathan Carl on Vimeo.
FOCUS: Not the event…the relationship.
(Exodus 12:1-14)
@ Magnolia Baptist Church (Magnolia, KY) on Novermber 14, 2010
AUDIO ONLY

1. We must FOCUS on our ________God, not the _____ situations.

Exodus 12:2 “This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you.

ISRAEL: Slavery vs. A God who is faithful.

John 8:34 “Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin.”

US: Slaves to Sin vs. A God who loved us first.

John 8:36 “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”

1 John 4:10 “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

2.We must FOCUS on the promise ____________, not on the __________ circumstances.

ISRAEL: The Exodus vs. A God who keeps His promises

US: Slaves to Righteousness vs. A God Who Saves

Romans 6:17-18 “17But thanks be to God, that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching to which you were committed, 18and, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness.”

Romans 10:13 “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful”


3. We must FOCUS on the source of _______, not the unknown _______.

Exodus 12:25 “And when you come to the land that the LORD will give you, as he has promised, you shall keep this service.”

ISRAEL: The Promised Land vs. The God Who Leads and Restores

Exodus 14:13,14 “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today…The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

Exodus 16:8 “your grumbling is not against us but against the Lord”

US: Heaven vs. The Passover Lamb

1 Corinthians 5:7b,8 “For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

Luke 22:43 “And he said to him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

Revelation 21:22-23 “And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.”

-Creation vs. The Creator
-Deliverance vs. The Deliverer
-Redemption vs. The Redeemer
-Saving vs. The Savior
-Provision vs. The Provider
-Health vs. The Healer
-Life vs. The Life-giver
-Crucifixion vs. The Crucified One
-Resurrection vs. The Resurrected One

Heb 9:22 “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”

Quote - David Lowes Watson

“North American congregations urgently need an inversion of their religious self-preoccupation and ecclesial self-indulgence… we find ourselves spending more time talking about evangelism than doing it – a sure sign of self-preoccupation” - David Lowes Watson

Quote - Martin Luther

"This is the mystery of the riches of divine grace for sinners, for by a wonderful exchange our sins are now not ours but Christ's, and Christ's righteousness is not Christ's, but ours."  Martin Luther

International Missions Funding - Southern Baptists

Southern Baptists voluntarily contribute money from their churches through the Cooperative Program in order to fund missions across their state, nation, and world.  Oftentimes the majority of the money remains within their state convention with the remainder being sent forward to various SBC entities.  Thankfully many state conventions are currently voting to send more funds forward towards the SBC for national and international missions fundting.

The International Missions Board shares a resource HERE that allows you to see how much CP funds your state retains and how the SBC entities split the remainder. 

How much does it cost to support a missionary?

• $43,845.86 a year

• $3,653.82 a month

• $843.19 a week

• $120.13 a day

• $5.01 an hour

• $.08 a minute

Reported April 2010. Support includes housing, food, children’s education, medical expenses, retirement and more.

The Marks of New Life in Christ - Charles Spurgeon

"As this God-begotten spiritual life in men is a mystery, we shall speak to more practical effect if we dwell upon the signs following and accompanying it, for these are the things at which we must aim. ...conviction of sin...a simple faith in Jesus Christ...unfeigned repentance of sin...a real change of life...true prayer...a willingness to obey the Lord...A soul-winner can do nothing without God.  He must cast himself on the Invisible, or be a laughing-stock to the devil, who regards with utter disdain all who think to subdue human nature with mere words and arguments."
Charles Spurgeon in The Soul Winner (19-24)

Free Audiobook Download - Christianaudio.com

This month's free audiobook download from Christianaudio.com is John Piper's Don't Waste Your Life, helping you to consider and fulfill God's plan for your life!

Free Downloads on christianaudio - Audiobooks, MP3, M4B, iPhone Apps, Free Downloads!

Bible Verses - Marriage Roles - Husband & Wife

I think this is a helpful (not comprehensive) list of some of the Biblical roles of husbands and wives and the corresponding Scriptures. 

There is a temptation for someone to use these against your spouse...but the Biblical guidance is to test yourself in your own role.

Matthew 7:3-4 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye?"

How does the Bible describe the wife’s role in marriage?

• Helpmate (Genesis 2:18)
• Loving and gracious submission to the leadership of her husband (Ephesians 5:22, Colossians 3:18)
• Not strive or resist the leadership of her husband (Genesis 3:16, 1 Peter 3:1)
• Respect her husband (Ephesians 5:33)
• Diligent worker, whether at home or in the worklplace (Proverbs 31)
• Hospitable towards others and generous towards poor (Proverbs 31)
• Cares for children and household (Proverb 31)
• Meet sexual needs of husband (1 Corinthians 7)
• Be beautiful on the inside (1 Peter 3:4)

 How does the Bible describe the husband’s role in marriage?

• Spiritual leader ( 1 Corinthians 11:3) towards glorifying God and unity with each other (one flesh)
• Not dictatorial or harsh (Colossians 3:19)
• Leading in a sacrificial way the way Christ loves the church (Ephesians 5:23)
• Provide - feed and care (Ephesians 5:29, Genesis 3:17-19)
• Protect - love their wives as their own bodies (Ephesians 5:28, 1 Peter 3:7)
• Praise your wife (Proverbs 31:28)
• Meet sexual needs of wife (1 Corinthians 7)
• Be considerate and respect your wife (1 Peter 3:7)

Quote - John MacArthur

"If we are truly born of God, we have a faith that cannot fail to overcome the world (1 John 5:4).  We may sin (1 John 2:1) - we will sin- but the process of sanctification can never stall completely.  God is at work in us (Phil. 2:13), and He will continue to perfect us until the day of Christ (Phil 1:6; 1 Thess. 5:23-24)."  The Gospel According to Jesus by John MacArthur (p. 33)

Why We Should Memorize Scripture - John Piper

I love this short video of John Piper's reasons to memorize Scripture.  It is a helpful reminder and an encouragement for us all to be more diligent in this task!



Memorizing Scripture....

1. makes meditation possible at times when you can't be reading the Bible and meditation is the pathway to deeper understanding.
2. strengthens my faith because faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the Word of God and that happens when I am hearing the Word in my head.
3. shapes the way I view the world by conforming my mind to God's viewpoint on everything.
4. makes God's Word more readily accessible in overcoming temptation to sin because God's warnings and promises are the way we conquer the deceitful lies of the devil.
5. guards my mind, making it easier to detect error and the world is filled with error because the god of this worldis a liar.
6. enables me to hit the devil in the face with a force he cannot resist to protect myself and my family from his assaults.
7. provides the strongest and sweetest words for ministering to others in need
8. provides the matrix for fellowship with Jesus because He talks to me through His Word and nowhere else.

HT: Matt Hess & Michael Kelley