Conclusion

Conclusion

1. The power of the cross (v.17-18)
2. The message of the cross if God’s wisdom at work (v.19- 25)
3. Preaching the message of Christ with God’s power

Conclusion

Conculsion

Conclusion

• Jeremiah 33:7-9

Conclusion

• Leviticus 26:44
• Isaiah 53:4-5

Conclusion

Conclusion

Conclusion

1. Jesus Pursues Us
2. Jesus overcomes Evil
3. Choosing Life with Jesus

Conclusion

1. Show us a sign (v.1-4a)
   • Signs of the Kingdom (healing, feeding 4000)
   • The word “test” in Greek (“finding fault”)
2. The sign of Jonah (v.4)
   • The ultimate sign Jesus life, death and resurrection
3. Watch Out for the Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees (v. 5–16)
   • Key to the warning in verse 12.
   • “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it” (Matt. 16:24–25).

Conclusion

Conclusion

Will you step deeper into the Kingdom this week? Will you share its goodness with someone else?

1. What is the unexpected kingdom? (Matthew 12:17-21)
   • Augustine – The city of God
2. Living lives in the good soil (Matthew 13:1-23)

Conclusion

Conclusion

Conclusion

• Revelation 15:2-3

1. Wealth never satisfies (Ecclesiastes 5:10-20)
   • Harvard University Psychologist Daniel Gilbert said they have “concluded that wealth increases human happiness when it lifts people out of abject poverty and into the middle class but that it does little to increase happiness thereafter.”
2. Being content with what God has given you (Ecclesiastes 6:1-12)
   • Philippians 4:11-12
3. We are to store treasures in heaven (Matthew 6:19-24)

• Conclusion
  • In the age of excess – we are to live a life of simplicity and self-sacrifice

• “Inner voice” culture
• Honour shame - Pleasure-Pain

• 1 Corinthians 15:50-57

1. Life is meaningless (v.1-11)
2. Getting Ahead in Life (v.12-18)
   • The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
3. The Liberated Life (Romans 8:18-21)

Conclusion

“The world today and the history of the human anthill during the last 57 years would be exactly the same if I had played ping-pong instead of sitting on committees and writing books and memoranda. I have therefore to make this ignominious confession to myself and anyone who reads these words, that I have in this long life ground through 150,000–200,000 hours of perfectly useless work.” (Sir Leonard Woof)

Conclusion

• Why does Pilate beat up Jesus?

• ‘The founders of every other major religion essentially came as teachers, not as saviours. They came to say: “Do this and you will find the divine.” But Jesus came essentially as a saviour rather than a teacher (though he was that as well). Jesus says “I am the divine come to you, to do what you could not do for yourselves.” The Christian message is that we are saved not by our record, but by Christ’s record.’ (Tim Keller)

Conclusion

1. The Good Life – Not What We Expect (v.1-8)
2. Born Again Into the Good Life (v.5-8)
3. Jesus made this good life possible through His love and sacrifice (v.9-18)

1. God Outside of Time and Space (v.1-5)
2. God, Inside Time and Space (v.14, v.12-14)

Conclusion: Who is Jesus?

Conclusion

Question for the week: If we know that Christ has done the work of saving us, how do we respond in the way we live? (Romans 12:1)

1. We were once spiritually dead (v.1-3)
   • The human condition: dead in our sins
   • Rich Young Ruler (Matthew 19)
2. Saved by Grace Alone (v.4-9)
   • GRACE - “God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.”
   • Why is grace offensive?
3. Our response to God’s grace (v.10-12)
   • Back in the 1500s, the Church had corrupted the meaning of works teaching that:
     • Faith + works = being right with God (justification).
     But by looking at the Bible, the Reformers like Luther amended the formula to:
     • Faith + Grace = being right with God (justification) + works.
   • James 2:24, 26 – Show me your works.

Conclusion

• “Christianity is not about morality in pursuit of divine reward, but about gratitude in response to God’s grace.”

Question to ponder during the week: Why is grace so hard to understand and learn?

1. We are not right with God (Romans 3:9-20)
2. Getting Right with God (Romans 1:16-17; Romans 3:21-26)
   • The righteous will live by faith
   • Alien Righteousness
3. By Faith, our salvation is assured (Romans 5:1-9) Nothing in my hands I bring,Simply to your cross I cling;Naked, come to You for dress;Helpless, look to You for grace(Rock of Ages)

ConclusionQuestion to think over the week: "If someone told you they believe in God but don't think they need to go to church or do good deeds, what would you say to them? Do you think faith alone is enough, or should it lead to something more?"

Extras:

• Bible Study material

1. The depths of Christ Love (Ephesians 3:16-19)
   • The story of the Ephesians (Acts 19-20)
   • What is love?
2. Forsaken Love (Revelation 2:1-4)
   • Ephesian church 40 years later
   • Lost their love for Jesus
3. Met with love (Revelation 2:5-7)
   • Three things to repent from:
     1. Love they had once for Jesus
     2. Change their ways and examine their hearts
     3. Recapture their first love

ConclusionWhere will Cherrybrook be in 10 years time?Question to think over the week: Have we lost our first love for Jesus?

1. Prayerful and Watchful (v.2)
   • Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones once said, “Everything we do in the Christian life is easier than prayer.”
   • Mark 9 – Casting out demonic spirit can only be done by prayer
2. Pray for open doors (v.3-4) “Love covers a multitude of sins.”
   • Three things Paul ask for prayer.
3. Wisdom and Grace (v.5-6)

how can WE be the church and love each other during the week?

1. The end of all things (v.7)
2. Love Deeply (v.8)
   • “Love covers a multitude of sins.”
   • By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34–35).
   • First Corinthians 13 tells us that love “keeps no record of wrongs” (verse 5).
3. Loving Service (v.9-11)
   • “Hospitality”
   • “Love through service”

1. Love is the foundation (1 Corinthains 13)
   • Not just a wedding passage
   • Love – a sacrificial love (agape)
   • Why is love important?
   • Church built on the foundation of love (1 Corinthians 3:11)
   • Love is...
2. Edify to build up (1 Corinthians 14:1-5)
   • Hebrews 10:24-25 & 1 Peter 4:8-10
   • Choosing the more excellent and better way

1. Loved by Christ, Cleansed by Christ (Ephesians 5:25-27)
2. A Chosen People Belonging to God (1 Peter 2:1-12)

Conclusion

1. Was Jesus death a failure? (v.44-49)
2. Not Everyone Rejected Jesus (v.50-55)
3. The Tomb the final resting place? (v.56-24:7)

Conclusion

1. Jesus is a better priest (v.1)
2. Better worship location (v.2-5)
1. John 4:21 Jesus declared, “Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.
3. Better mediator of the New Covenant (v.6-13)
1. Deut. 11:22 If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow—to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways and to hold fast to him—
2. Deut. 11:26 See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse— 27 the blessing if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today; 28 the curse if you disobey the commands of the LORD your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known.

Conclusion

1. Priests – an essential service
2. Syncretism
3. The Forever Priest
   1. Genesis 14:17-2017 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King’s Valley). 18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High, 19 and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth. 20 And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
   2. Psalm 110:1-41 The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” 2 The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion; you will rule in the midst of your enemies. 3 Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy majesty, from the womb of the dawn you will receive the dew of your youth. 4 The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”
4. Jesus is enough (v.11-25)Rom. 3:20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.

Conclusion

1. Perseverance of the saints (6:4-8)
   1. What is “falling away”?
2. Not to be content in our faith (5:11-6:3)
   1. What is not Spiritual Maturity?
   2. What is Spiritual Maturity?
   3. Ephesians 4:11-14
3. Perseverance through preservation (6:9-19)
   1. John 5:24
   2. John 6:37-39

Conclusion

1. Able to sympathise with us (4:14-16)
2. Jesus the perfect Mediator chosen by God (5:1-6)
3. Guides us to our eternal home (5:7-10)
1. “he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9)

Conclusion

Conclusion

Conclusion

• Gal. 4:4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, bom under law, Gal. 4:5 to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.

Conclusion

What is your only comfort in life and death?

That I am not my own, but belong with body and soul, both in life and in death, to my faithful Saviour Jesus Christ He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from all the power of the devil. He also preserves me in such a way that without the will of my heavenly Father not a hair can fall from my head; indeed, all things must work together for my salvation. Therefore, by his Holy Spirit he also assures me of eremal life and makes me heartily will!ng and ready from now on to live for him.

Conclusion

Home Group notes