Sermon Archive - 2011
January 2
January 16
February 6
February 13
February 19
February 27
March 6
March 13 - April 3
April 24
May 8 - June 12
June 26 - July 31
July 3
August 28
August 7 - Sept. 11
Sept. 18 - Oct. 16
October 30
November 6
November 13
November 20
Nov. 27 - Dec. 25
Throughout much of 2011, Pastor Wentz preached on the Holy Spirit.
Scripture lesson: Philippians 4:4-9
Key verse: Philippians 4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice!
· We are citizens of a kingdom of righteousness, peace and joy
· God wants you to be full of joy
· Isaiah 12: Revive your joy with thanks, trust, prayer, and focusing on good things
· The joy of the Lord is your strength
· Seven reasons you can always rejoice
- God is all-powerful
- God is all-knowing
- God is always there
- God is good
- God is righteous
- God is faithful
- God loves you
· Let joy guide your attitude, relationships, major decisions, area of service, and style of worship
· Don’t be misguided
- Counterfeit joy is self-centered
- Counterfeit joy feels good for a time but in the
long term you pay for it
- True joy never involves doing something you know
is wrong
- True joy never comes at the expense of someone
else
- True joy draws you closer to the person God made
you to be
· Be willing to endure short-term pain for long-term joy
· Joy is a gift to you from God. Don’t let anything or anyone steal your joy.
· Make a joyful resolution
- Identify what brings you joy
- Identify what steals your joy
- Identify anything you do that might steal someone
else’s joy
- Identify things you do that bring joy to other
people
- Resolution: This year, do less of the joy stealers
and more of the joy bringers
· Let your spirit soar!
Scripture lesson: Isaiah 40:25-31
Key verse: Isaiah 40:31 Those who wait on the LORD will find new strength. They will fly high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.
Your spirit was designed to soar!
· Unchain your spirit
- From sin
- From fear
- From doubt
· Connect your spirit
- To God
- To each other
· Feed your spirit
- Truth
- Joy
- Worship
· Follow your spirit
- In faith
- In the company of the saints
- To all God created you to be
Scripture lesson: Mark 16:9-20
Key verse: Mark 16:17-18 These signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won't hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick and heal them.
· These signs
- When you’re talking about God, you’re talking
about the supernatural
- Miracles confirm the message
- Power over demons
- New tongues
- Supernatural protection
- Divine healing
· Will accompany
- Expect a miracle
· Those who believe
- Those who believe what? The good news of the
gospel.
- Not special faith, just Christian faith
· Take God at his word and let your spirit soar!
Scripture lesson: John 14:1-14
Key verse: John 14:12 Anyone who believes in me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father.
· Jesus is going home to God the Father in heaven (verse 1)
- Jesus expects us to follow him to the Father (verse 4)
- Jesus is the only way to the Father (verse 6)
- If we know Jesus we know the Father (verse 7)
· When Jesus was in his physical body on earth, the Father did his works through Jesus (v. 10)
- Jesus laid aside his divine power when he came to earth (Philippians 2:7)
- Jesus did his miracles on earth through the power of the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:18; Luke 5:17)
· Until we follow Jesus home to the Father, we are Jesus’ body on earth (1 Corinthians 12:27)
- The Father wants to do his works through us (verse 12)
- Jesus has given us the same Holy Spirit that was the power behind his work (John 14:16-17)
- We should do the same works that Jesus did (verse 12)
- We can do even greater works (verse 12)
Because Jesus went to the Father, the Holy Spirit became available to be given to all Christians
Because there are many Christians, we can do greater works
· How to do your part in God’s works
- o Offer yourself to God
- o Be bold in faith
- o Let your spirit soar!
Scripture lesson: Revelation 12:7-11
Key verse: Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
· And they overcame him
- We have an enemy to overcome
- God has given us what we need to overcome the
enemy
· by the blood of the Lamb
- Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice lamb
- Jesus’ sacrifice was the ultimate demonstration of
love
- Love is the ultimate power
- Every Christian is marked with the blood of
Jesus
- The blood of Jesus says every accusation has been
paid for
- Overcome the devil’s accusations and deceptions against you by remembering that you are marked with the blood of Jesus
· and by the word of their testimony;
- Every Christian has a testimony
- No one can argue with your testimony, because it
happened to you
- Overcome the devil’s accusations and deceptions
against others by telling them what God has done for you and for
them
· and they loved not their lives unto the death.
- Every Christian has eternal life
- The only thing that can keep you from overcoming
is your love of your temporary life
Mt 16:24-25 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”
- o Jesus overcame the devil by dying; we
overcome the devil by dying to ourselves
- o Die to yourself and become alive to
Christ
John 12:24-25 Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Those who love their life lose it, and those who despise their life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
· Revelation 21:7 Those who overcome will inherit these things, and I will be their God and they will be my children.
Scripture lesson: Romans 6:3-13
Key verse: Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.
Let Your
Spirit SOAR Four Part Series
Based on the acronym SOAR, Pastor Wentz preaches a four part Lenten
series.
- Seek God
- Offer Yourself
- Act in Faith
- Repeat
Pastor Wentz delivered a multi part series on The Holy Spirit from May through October. Many found this to be helpful in understanding who the Holy Spirit is, and how He helps
us in moving into spiritual authority.
Greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world!
The Holy Spirit 1 - Laying the Foundation
This series of 6 sermons lays the foundation of getting to know the Holy Spirit, and welcoming the work of the Holy Spirit. The series culminated on the Feast of Pentecost.
The Holy Spirit 2 - The Holy Spirit and the Church
A five part series detailing the work of the Holy Spirit in the first church, and how we can experience that same power today.
Col. Sid Oaksmith shares his testimony of how God Has Been Faithful through his life and military career, including the Gulf War.
Pastor Wentz discusses the spiritual lessons we can learn from Psalm 46, based on the recent earthquake and Hurricane Irene. "We may not have electricity, but God's people always have POWER!"
The Holy Spirit 3 - The Greater One
A five part series on how God, who lives in us, is greater than our enemy. Based upon Ephesians 6:10-19, Pastor Wentz lays the foundation of spiritual authority over the devil.
The Holy Spirit 4 - The Holy Spirit and You
A five part sermon series based upon Romans 8. Many people consider this the richest chapter in the whole Bible.
The Holy Spirit
- Sets you free,
- Gives you life,
- Leads you in,
- Prepares you for Glory, and
- Helps You Pray
Consecration Sunday - Are You Cheating God?
Key verse: Malachi 3:10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple.
If you do,” says the LORD Almighty, “I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing
so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Try it! Let me prove it to you!”
· Wrong giving
o From guilt
o From allowing yourself to be manipulated or swindled
o To look good to other people
o To try to bribe God
o To try to obligate God to you
· Right giving
o An offering of thanks, praise or worship
o A donation toward a good cause
o A seed of faith toward meeting a need in your life
o A gift of obedience to a prompting from God
o For any of these, the amount can be any size from minimal to sacrificial
· Tithing (Malachi 3:8-12)
o A tithe, by definition, is ten percent of whatever comes to you
o Jesus affirmed the practice of tithing (Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42)
o A tithe is your due to God (verse 8)
Less is cheating God (verse 8)
Israel was cursed for cheating God in this way (verse 9)
o Your tithe is to be brought to God’s storehouse to provide for the needs of God’s work (verse 10)
o A tithe opens the windows of heaven for you (verse 10)
o Your tithe carries a promise of overflowing blessings for you (verses 10-12)
o This is the only place God invites us to test his promise (verse 10)
All Saints' Sunday - Passengers to Eternity
Scripture lesson: Revelation 20:11-21:8
Key verse: Hebrews 9:27 It is appointed for mortals to die once, and after that the judgment.
On Spaceship Earth, we are all passengers on our way to eternity.
- It is appointed for mortals to die once. .
.
- This lifetime is your only chance to prepare for
eternity
- This lifetime is your only chance to get your name in the
book of life
- This lifetime is your only chance to build up eternal
rewards (Luke 6:23)
- . . . and after that the judgment.
- You will be judged according to what you said and did in
this life
- You will be sentenced according to whether your name is
in God's book of life
- If not, eternity with the devil in the lake of
fire
- If yes, eternity with God in a new heaven and a new
earth
- Be sure your name is in the book of life
- Turn to God and believe in Jesus (Acts 2:38; John
1:12)
- As long as you can breathe it's not too late (Luke
23:39-43)
- Help other people get their names in the book of life (Matthew 28:18-20)
“This world is not my home, I'm only passing through.”
Calvinist understanding
- TULIP
- Total depravity
- Unconditional election
- Limited atonement
- Irresistable grace
- Perseverance of the saints
- God's sovereignty means everything that happens is predestined to happen and isGod's will
Wesleyan understanding
- Foreknowledge does not imply coercion
- Groups are predestined but each individual can freely choose their allegiance
- God sovereignly allows us freedom, so many things that happen are not God's will
God causes everything to work together. . .
- . . . for the good. . .
- . . . of those who love God. . .
- . . . and are called . . .
- . . . according to his purpose for them.
Scripture lesson: Romans 8:31-39
Key verse: Romans 8:39 Nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God
that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:39
Seven reasons to be thankful:
-
God is for us (verse 31)
-
God gave his Son for us (verse 32)
-
God will also give us everything else (verse 32)
-
God gives us right standing with himself (verse 33)
-
Jesus is praying for us (verse 34)
-
God gives us victory over every trouble (verses 35-37)
-
Nothing can ever separate us from God's love (verses 38-39)
Prepare for the coming of Christ as Pastor Wentz preaches from the Gospel of Luke.