Sermon Notes

And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who from now on die in the Lord.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them.”

AWOL- abbreviation for absent without leave: used to say that a member of the armed forces is away without permission. The disciples were AWOL!

herefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Oh, the joys of those who do not
follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the LORD, meditating on it day and night.

Water baptism is a part of the New Covenant!

There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee. After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.” Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.” “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”

Laban is manipulator: Gave Leah instead of Rachel. Changed Jacob’s wage 10 times, not in a good way

Always took the best for himself

Jacob is a manipulator: Stole Esau’s blessing. Used almond branches by a stream that sectioned off a portion of the flock so that they would mate and he would get the best of the flock..

Divided a family using deception (lying)

For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.

Jesus was called a wine-bibber, as translated in the King James Version in both Matthew 11:19 and Luke 7:34.  Of course, this is an accusation made about Jesus by the priests.  While Jesus most definitely drank wine and so did his disciples (think Passover), he never was a drunkard or a glutton.