Sermon Notes

Spiritual Abuse, Part Two

Jesus said, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

This is Paul’s letter of encouragement to Timothy, who is both a young man and a young pastor at a church that Paul planted in Ephesus.  It may behoove us all to read the letter that Paul sent to the church just after he left after his first missionary journey.  Timothy is struggling and Paul understands why. 

When you are following the Way of God, under conviction of the  Advocate Holy Spirit, and someone  treats you unkind, or claims to be a follower of Jesus but wants to exclude and hate, recognize that they do not know God!  They instead hate you, which means they hate Jesus, they hate the Father, and they hate the Holy Spirit!  They are of the WRONG spirit! 

“If you love me, obey my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17 He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you.

Submit to Who is good, be Overcome and Overshadowed:
Mat 17:5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

They do not belong to this world any more than I do. 17 Make them holy by your truth; teach them your word, which is truth. 18 Just as you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world.

One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River.  As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”

One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River.  As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”

First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law.  Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.