Sermon Notes
Declaration of Faith:
We Believe
We believe in the verbal inspiration of the Bible
Psalms 19:1-14
What is this book? Is this book the word of God? Inspired by the Holy Spirit? Or is this book simply the word of men?
3 theological fields:
1. Liberal: The Bible is not inspired by the Holy Spirit. Its just simply the word of men. It is a humanistic document.
2. Conservative: The Bible is the word of God. From the beginning to the end. Guided and inspired by the Holy Spirit.
3. Neo-orthodoxy: The Bible is a fine book, if you order your life according to the teachings of Jesus you will have a good life. The Bible contains the word of God and is up to each individual to find it for himself. It is not per se the Word of God.
The Bible is God’s revelation
Revelation (Gr. Apocalypsis) means to take the veil away from, to take the cover off.
2 types of Revelation:
1. General Revelation: Nature. Nature tells us that God is and exists. It doesn’t tell us what kind of God He is.
2. Special Revelation:
Jesus Christ: The word, the truth. (John 1:1-5, Colossians 2:9)
Scripture: The written word of God tells us who He is and what kind of God He is. It’s God’s revelation.
The Bible is God’s reliable revelation
It is God’s reliable revelation because it was inspired by the Holy Spirit.
Inspiration means the breath of God. It is the method. God breathed His life, spirit and truth in this book, and it’s powerful to perform.
(Isaiah 55:11, Hebrews 4:12, James 1:23-27)
Evidence of reliability
1. Internal: What the Bible has to say about itself (2 Peter 1:20-21, 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
2. External: Comparison of Biblical manuscripts to classical writers, archeological discoveries, fulfillment of prophecy (Ex. Jesus - Genesis 3:25, Micah 5:2, Isaiah 7:14, Psalms 22, Psalms 16:10), unity of the Bible (1500 years of writing and 35-40 different authors with the same message = Jesus), and logical evidence (if God is perfect and if the revelation of Jesus is perfect, the Bible is perfect).
The Bible is the authority and the final arbitrator in every situation. (Matthew 24:35, John 10:35)
The Bible is God’s relevant revelation
The Bible speaks to our situation today.
It is not shameful to believe in the Bible. It is respectful, academically and intellectually respectful to believe the Bible is the word of God.
We need to remember our responsibility to know the word of God. Love it, learn it and be ready to share it! (1 Peter 3:15)
8/18/24
We believe in one God eternally existing in three persons; namely, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
• The oneness and unity of God and the tripersonality of God: Deuteronomy 6:4, 2 Samuel 7:22, 1 Corinthians 8:4, Ephesians 4:6, James 2:19
• The word ‘one’ is also used to demonstrate plurality: Genesis 2:24, Genesis 11:6, John 17:22, Acts 4:32, 1 Corinthians 3:8
• Divine plurality - Use of plural name for God, Elohim, occurs 2000 time in the Old Testament: Genesis 1:26 (us, our), Genesis 3:22 (us), Isaiah 6:8 (us)
• God the Father, God the Son and God the holy Spirit
Father: John 6:27,1 Peter 1:2
Son: John 1:1, Hebrews 1:8
Holy Spirit: Acts 5:3-4, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Creation: John 1 & Genesis 1
• The Word Logos is Jesus, the living word. In the beginning was with God = Eternity Was God = Equality
All things were made by Him = His power Nothing was made without Him = unity
• Genesis 1:1 - The spirit of God moved (Gr. Trembling vibration)
The Holy Spirit in all His greatness and power is seen in divine operation causing the chaotic world to vibrate with divine power and glory.
When God says something, it is the Holy Spirit the agent who carries out that divine creation power.
Redemption: Hebrews 9:14, 1 Peter 1:2, 1 Peter 3:18
• Equal in divine acts of redemption.
The father: The author of redemption and the justifier.
The son: Captain of our salvation and the accomplisher of our redemption thru the cross and the resurrection, thru ascension and intercession.
The Holy Spirit: The executor and the applicator of God’s divine plan.
Operation of the church: John 14:15-21
God will direct the church in the world. The Father and the Son are in the church in the presence of the Holy Spirit.
The Holy Spirit will create gifts, ministries and powers so the church can be operated.
Worship of the church: 1 Corinthians 12:4-6
Same Lord - the Lord who calls and directs through gifts and ministries.
2 Corinthians 13:13
8/25/24
We believe that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of the Father, conceived of the Holy Ghost, and born of the Virgin Mary. That Jesus was crucified, buried, and raised from the dead. That He ascended to heaven and is today at the right hand of the Father as the Intercessor.
Isaiah 9:6 - Jesus is our savior, sanctifier, justifier, redeemer and our coming king. Over all this He is wonderful!
Wonderful in His birth: There has NEVER been and there will not be a birth above the birth of Jesus Christ the son of the living God.
When Jesus came He fulfilled all the prophecies proving He was the promised Messiah and the Savior of the world. The Son of God became the Son of man (incarnation). Incarnation means becoming in flesh.
John 1:14, 1 Timothy 3:16, Isaiah 7:14, Luke 1:34, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 7:26, 1 Peter 2:22, Luke 1:31 / 34
He was born sinless, He lived sinless, He died sinless and He rose again sinless.
Wonderful in His crucifixion
Jesus Christ is the lamb. The passover lamb, the slain goat for the atonement. Isaiah 53:7, John 1:29
Jesus is the fulfillment of all the scriptures concerning the crucifixion. 1 corinthians 15:3, John 12:27, 1 Corinthians 1:23-25, Galatians 6:14
It is finished, it is completed, nothing can be added or taken, it is final. When someone rejects the cross, they reject the ONLY way to know God, the ONLY door to find God.
The cross means love but also judgement. Hebrews 10:12-13, 1 Peter 3:18, 1 Peter 2:24-25, John 10:17-18
Wonderful in His burial
Isaiah 53:9, Matthew 12:40
Wonderful in his resurrection
The cornerstone of christianity is the resurrection of Jesus. 1 Corinthians 15:14-20, Psalms 16:10, Psalms 118:22, Isaiah 53:10, John 2:19
Wonderful in his Ascension
Acts 1:9-11
The ascension/exaltation of Jesus means everything:
• Intimate relationship with God. John 20:17, Hebrews 6:19-20 • Holy Spirit Power. Acts 2:33
• Wonders and miracles. John 14:20
• We are conquers. Psalms 110:1, Psalms 68:18
• All power and all keys have been given to Him. 1 Peter 3:22, Ephesians 1:19, Revelation 1:18 • He is exalted above all names. Philippians 2:9-10
• Total completion. Ephesians 4:10
• High Priest forever. Hebrews 10:11-12
Wonderful in his intercession
Romans 8:33-34, Luke 22:31-32, Isaiah 53:12
Jude 1:24
To the one who is able to protect you from falling, and to present you blameless and rejoicing before his glorious presence
9/1/24
We believe that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God and that repentance is commanded of God for all and necessary for forgiveness of sins.
Romans 3:23, Romans 5:12
3 Outstanding words:
All: Universal, meaning every single person. Regardless of who we are, it refers to everyone, all
people. Romans 3:10-12
Sin: Offense against God, transgression of God’s law. Sin is a state, a condition and a position.
Sin is improper conversations and improper conduct. Galatians 5:19-20
Origin of sin: God is not the author of sin. He permitted sin to come into the world but he is not
the author. Job 34:10, Deuteronomy 32:4
Sin came into humanity trough the transgression of Adam. Genesis 3:1-7
God judges all humanity to be guilty in Adam as He judges all believers to be righteous in Jesus.
Where sin resides: Sin has its seed in the heart of man. First come to the heart, then to the intellect, then to the will and finally produces an action. Proverbs 4:23, Jeremiah 17:9, Matthew 15:19-20, Luke 6:45
Repentance: It is commanded for all. It means to change one’s mind, to turn around, to show sorrow, regret and contraction. 2 Peter 3:9, Acts 17:30, Matthew 4:17, Acts 2:38, Acts 20:21
Revelation 2:5
5 out of 7 churches were commanded to repent.
Why Ephesus? They have left their first love. They did not lost it, but they left it. We a believer leaves his/her first love, he/she begins looking for another love that substitutes the first love.
1 John 2:15-17, Matthew 22:37-38
Our first love is restored by repentance.
The hardest thing in this world is the most gratifying and brings the most joy, that is to say ‘I am sorry’. Regardless of who you are, we need to say ‘I am sorry’.
Being a minister, or having a position of authority does not give me or you the license to tread and walk on people as we want.
There may be no revival in our life until we say ‘I am sorry’. There may be no revival in the church until we all say ‘I am sorry’.
9/8/24
We believe that justification, regeneration, and the new birth are wrought by faith in the blood of Jesus Christ.
It deals with a supernatural process of the transformation of the mind and hearts of human beings. It implies that there can be a change from the old man to the new man, from the enemy of God to the child of God, from the life of the sinner to the life of the saint. It implies that a man can be a new creature, old things passing away and all things becoming new.
Romans 7:21-25
1. Justification means to acquit, to absolve, to exonerate. We have been acquitted through the blood of Jesus Christ by the process of justification. Romans 3:10, John 8:10-11
2. Justification means forgiveness. Luke 15:11-32, Ephesians 2:8
3. Justification means to be made righteous. Romans 3:20
Jesus always points out to our condition in order for us to recognize our need of Him. God will not wink at our sin, He will not overlook our sin, man cannot get rid himself of sin, he must have help outside of himself and so this is what happens the Bible says that God imputes his righteousness to sinful man. Romans 3:21-26, 1 Corinthians 1:30, Romans 5:1
Justification in summary, first of all the nature of justification is divine acquittal, forgiveness and acceptance. The necessity of justification is human condemnation and human guilt. The source of justification is divine grace, God's unmerited favor. The ground for justification is Christ's righteousness through his death on the cross and the means of justification is faith.
Justification affects our position, but what about our condition? This initial act through faith is followed by an inward spiritual change known as regeneration.
Isaiah 6:1-8, John 3:1-21, 2 Corinthians 5:17
Man has to be involved in this change through repentance. A liar will lie no more, a stealer will steal no more, a cheater will, cheat no more, a sinner will sin no more.
Romans 6:2, Romans 6:11
The new birth is not a human possibility. It is of divine origin and it constitutes a radical supernatural change or it is not the experience taught by the Church. The source of the new birth is from above (John 3:6)
• A new position John 1:12
• A new spiritual union with Christ 1 John 3:24
• A new behavior, a new set of habits Romans 6:14 • A new life Colossians 3:12
• Display brotherly love Colossians 3:14
• Will have victory over this world 1 John 5:4
The ground of regeneration is Jesus (John 3:16 - 17). The goal of regeneration is to become like Jesus (Ephesians 4:13)
9/15
We believe in sanctification subsequent to the new birth, through faith in the blood of Christ; through the Word, and by the Holy Ghost.
Sanctification has to do with our character, it is what God does in us and it exhibits the fruit of the relationship with Jesus, a life separated from the sinful world and dedicated to God.
3 things:
1. Meaning - To set apart.
To be set apart from evil. A turn away from all that is sinful. 2 chronicles 29:5, 15-18, 1 Thessalonians 4:3, Titus 2:12, 2 corinthians 7:1, 1 Peter 1:15
Sanctification challenges the believer to forsake the patterns of the world and follow the pattern of holiness with Jesus as our model. Its a condition of the heart and affects every facet of our Christian life.
To be set apart to God. Leviticus 27: 14, 16, Numbers 8:17, John 10:36, Exodus 13:2
Whatever is set apart to the service of God is sanctified. Sanctification is recognizing
something belongs to God. Exodus 19:9-13, 23
God’s goal in sanctification is we are like Jesus in conduct and character. Romans 8:29
2. Phases - Past, present and future or positional, progressive and perfect
Positional: Instantaneous sanctification at the time of salvation by faith.1 corinthians 1:2, Acts 20:32 - How you look at yourself will establish the foundation for victory or defeat in your experience -.
Progressive: Growth in spiritual victory and growth in Christ likeness. 1 Peter 3:15, 2 corinthians 7:1
It means to act out your positional sanctification. You are holy but you must perfect your holiness. You are holy in position but you are not in practice.
Perfect: Ultimate and complete separation of sin. Ephesians 5:26-27, Jude 1:24-25, 1 John 3:2
3. How do I break the power of sin?
Its a cooperative work between God and me. Sanctification is by faith plus works. Romans 8:13, Colossians 1:29, Philippians 4:13, Philippians 2:12-13
Whats God’s work? God is our sanctifier. Exodus 31:13
The father - John 17:17 / The son - 1 John 1:5-10, 1 John 1:9 / The Holy Spirit - 2 Corinthians 3:18
Whats my work?
• Live by faith not by sight - 2 Corinthians 5:7
• Deny yourself - Luke 4:26-33
• Growth in the knowledge of Jesus - 2 Peter 3:18 • Abide in Christ - John 15:5
9/22
We believe holiness to be God’s standard of living for His people.
3 main scriptures that tells us about holiness: 1 Peter 1:15-16, Matthew 5:48, 1 John 3:3
• What is holiness? It is God’s divine nature. What separates Him from humanity. It is God’s character. Moral purity and moral perfection.
Psalms 47:8, Exodus 15:11, Isaiah 6:3. Leviticus 11:44
To be holy means to be whole, complete, entire. Holiness is purity of heart, of mind, freedom from corruption and contamination. It is the healthy development of the divine nature within us. Romans 6:22, Ephesians 4:24, 1 Thessalonians 4:7
Holiness is God and God is holiness. Holiness is God’s communicable attribute. We must be partakers of His holiness, His nature and His spirit. God stablished the foundation of holiness and called us to build upon that foundation. Hebrews 12:10
Mark 12:30
Heart: I must conform my heart to the will of God
Soul: I must adore Him and worship Him in spirit and truth Mind: I must give my mind to the study of His word Strength: I must put every effort to obey his commandments
3 things that the sanctifying power of God must do in our lives:
1. Separation from the world. 2 Corinthians 10:3-6
Worldly attire, worldly amusements, worldly ambitions, worldly associations, worldly appetites, worldly attitudes, worldly anxieties.
2. Separation from selfishness. Our self always reigns until we find a higher truth. Jesus! 3. Separation of indifference. Carelessness, lack of prayer.
• Holiness is the cleansing by the Lord. It is a continual cleansing process. 2 Corinthians 7:1
• Holiness is obedience to the Lord. Obedience in reading, prayer, fellowship, in moral life and
in practices.
• The mark of holiness in being occupied by the Holy One. I become the temple of God and only as He lives in me I can be holy.
Psalms 1:1-3