Woodward First Assembly

Say What?!? - Escaping Death

Pastor's Notes:

Say What?!? - Escaping Death?
TEXT
John 11:25-27
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
INTRODUCTION
Good evening everybody!
I hope you’ve been making good use of your time by spending it with family and getting more in tune with God in this season. I’ve really enjoyed this teaching because it’s helped us look at the greater context of Scripture.
Today, I want to look at something all of us are faced with: Death. Tonight, I want to talk to you about Escaping Death.
ILLUSTRATION
In the news lately, all we’ve heard about is the mortality rate of the corona virus. People always seem to panic when they are faced with the possibility of death.
The stark reality is this: Ten out of ten people die! It’s not a matter of if, but when. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 9:27 “It is appointed unto man once to die, and then the judgement.”
TRANSITION
It is here that we have a conflict, because in the text we’re confronted with what seems to be a contradicting statement from Jesus. It’s here that Jesus says “He who believes in me will never die.”
Wait a minute……. say what?
BACKGROUND
In our passage, we are dealing with the death of a friend: Lazarus. He had died, and it seemed insensitive that Jesus had delayed His coming. Mary and Martha has expressed the fact that they wanted Jesus to come to him. But now, it had been four days!
It seemed that Lazarus was dead. Yet Jesus uses this passage to talk about the resurrection. Let’s see what type of insight we can learn from this particular passage.
APPLICATION

The Origin of Death

- The Garden of Eden
- The Lie of Satan
- Separation from God

The Dual Nature of Death

- Physical Death
- Spiritual Death
- The Case of Lazarus

The Plan of Life

- His intention was eternal life.
- It comes from belief in Him.
CONCLUSION

Untapped-3-Unleashed

Pastor's Note's:

2 Timothy 2:1-9 NKJV
You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. You therefore must endure[a] hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier. And also if anyone competes in athletics, he is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer must be first to partake of the crops. Consider what I say, and [b]may the Lord give you understanding in all things.
Remember that Jesus Christ, of the seed of David, was raised from the dead according to my gospel, for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of chains; but the word of God is not chained.

INTRODUCTION
Good morning world!
I want to take a second and say a big hello to our online audience who very well may be watching us from around the world. If you live in our local area, we'd love for you to join us in person in the very near future as things begin to get back to normal. Also, thanks for being patient. We have all new equipment coming in, and we’re excited about our live streaming upgrades.
Earlier this month, I had started a sermon series entitled “Untapped”, where I had been focusing on the power of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. So far, we’ve looked at the river of God and the life of God. Today, I want to look at the very force that drives the believer: Prayer. Specifically, I’d like to talk to you about the power of prayer.
ILLUSTRATION
Friends, there’s no doubt that we are living in unprecedented times. Hour after hour, it seems that the facts are changing: Lock-downs, bail outs, layoffs and quarantines have the world in a frenzy.
The world may be uncertain, but listen to me clearly: This is not the first time the world has faced adversity, and it won’t be the last!
However, even though you might be confined, the power of God is not!
And this morning, the word of God is not!
The power of God is transmitting through these airwaves right now!
TRANSITION
What I know is that times like these bring out the best of people, and it brings out the worst. If you don’t believe that, just make a trip down to your local Wall-Mart or grocery store.
Yet, I’ve always said that the real you comes out when you're under pressure. That’s what I’m seeing right now. I’m seeing nominal Christians running around frantic like unbelievers, and I’m also seeing saints walk in a supernatural peace during this time.
I know some of you feel like you are being punished. You’ve lost your job. Your kids are out of school. Perhaps for some of you, it may feel like you’re confined to a prison. 
Well, our text tells us about someone confined to a prison: Paul.
BACKGROUND
The Apostle Paul was in jail not for what he had done wrong, but for what He had done right!
He has hated for his stance on truth, so they put him in a dark place. He was isolated. He was locked up.
I wonder if anybody has felt locked up and isolated lately?
Well, good news!
Historically, the church has always thrived under pressure.
Fortunately, pain produces production!
When the olive is crushed, the oil flows!
When the grape is pressed, the new wine comes forth!
In this season, the church is about to be unleashed, for what the enemy meant for bad, God is turning it for our good!
Our churches will be full
Our altars won’t be empty
We will see the victory!
Let’s look at what Paul went through and see what we can apply today~
APPLICATION
1.The Word of God is Not Bound
2.The Prayer Of Faith Is Not Bound
3.The Holy Spirit Is Not Bound

Say What?!?: You Will Have Trouble

Say What? Judge Not

Untapped-2-The River of God

today er continue our Untapped series as we study The River of God.

Pastor's Notes:

TEXT
Ezekiel 47:1-9 NKJV
 Then he brought me back to the door of the [a]temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. 2 He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side.
3 And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles. 4 Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist. 5 Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed. 6 He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river.
7 When I returned, there, along the bank of the river, were very many trees on one side and the other. 8 Then he said to me: “This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the [b]valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed. 9 And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever [c]the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes.
INTRODUCTION
Good morning!
I hope you had as much fun last week as I did. We started our Untapped series, and we looked at God’s intention was man on the Earth, in His image. Because Adam dropped the ball, Jesus came and fixed the problem, and once again made us one with God. 
So Jesus didn’t just die to get us to Heaven, but so Heaven could also get on the inside of us!
Today, I want to take this revelation just a little bit further. Today, I want to talk about “The River of God”.  
ILLUSTRATION 
In John 4:14, Jesus ministers to a woman at a well, and He tells her that all those who drink of the water that He gives (the water of life), it will “spring up a fountain of water springing up to everlasting life.”
That’s why when you are saved, you can now share that water with others, and lead another soul to Christ! Water is often a symbol in the Scripture of the work of Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
TRANSITION 
Since all of this is starting to come together, let’s look at what Ezekiel shows us about the River of God. BACKGROUND
In our passage and the chapters that are previous, the prophet Ezekiel is having a vision of the New Jerusalem and the temple. He is measuring the courts, the gates, and all of the other various aspects of this holy city. 
Then, he is taken to this river that is flowing. It seems to be a central characteristic of the New Jerusalem. In fact, John mentions it in Revelation 22:1- 5 NKJV. 
Here are the key characteristics I see when I look at this passage: 
 APPLICATION 

The Source Of The River (vs. 1-2)

- Ezekiel tells us that this river is coming from the temple.
- It is flowing. A pond is stagnant, but a river flows. 

The Levels Of The River  (vs. 3-5)

- He walked out some, and it hit his ankles. 
- Then his knees. 
- Then his waist. 
- Then it was over his head where the water would overtake him. 

The Purpose Of The River (vs. 6-9)

- This river would give life. It flowed to the Dead Sea and brought resurrection to that which had been dead. 
- It brought healing. 
- Everything that touched the river would live!
- Part of the proof of it’s existence was the life surrounding everything. 
CONCLUSION 
How do we seal this up? 
Just like we learned last week, salvation concerns Heaven, but it doesn’t ONLY concern Heaven. Well, this River of Life concerns Heaven, but it doesn’t ONLY concern Heaven!
In John 7:37-39 NKJV,  Jesus said concerning these things
On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those [a]believing in Him would receive; for the [b]Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.

Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit!
We can choose how far we walk out in the River of God
The life that is in us is there to take it to the nations!

THIS IS THE PURPOSE OF THE BAPTISM OF THE SPIRIT! 
The life of God is IN us, but the life of God also wants to flow THROUGH us!
When that dam of water bursts forth, the very first thing it will affect is your tongue! Your mouth won’t even be able to use English fully to express what you feel down on the inside. That life will bubble forth!
Who’s ready to come and jump in the river? Or do you just want to put your toes in?

Say What?: Hate My Family?

Untapped-1-The Life Of God

This is a new month and Pastor Brad is starting a new series he calls Untapped. This morning pastor teaches us a sermon called The Life Of God.

Pastor's Notes:

TEXT
Genesis 2:1-7 NKJV

 Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.2 And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.4 This is the [a]history of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, 5 before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any herb of the field had grown. For the Lord God had not caused it to rain on the earth, and there was no man to till the ground; 6 but a mist went up from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground.7 And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
INTRODUCTION
Good morning, everybody!
I wanted to say “Thank You” so much for your support of our missionaries. I really enjoyed Tim Land last week. He really challenged us about passing our faith to the next generation.
Today, however, I want to start a brand new series for the month of March untitled “Untapped”.
ILLUSTRATION
I recently heard someone speaking about the current oilfield crisis we are experiencing locally. No one is oblivious to the fact that people are being laid off and work for those in the oil industry has become scarce.
I heard someone say “The problem isn’t a lack of oil. The issue is the price people aren’t willing to pay to access untapped resources.”

I stepped back and said “Wow!”
That’s the truth if I’ve ever heard it. To the spiritual, oil in the Bible is a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
In this series, I want to teach you that there’s untapped levels of the Holy Spirit that God wants us to walk in, but many have been unwilling to pay the price to tap into what’s already there. Personally, I believe this is an awareness issue, as most Christians don’t really realize what we have on the inside of us.
Today, I want to begin this series with a message I’ve called “The Life Of God”.
BACKGROUND
Genesis 2 is a stunning passage of Scripture. It shows us God’s grand design in creating man. In the first chapter, we see God’s handiwork and partnership with the Trinity as He speaks the world into existence.
On the sixth day of creation, chapter one tells us that man was created in the image of God. Let me ask you a question: What is God? Does He have a fleshly body? John 4:24 NKJV says that “God is a spirit...”. Our spirit is what is most like God. Yet, we see in the act of creation that God addressed the full capacity of man.
How? In Genesis 2, Moses recaps or revisits the creation of man. This time, he adds more detail: God formed the flesh of man, and He breathed into His nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul”.
The literal Hebrew language in the phrase “man became a living soul” literally means man became a breathing, talking creation”.
Question: Was the body animated before or God breathed into it? It wasn’t until after God breathed into Adam that He came alive. We see this in death. The body stops when the Spirit is released.

NUGGET OF TRUTH: God designed the body to be a tool to respond to the spirit, and not the other way around!
God then gave Adam a wife, and told him to be fruitful, multiply, and to subdue the Earth.
APPLICATION
1. God’s Design
- What we see plainly in the Scripture is that God had a strategic plan for man in creation:
*In His Image
*In Perfect Unity
*Fruitful
*Full Of Life
- Adam and Eve were the perfect prototype for humanity.
2. Adam’s Failure
- Because Adam didn’t guard and protect Eve, the fallen angel Lucifer, in the form of a serpent, seduced her into disobeying God, which caused Adam to fall as well.
- This disobedience brought:
*Awareness Of Sin
*Shame
*Disconnection From God
*Physical And Spiritual Death
*Hard Life Via The Curse

- This one singular decision caused everything else in the human genetic line to mess up. If the first of anything is messed up, all that it produces carries the trait. That is called DNA.
3. Heaven’s Plan
- Although Adam fell, God never changed His mind about His plan. Because of the sin that happened, one would have to come and make it right. He would have to be qualified to do so.
- Because DNA is passed down through the bloodline of a male, God choose to send Jesus a nontraditional way: Through the womb of a virgin named Mary. Because He had no earthly father, the sin nature was not passed to Jesus. He technically could have sinned by choice, but the nature of sin wasn’t there. He was tempted, passed every test, and had to die the death of a sinner.
- So on the cross, 2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV says that God made Jesus to “become sin for us”. Matthew 8:17 NKJV says He “bore our infirmities and sicknesses”. Because He was perfect, He didn’t sin or become ill as we know it, but He bore ours.
- His sacrificial death became the payment for our sin.
4. Our Answer
- 2 Corinthians 5:20 NKJV “be reconciled to God....” To be reconciled to God means
- Romans 10:13 NKJV “ All who call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Saved in Greek is Sozo, which is saved, healed, delivered, and protected.”
- 1 Corinthians 6:16-17 NKJV “Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For “the two,” He says, “shall become one flesh.” 17 But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit with Him.”

 

 

 

CONCLUSION
You see, knowing Jesus isn’t just about you “going to Heaven” on day: It’s about the life of God getting inside of you right now.
1 Corinthians 15:45 NKJV “And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.”
If the life of God was on the inside of you, would it not change you?

Another Gospel: Catholicism

Beyond Joshua- Tim Land

Today we are pleased to have Missionary Tim Land and his family Jenny, Whitney and Katelyn.  The Lands serve in the country of Cameroon, Africa. To learn more about the Land family visit their website www.thelandsinafrica.org or to send them e-mail at thelandsinafrica@gmail.com 

Pastor Tim's Notes:

INTRODUCTION
There are sad statements in the Bible. Pastor shared one last week - Revelation 20:11-15. Let's look at another statement today that I pray will not be said of our generation.
TEXT
Judges 2:10-13 NKJV
"When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.” 11 “Then the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord , and served the Baals;” 12 “and they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt; and they followed other gods from among the gods of the people who were all around them, and they bowed down to them; and they provoked the Lord to anger."
Beyond Joshua!
What are we giving our kids in our world today? Our World will help us make sure it is A Life FULL anger, frustration, stress, anxiousness, pain, lust of the flesh, fear, confusion, and disillusionment.
It is easier to build a child than to repair an adult.
Who in here came to know Jesus as a child?
Who accepted Christ as an adult?
If you accepted Jesus as an adult, you are in the minority today! Statistics tell us this.
 If you would have accepted Jesus Christ as a child, would your life have been different? Would you have had hope? Would you have had the same experiences of sin? It is our job to mentor our children in ALL things, not just math, reading, science, relationships, BUT IN THE MOST IMPORTANT AREA--JESUS!!
Let’s look at some of our instructions: Deuteronomy was written after 39 years of wandering in the desert... Right before they crossed the River Jordan into the Promised Land... No one (Moses, Joshua, Caleb) alive could remember the 1st Passover- Deliverance from Egypt - God's Divine Provision when leaving... Crossing the Red Sea... Receiving the Law at Mount Sinai...
We find Moses with His last chance to teach these people. Our Last words are normally very important...
Deuteronomy 6:3-21 NKJV
Therefore hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe it, that it may be well with you, and that you may multiply greatly as the Lord God of your fathers has promised you a land flowing with milk and honey. 4- Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! 5- "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6- And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7- "You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up. 8- "You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9- "You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. 12- "then beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 13- "You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name. 14- "You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you 16- You shall not tempt the Lord your God as you tempted Him in Massah. 17- "You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord your God, His testimonies, and His statutes which He has commanded you. 18- "And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord , that it may be well with you, and that you may go in and possess the good land of which the Lord swore to your fathers, 20 When your son asks you in time to come, saying, What is the meaning of the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which the Lord our God has commanded you?’ 21- "then you shall say to your son... NIV says "Tell him...!"
Deuteronomy 5:32-33 NKJV
“Therefore, you shall be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess." Why did the Children of the next generation not follow? If we dont prepare our kids to FOLLOW our Jesus; If they dont EXPERIENCE ALL that Jesus has for them, we are ensuring that they will find another way to live!
Life Will Find A Way!
APPLICATION
1. What will our children believe?
- Future
2. What will we tell them?
-Failure
-Faithfulness
3. What will we model before them?
-Faith
- Just Dragging them to Church is not enough… Deut 6: says, Hear, Observe, Love, Teach, Talk about it when you walk, Talk when you sit, Talk about it when you put them to bed, Talk about it when you get up, Make reminders, Post signs about it, Even on your property gates,
THEN………HE WILL GIVE YOU…
Vs 10-11 - Houses full of good things, Cities that you didnt build, Wells you did not dig, Vineyards you didnt plant,
Vs 12 - and WHEN YOU HAVE ENDULGED and are full DONT FORGET THE LORD! We get so accustomed to having, we forget our need! We get so comfortable, we forget whats at stake! Did you know that you can go to McDonalds every day at meal time, and still starve to death! We have to make an investment! (to buy something)
It's the same at Church, in Gods Presence. We can also turn the tables on us, because some people walking in the doors of our church are starving to death spiritually, because we arent serving them. Every church that we have ever been in, it has taken PEOPLE JUST LIKE YOU to get the whole job done.
Pastors, Teachers, Leaders, Helpers, Nursery, Ushers... Even us in the pew, our attutude matters. Our responses, reactions, matter. This challenge works right here in Woodward, America. Who is starving because we won't serve?
This is what drives us to Cameroon, also. I want to be found faithful in what God has called me to do.
CONCLUSION
INSERT SLIDES
Cameroon Slides / Crisis
I want to be found faithful in my marriage, in my fatherly responsibilities, in my relationship with Jesus, and in my Obedience to Gods direction. What about you today?
Will you help us? How? By giving & praying.
Will you pray about Going?
Who has God Called, and to WHERE? Will YOU Answer today? Pray... Give... Go... Judges 2:10 "When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.” Never let it be said...
Let's commit to go Beyond Joshua!

Another Gospel: Freemasons