Woodward First Assembly

Heart For The House-2-Repairing The Broken

The morning we continue with our Heart For The House Series. Pastor Brad teaches us about Repairing The Broken.

Pastors notes:

TEXT
Galatians 6:1-5 NKJV
Brethren, if a man is [a]overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.3 For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. 4 But let each one examine his own work, and then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For each one shall bear his own load.

INTRODUCTION
Good morning, everybody!
I hope each and every one of you had a great weekend. This morning, I want to continue on in our new series we’ve entitled “ A Heart For The House”.
Last week, I talked about how as a church, we need to be about the same thing Jesus was about, and that was reaching people. We are going to be a church that does what ever it takes to reach people! That includes changing when needed, going where no one wants to, and reaching the unlovable!
We are going to grow! Say amen, somebody!Today, however, I want to share with you from a more internal perspective. We’d all agree that sinners are supposed to act like sinners, correct?With that being true, how are we supposed to act when fellow believers fall?

ILLUSTRATION
We all know that people who have encountered the love of Jesus and have become “born again” are not supposed to continue in sin.
Agreed?
But to say that we can’t choose to sin out of our free will or that we can’t get caught up in things is far from the truth.
Unfortunately, the church has gotten caught in many scandals.
From the famous pastors who are caught in financial or sexual scandals, to local church affairs and such, there’s no shortage. The devil certain has his target set on leaders.
Why?Zechariah 13:7 says “”Strike the Shepherd, and the sheep will scatter”.
In other words, if the devil can take down a leader, he can affect the people under him or her.

TRANSITION
However, we tend to focus just on leaders who fall, but what about your average church member or believer?
They are no more immune to falling than to anyone else.How should the church respond when a believer falls into sinfulness? There are some who might would say, “It’s not for us to judge”.
Do you personally know anyone who was once serving God faithfully, but not is not?
It’s time to leave the ninety nine and to go after the one!

BACKGROUND
That is the very thing the Apostle Paul is trying to train the church in.
Paul understands the ministry of restoration and reconciliation that has been committed to all believers.

APPLICATION
1. Have The Right Spirit
- The right spirit is meekness.
- The goal is restoration! The Christian Church is the only army that shoots their own wounded.
- Protect them. Don’t share their personal issues with others. That’s the main reason people don’t try and get help when they are struggling.
- Protect the church. Confront or it will spread. -1 Corinthians 5:9-13 NKJV
I wrote to you in my epistle not to [a]keep company with sexually immoral people. 10 Yet I certainly did not mean with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner—not even to eat with such a person.
12 For what have I to do with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? 13 But those who are outside God judges. Therefore “put away from yourselves the evil person.”

2. Consider Your Own Weakness
- This is ultimately what the Scripture means when it says “Judge not, lest your be judged.....” Matthew 7:1-2 NKJV. If you come down too hard on someone in the wrong spirit, you might have to eat your words one day.
- We must realize that we are not above being tempted. Do you realize we are all one stupid decision away from messing our whole life up?

3. Offer To Help
- Bear each other’s burden.- Don’t kick a man when he’s down, but offer a hand back up. - Help them get the tools they need to succeed.

4. Focus On Your Own Problems
- People who are “fixers” tend to forget that they have problems of their own to work on.
     -Matthew 7:3-5 NKJV
3 And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove the speck from your eye’; and look, a plank is in your own eye? 5 Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
- When we focus on ourselves and working on the problems we have, we don’t have time to be worried about everyone else weaknesses, plus it gives us a reality check.


CONCLUSION

Prayer School-2-The Lord's Prayer

Tonight we continue our mid week series, Prayer School. As we do, Pastor Brad takes a look at The Lord's Prayer.

Pastors Notes:

Matthew 6:9-13 NKJV
9 In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
10 Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us this day our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
13 And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
[a]For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

INTRODUCTION
Good evening, everybody!
I hope you enjoyed and learned from last time's teaching on the tabernacle model of prayer. I always enjoy looking at things from different angles and seeing what all we can learn from them.
Today, we are going to look at what has been coined as “The Lord’s Prayer.”

ILLUSTRATION
One of the things we have to safeguard in prayer is repetition. Many religions, and even some Christian liturgical denominations have prayer books.
I’ll never forget going to a funeral in a Lutheran church, and the priest read the prayer right out of the book. There was no heart in it whatsoever.
We teach our boys even at dinner time and bed time to not just repeat the same prayers over and over like a robot. Our communication with the Lord should flow from our heart as if we are taking to our closest friend.
Yet, that’s what some have done with the Lord’s prayer. I’d like to submit to you that Jesus wasn’t telling us to repeat something, but rather giving us a pattern. BACKGROUND
In our passage, Jesus is dealing with the heart condition of prayer. Not praying to be seen or to be heard, but shutting ourselves in with God in a secret place.
This speaks to the level of intimacy that prayer carries.
As I said last week, there’s no greater invitation that to sit at the feet of the Master!
Let’s look at the prayer: APPLICATION
1. Our Father in heaven
(Receiving the Divine Embrace)
Dwell on the wondrous fact that Jesus invites us to call God our “Father.” Thank God for his goodness; his blessings are far beyond what we know. Elsewhere, Jesus calls God “Abba, Father” — a term similar to “Daddy” in English—the sort of endearing term a child would use to address a loving parent. Paul, in his writings, also uses this term. Come to God openly, as a child embraces the love of a divine father or mother, first thing in the morning. For of such is the kingdom of heaven.

2.Hallowed be Your name.
(Adoration and Thanksgiving)
We praise God for who God is; we thank God for what God does. Let your awareness of God’s majesty, goodness, and grace fill you with praise and adoration. Praise is not part of a transaction we produce; it is the only appropriate response to the authentic contemplation of God’s glory. Jesus invites us to join the rest of creation in acknowledging the glory and holiness of the Creator. Praise God that God is the God God is, and let your life be filled with adoration and praise at the beginning of the day and otherwise. Also, thank God for what God has done. Our blessings are beyond what we can imagine; take the time to thank God now for family, friends, health, life, grace. Ponder each blessing until you are filled with gratitude. Thanksgiving is an action that is never wasted! Let your life be an ongoing chorus of blessing,
thanksgiving, and praise to God. Focus on His many names!

3.Your kingdom come.
(Declaration)
As well as lifelong vows to God, offer Christ your life anew— totally and unreservedly—at the beginning of this day. Foresee and forethink the obligations of your day, and envision God’s presence with you throughout the day as you meet those obligations. Respond to all things as though God were working in them and through them; we live by faith, not by sight. You can better face the already-scheduled events of the day and even developments that are unforeseen through this discipline of offering your life to God afresh. “Coincidences” happen; openings emerge; things we’d planned go better, and even surprises are more readily met by a life immersed in prayer.

4. Your will be done/ on earth as it is in Heaven.
(Intercession and Uplifting the Needs of Others)
Lift also the needs of the world and the needs of others in prayer, interceding on behalf of those persons and situations for which God has given you a special concern. Keep a prayer list, if you desire, or simply pray for those whom God brings to your attention as you are mindful of such. Lift up family and loved ones, friends and colleagues, projects and responsibilities, ministries and outreach opportunities — as partners in furthering the active reign of God. The kingdom may indeed come today, even in subtle ways, as people live in dynamic responsiveness to his leading and embody the way of the kingdom in the world. Intercession is where the history of the world is changed; it is there that the true business and work of life are carried forth. Intercession is the spiritual work—the heavy lifting we do as partners with Christ in the world, praying in his name because we have discerned and believe that it is according to His will.

5. Give us this day our daily bread.
(Petition and Uplifting Personal Needs)
Now lift to God your daily needs. God knows what we need even before we ask, and yet Jesus invites us to lift our needs to God in prayer. Amazing! The prayer of petition appropriately follows our adoration of God and our intercession for others, and yet an authentic sense of our need before God helps us be evermore keenly aware of our absolute dependence upon God for all things—even life itself. Lifting our needs to God, individually and corporately, also helps us release the particular ways we feel our needs should be met. In thanking our heavenly Father for provision ahead of time, desiring that our needs be addressed in God’s ways and in God’s timing, we assert our faith in what God is doing around us and within us.

6. And forgive us our debts/as we also have forgiven our debtors.
(Confession and Forgiveness)
Receive now God’s forgiveness and grace, availed through Christ Jesus, and extend such to others. He bore the sins of humanity on the cross, but acknowledging our sins and our need for grace leads us into the prayer for mercy. Christ died and rose for you and me. Those who extend mercy receive mercy, and our extending of forgiveness and grace deserves to be of the same character as that which we have received—or would like to receive. Turning to God with the conscious request for forgiveness further asserts our sense of humbled need before God. So, receive now the forgiveness and grace of God by faith, and extend forgiveness and grace to others by your faithfulness.

7. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.
(Deliverance and Empowerment)
Trust God now for protection and empowerment. The prayer for deliverance from harm and ill asserts our trust in God’s care and protection, both in ways we anticipate as well as in ways we cannot imagine. While trials bear within themselves potential for developing strength of character, Jesus also invites us to pray for protection and empowerment along life’s way. Affirming the power and protection of God emboldens our courage and deepens our faith. As George Fox often declared, “The Power of the Lord is over all!” Abide now in the power of the resurrected Lord; it is available to all who believe.

8. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
(Centering and Meditation)
Close your time as you began it, with lifting praise to God and making your life a “living sacrifice” offered to his glory. Go through your day attending the business at hand, but also lifting prayers of adoration and intercession as you feel led. Attend the subtle promptings of the Spirit and live responsively to the divine will. This is the “centered” life —one that is attentive and responsive to the workings of Christ at the center of our lives. Give this day to God alone; dedicate it to the furthering of the way and work of the kingdom; extend the kingdom today by at least one life—yours.CONCLUSION

Heart For The House-1-The Heart Of Jesus

Today we start a new series for March titled Heart For The House.  This Morning Pastor Brad teaches about The Heart Of Jesus.

Pastor's Notes:

Luke 14:15-24 NKJV
15 Now when one of those who sat at the table with Him heard these things, he said to Him, “Blessed is he who shall eat [a]bread in the kingdom of God!”
16 Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many, 17 and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’ 18 But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’ 20 Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ 21 So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the [b]maimed and the lame and the blind.’ 22 And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’ 23 Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’ ”
INTRODUCTION
Good morning, everyone!
I’m  so glad you’re here today! I’ve super excited about this brand new series we will be starting this morning entitled “A Heart For The House”.
We are going to be looking at various aspects of church life, the teachings of Jesus, and how we should proceed in today’s modern world.
Today, I want to talk with you about “The Heart of Jesus”.
As we read in the Gospel writings about Christ, there’s one thing for sure we constantly pick up on: He has a love and a desire for people.
Can you see that?
ILLUSTRATION
In fact, the entire message of Jesus was redeemption and bringing man into fellowship with God.  He knew that people were lost without Him, and they desperately needed a relationship with Him.
That’s why we see the cross being a primary focus in Paul's letters.
Today, more than ever, people need Jesus. Dear friends, look around you. America is changing.
We live in a culture that quickly changing, and it’s not all for the good.

A major denomination just this last week was in national headlines on the verge of a split over gay marriage and allowing gay ministers.
Abortion is paraded in our streets as a constitutional right.

THE ONLY THING THAT WILL FIX THIS IS A SOUL SAVING REVIVAL!
It was true then, and it’s still true now. People need Jesus!
He alone is the answer.
TRANSITION
That’s exactly why in this passage, Jesus is giving an amazing story.
BACKGROUND
In our passage, Jesus is doing what He does best: Master illustration.
He is telling us that a certain man had prepared a great supper. He had gone through preparations and made sure this would be a night to remember. When it was finished, he called out to his servants and told them “All is ready. Go tell the people.”
The problem?
The people began to make excuses.
That sounds much similar to today doesn’t it?
There seems to be “little time” for the things of God.
So the master of the supper commanded his servants to go out into the highways and byways and the outcasts. The lame, the maimed, the blind, and the broken.
Why?
He had a desire for his house to be filled.
Church, that is the heart of Jesus! He doesn't want to leave anyone out.
From the uttermost to the outermost, Jesus saves!
Let’s explore the greater meaning to this parable and see how it applies today.
APPLICATION


The Invitation
- The “certain man” is the Lord.
- The great supper is the Marriage Supper of The Lamb, IE, the Coming of Christ.  
- We, the people of God, are the servants. We are to “go tell” the people about the event.
- NOTE: Who have YOU invited to the table of the Lord this week?

The Evasion
- The people who rejected the invitation were the religious and the Jewish people as a whole.
- They had excuses as to why they couldn't come.
- Jesus was the chief cornerstone that the builders rejected.
- He came to His own, and His own received Him not.

The Expansion
- The Master told His servant to go out in to the highways and byways and to compel them to come in.
- The lame. The maimed. The blind. The cripple.
- Who are these people? Those are people the Pharisee’s thought were outside of the grace of God! That’s us!
CONCLUSION
So His house might be filled.

Matters Of The Heart-8-Overcoming Fear

Tonight Pastor Brad finishes his series Matters Of The Heart and teaches us about Overcoming Fear.

Pastors Notes:

TEXT
2 Timothy 1:1-7 NKJV

1 Paul, an apostle of [a]Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,2 To Timothy, a beloved son:Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.3 I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, 4 greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy,5 when I call to remembrance the [b]genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. 6 Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

INTRODUCTION
Good evening, everyone!
Tonight, we are going to be finishing off our series by teaching about something we have all dealt with at one time or another.
I want to talk to you about how to respond to bad news. We’ve entitled this “Overcoming Fear”.
Bad news— We've all been affected by it.We all know someone who personally has been affected by it.
A layoff list saying you are no longer employed.A paper from a lawyer saying that your spouse is divorcing you. A phone call saying someone has died.A doctors report saying you've got cancer and 6 months to live.
Just one word like that can change your life forever.
I’m sure that as I'm speaking right now, many of your minds are going to various places in your life, and to others that you know.

ILLUSTRATION
You know, I may be young, but Blonnie and I have walked through many trials in our lives as well.
When we were newly married, Blonnie began to have unexpected weight gain and her hair was falling out. After many tests, we found out that her thyroid tests revealed abnormalities that also revealed a goiter on her thyroid. Talk about something that will shake you. I’m glad we were in a church that taught us about faith and believing God. While she was at home ill, I went to church and had a man of God pray for me with her. When she went back to the doctor, the goiter was gone and the tests were normal!

Blonnie and I both were told because of reproductive problems, neither one of us would be able to have children. So we prayed, and 6 years later God answered. Shortly after becoming pregnant, she started bleeding profusely. The devil and medical science both told us that it was a possibility she would lose the baby. We had to stay in faith. We went down to Dallas and had Steve Hill pray for her. Well, she had Aaron completely healthy!

Six months after Aaron was born, we found out she was pregnant with Adam. When Adam was born, he had a low whimper that was cute at first. As he grew, it developed into a loud whistle. As we would feed him, he would throw it up and get choked. We took him to the doctor, and upon a series of studies, they found out that he had immature vocal chords. They said it wouldn't not fix on its own, and he would most likely have to have surgery. Well, that wasn't a good report either. We prayed, and the Lord healed him! The doctors even said they had never seen it happen like that!

 Most recently, I was stuck with pain in my side. After rushing to the ER, I found that I had a mass on my left kidney. The doctor wanted to remove my whole kidney, because the mass lit up when the dye ran through it and it was in a place it couldn't be removed. I prayed and stayed in faith. I had a well known evangelist pray with me, and we felt it move. After returning to the doctor, it was gone!
I’m not going to lie to you and tell you that fear didn't try to come in. I’m not going to try to tell you that I didn't struggle. I did however have to use the following principles we learn in Scripture about fear.

APPLICATION

1) We must recognize it.
2) We must resist it.
3) We must replace it.


CONCLUSION
There's nothing you can’t face without Jesus
Pastor Paul Troquille taught me that people stop construction while it’s storming.
Why?
Because it’s hard to build a house in the rain.Build your faith in God when its not storming, and it will be there when it is.

Matters Of The Heart-7-Kingdom Economics

As we are finishing up on our February series Matters Of The Heart, Pastor Brad teaches us about Kingdom Economics.

TEXT
Matthew 6:19-21 NKJV
19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
INTRODUCTION
Good morning, everyone! I’m so glad that you're here!
I hope you’ve been challenged in this series as much as I have! Don’t you ever forget: One of the greatest truths of preaching the Gospel is that when a preacher preaches, they wrestle with the text themselves.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that all of these messages I preach and teach, I preach them and live through them myself first.
This morning, I want to talk to you about another area of our hearts that we must guard.
I want to talk to you about having a generous heart. I’ve entitled this message, “Kingdom Economics”.
TRANSITION
You see, in the Scriptures, Solomon, Paul, Christ, and others talk to us about how we handle our resources.
In the business world, we may call that investing. But in the kingdom of God, we’ll call that stewarding.
Stewardship simply means that everything belongs to God, and we are managers over it.
ILLUSTRATION
In this world, when it comes to investing, we are to be wise, and “count the cost”. However, no investment is without risk.
SHOW PICTURE
Do any of you know this man?
Nope!
That’s what I thought. Most people don’t.
How many people in this room have an iPhone or an iPad? Raise your hand if you do.
Did you know, that when Apple began in 1976, there were three investors?
You probably have heard about two of them—Steve Jobs and Steve Wosniak.
Both families are worth billions of dollars.
However, there’s one guy you probably have never heard of. Let me introduce to you what some have called “The Unluckiest Man In The World”.
Meet Ron Wayne
Ron is the forgotten third originator of Apple - Macintosh.
He even drew the first logo. However, in the beginning, He didn't think the company was a WORTHY investment, so he cashed in his trade for $800, and parted ways.
Had he stayed in the company, He would be worth 35 BILLION dollars today!
Yet, He didn't think it was worth it.
NOTE: How many people miss out on the blessing of God in the area of their finances, because they simply feel like they can't afford it. You may think you can’t afford to be a tither and a giver, but honestly, you can’t afford not to!
When the Bible speaks about investing, it doesn't talk about Apple or iPhones, but it does talk about the Kingdom of God.
Matthew 6:33 tells us “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
In other words, invest yourself in the Kingdom of God. When you put God first in your resources, He promises to prioritize your life.
BUT YET, SO MANY PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO TRUST GOD WITH THEIR FINANCES
Why are people afraid to trust God with their finances? They are tied too much to this world.
They feel insufficient. - Poverty and being rich is more of a mindset than it is a number.

ILLUSTRATION
A pastor friend, Rick Bezet was in Rwanda, a poor nation of Africa on a missions trip.
A young man living outside of a dump asked him, “Sir, are you rich?” “No.”, he replied
“Really?”
You guys have so much money, you have to store it somewhere - a bank
You have so much money, you pay someone too tell you how to spend it - financial advisor
You have a car- yes.
You even have houses for your car? - a garage
So you get dressed nice, and drive the car to a place that cooks for you?- yes
I hear you have rooms to house all of the clothing you have? - closets
We here in America are so blessed compared to other nations of the world.
BACKGROUND
In or text, Christ is challenging the people in their worrying over the temporal things, not to get caught up in this world, because in the end of it, all the stuff we acquire really doesn't mean a whole lot.
When you die, you can’t take the house, the car, the boat, or the bank account with you. The other thing that will truly matter are the things we do for eternity.
That’s why we tithe. That’s why we give to missionaries. That’s why we give $25,000 to translate and print Bibles. It translates to ministry, and ministry translates to souls, which are “true riches”.
APPLICATION
1. Earthly Things Are Temporal
- Don’t misunderstand. God doesn’t mind us having possessions. He just doesn’t want possessions to possess us.
- Peter tells us that the entire Earth will be renovated by fire
- When we die, our stuff down here will belong to someone else. - You truly can’t take it with you.
- Note: Tell story about the rich man who died.
2. Heavenly Things Are Eternal
- We are stewards of things on the Earth.
- What we have been blessed with is only a tool.
* A house can be a tool to host people.
* A phone can be a tool to reach people.
* Whatever you have use it to reach people and to share the message of Christ with others.
3. Where We Spend Connects Our Heart








- If you truly want to know where a man’s heart is, check his spending habits and check his calendar. - The Late Dr. Billy Graham
- If you have stock, you check it.
- If you buy season tickets to college or pro games, your heart is there. You check the scores, follow the trades, etc.
- The same goes for when you are a giver of resources to the house of God. You become connected in a whole different kind of way.
CONCLUSION

Prayer School-1-Tabernacle Prayer

Tonight, Pastor Brad starts a new midweek teaching about prayer.

Pastors Notes:

TEXT
Exodus 25:1-9 NKJV
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an [a]offering. From everyone who gives it willingly with his heart you shall take My offering. 3 And this is the offering which you shall take from them: gold, silver, and bronze; 4 blue, purple, and scarlet thread, fine linen, and goats’ hair; 5 ram skins dyed red, [b]badger skins, and acacia wood; 6 oil for the light, and spices for the anointing oil and for the sweet incense; 7 onyx stones, and stones to be set in the ephod and in the breastplate. 8 And let them make Me a sanctuary,[c] that I may dwell among them. 9 According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.
INTRODUCTION
Good evening, everybody!
I’m so glad you came out on this cold evening.I have to say that since we have been in the book of Revelation since August of 2018, it’s going to feel strange doing anything else!
As I have prayed and sought God on where to go up to this point, I have felt led to go in the direction of prayer, so we will exhaust this subject matter as much as we can, and we will look at it from every angle.
That’s why I’ve entitled this teaching series, “Prayer School”.
I think that all of us would agree that we could stand to pray more, and I’d dare say “pray more effectively”.
Tonight, I want to show you just one pattern of prayer, that is the pattern of “Tabernacle Prayer”.
BACKGROUND
In our passage, Moses, the deliverer of Israel was on the mountain with God. It was at this particular meeting with the Father that God Himself gave Moses the moral law, which is commonly called “The Ten Commandments”.
After the consuming fire that appeared on top of the mountain there with God, He spoke some other instructions. He wanted Moses to make a sanctuary of worship with very specific instructions. This was because all the way back from Genesis, God’s design was to have a people He could fellowship with one on one.
TRANSITION
That’s what prayer is about—Fellowship with God. That’s why prayer is so hard it seems like to “do” and to focus on. Satan hates it when we spend time with Jesus in prayer because He knows how it affects his kingdom.
ILLUSTRATION
Before we get much further into this tonight, let me be clear: We aren’t in the Old Testament anymore. We are in the age of grace, and we have available to us the wonderful presence of the Holy Spirit.
In fact, in these days, the presence of God doesn’t live in that type of tabernacle of all. 1 Corinthians 6:19 tells us that  our body is “the temple of the Holy Spirit”.
Yet, everything in the Old Testament points to a greater reality. So, let’s look at how the priest would minister before the Lord in the Tabernacle. After all, prayer is a priestly duty of all believers.
In the Tabernacle, there were three levels: The outer court, the inner court, and the Holy of Holies.

APPLICATION

Outer Court
- The priest had to wear a  white linen ephod - clothed in righteousness
- You first came to the altar of sacrifice - Offering of ourselves
- You then came to the laver of washing - Repentance

Inner Court
- Also called the Holy Place. Only a regular priest tribe could enter.
- It contained the table of shew-bread - Symbolizing the Word of God.
- It had the Golden Lamp-stand - Having nine lights, it symbolizes the fullness of the Holy Spirit’s work.
- It had the altar of incense - It was symbolic of intercession and worship. It’s where you go to God on behalf of the people.

Holy of Holies

- In this place, only the High Priest could enter in.
- He had bells and pomegranates on his skirts. This was so he could be heard.
- In this place, was the Ark of The Covenant- It signified mercy and the presence of God.
-  On the Ark was the mercy seat. The high priest would offer animal sacrifices on behalf of the people.
- It is here we remember Jesus sacrifice.

Matters Of The Heart-6-Honor: The Key To Manifestation

Tonight we continue with our series Matters Of The Heart.  Pastor Brad teaches us that Honor Is The Key to Manifestation.

TEXT Mark 6:1-6 NKJV
Then He went out from there and came to His own country, and His disciples followed Him. 2 And when the Sabbath had come, He began to teach in the synagogue. And many hearing Him were astonished, saying, “Where did this Man get these things? And what wisdom is this which is given to Him, that such mighty works are performed by His hands! 3 Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him.
4 But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own country, among his own relatives, and in his own house.” 5 Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And He marveled because of their unbelief. Then He went about the villages in a circuit, teaching.
INTRO
Good evening, everyone!
I’m so very glad you are here with us. Once again, we were challenging this morning with the concept of diversity. Truly Jesus loves and cares for everyone.
Yet, tonight, I want to hit another heart area, and I truly believe in today’s society, this is a big one: A lack of manifestation of power in our churches and lives.
That’s why tonight, I’ve entitled this message “Honor: The Key To Manifestation”.
ILLUSTRATION
As I’ve been in church my whole life, I’ve been to tons of services, conferences, revivals, etc.
I’ve heard the best of the best speakers. I’ve heard people who no one knew their names.
There have been times when I've come out of a service that to me has just been intense. people have been saved, healed, baptized in the Spirit, and I was extremely spoken to by the Spirit of God.
Yet, I have been with people who have went with me and others that I know, and they say, “ I just don't know what you got out of that. I just didn't feel anything.”
Why is it that some people can be in a service and receive what they need from the Lord, yet others can leave the same way that they came?
Some are healed, others are not.
Some are saved, others are not.
The answer?
A lack of honor.
A lack of honor for the Word. A lack of honor for the church. A lack of honor for the minister. But ultimately, a lack of honor for the Lord Jesus.
TRANSITION
How many of us would agree that Jesus is the Son of God? To get down to it, He was God Himself. He was there at creation. He can do anything!
Yet, we find something odd in Scripture……
BACKGROUND
In our text tonight, we see Jesus going through his hometown. It’s the Sabbath day, so He began to teach in the synagogue. Think about this….
The Word of God taught the Word of God. Imagine how powerful that sermon was!
Yet, the audience began to reason within themselves.
Who is this guy?
We know him. We know his folks, etc.
They began to look at where He came from rather than who He was.
Note: Honor looks PAST the person and TO the position.
Yet, because of all this, Jesus became limited because of their dishonor towards Him.
It didn't say He didn’t do mighty works, it said He COULDN'T do any mighty works.
Wow!
He is so amused at their disbelief, the Bible says He marveled.
The word marveled means “ to be filled with wonder or astonishment”.
Jesus only marveled in Scripture twice! We’ll look at the other aspect momentarily .
Note: We ask ourselves WHY there are no miracles today in America when they are in other countries…..I believe part of it is a lack of HONOR.
We’ve become too familiar with Jesus and His church. We’ve lost what I call “the awe factor”. Church has become routine and common place to many. We feel too comfortable being critical, as they were towards Jesus.
What else can we see about honor?
APPLICATION
Luke 7:1-9 NKJV
1Now when He concluded all His sayings in the hearing of the people, He entered Capernaum. 2And a certain centurion’s servant, who was dear to him, was sick and ready to die. 3So when he heard about Jesus, he sent elders of the Jews to Him, pleading with Him to come and heal his servant. 4And when they came to Jesus, they begged Him earnestly, saying that the one for whom He should do this was deserving, 5“for he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue.”6Then Jesus went with them. And when He was already not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to Him, saying to Him, “Lord, do not trouble Yourself, for I am not worthy that You should enter under my roof. 7Therefore I did not even think myself worthy to come to You. But say the word, and my servant will be healed. 8For I also am a man placed under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”9When Jesus heard these things, He marveled at him, and turned around and said to the crowd that followed Him, “I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!”


Honor goes against the grain.

- Here in America, honor is lacking. Just ask any school teacher.
- A lack of honor is in almost every arena of life.

Honor must be taught.

- In the homes.
- In the schools.
- In the government.
- In the church.

Honor produces manifestation

- In the Spiritual realm, when we honor God, it produces results!

Matters Of The Heart-5-Common Unity

This morning we continue with our Matters Of The Heart series. Pastor Brad teaches us about Common Unity. The text can be found in Acts 10:9-16.(NKJV)

Pastor's Notes:

Good morning, everyone!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this challenging series we’ve started this month. I have to admit, it’s been challenging! We’ve dealt with the affliction of offense, the cancer of bitterness, the lure of lust, and a heart to reach out to others.
Today, I also want to touch on a deal with a subject that affects people all around the globe: Racial differences.
This is certainly not a new problem. It has existed for years.
I’m glad that’s not a problem here in our church or faith community.
Woodward First Assembly is a church for all people!
So today, I want to continue in our series with a message I’ve entitled “Common Unity”.

I want to say “Thank You!” to my parents for raising me not to see color, but character. Being my family is from California originally, my family did not grow up with the racial stigmas that I found so prevalent in the deep woods of South Arkansas.
Let me explain:
ILLUSTRATION
My family left Los Angeles when I was five years old. We did so to follow my grandparents who had retired and were aging. Upon arriving, my parents were unable to find work that matched the previous income, let alone to match the bills that also decided to move to Arkansas with us! They filed bankruptcy and had to start life over.
Our town was very racially decided. As much as I hate to say it, the black people lived on one side of town, and the white people lived on the other.
I’m not talking about 1960 either!
Our house shared a property line with an African American family that my family grew to love. My mom and their mom were best friends, and we would spent time at their house often.
Their middle son and myself were about the same age, and we got saved around the same time. A local baptist church down the street from my house was having a vacation Bible school . I went on Monday and Tuesday and had a blast. The van would come by every day and pick me up. I was so excited, I invited my neighbor friend to come with me. His mother agreed, and on Wednesday, we both sat eagerly on my front porch at the allotted time waiting for the church van to come and pick us up.
As we saw it from a distance, our hearts began to get excited. Yet, as we got up to walk toward the street, the van got faster and left us standing my the road, with kids looking and pointing out of the back window.

At that point, I wasn’t sure what had happened. Was the the bus full? Did they have no more room?
On the next day, we received a knock at our front door.
It was the pastor of the Baptist church. My mom answered the door. She was shocked. The pastor answered “I’m here to pick Brad up for vacation Bible School”. My mom asked him about the blunder the day before. He replied “Your son is welcome, but the black boy is not. We don’t allow that kind at our church.”
My mom said “No thanks” and slammed the door in his face. She spoke to him in a tongue that needed no interpretation!
Talk about hurting two kids as children!Who are we to favor one race of people over another?
After all, we cant pick those things about ourselves. Look at what Paul said to the philosophers of Athens in Acts 17:26-27 NKJV
And He has made from one [a]blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
God is the one who picks these things about us.
TRANSITION
Yet, this is something that we even see in the early church.

BACKGROUND
In Acts 10, Jesus had to give Peter a vision of various types of animals that were unclean for Him to get the picture.

God was sending him to all nations!

This was difficult because up unto this point, the Jewish race was very prominent and to many were considered superior. Therefore, Peter couldn’t imagine dealing with a “lower” gentile.
However, thank God Peter had a change of heart. He went to Cornelius’ house and people were gloriously filled with the Holy Spirit. It was amazing. It was also a sign that God was indeed “pouring out His Spirit on all flesh”, just as Joel had prophesied.
Yet when the news was spread, the Jews got mad. Acts 11:3 records their vile attitude.Peter then had to “take them to school”.What does that tell me about racial attitudes?
They can be very hard to break, even among religious people.
I want to draw our application today from the words of Paul in Acts 17:26-27 NKJV, so please turn back over there for me.

APPLICATION
We all come from one blood
- We all come from Adam’s blood naturally.- We are united through Jesus’ blood spiritually. - We all bleed the same color blood!

God determines where we will be born
- People don’t chose to be white, black, Hispanic, etc. God chooses that for us.
- Therefore, to disregard someone due to race or color is to disregard the judgement of God and to destroy one made in His image.

He desires all mankind to seek Him
- God wants men to be saved. He wants us to seek after Him.
- That is something He put inside man when He created us.

There’s salvation for the entire human race
- He’s the God of all flesh.
- Revelation records a number of “every tribe, nation, kindred, and tongue”.



CONCLUSION
Since the common denominator for all of us is the blood of Jesus, let’s receive communion today!

Matters Of The Heart-4-Evangelism

In this podcast, Pastor Seth Cash continues our series. He teaches us that Evangelism is a Matter Of The Heart.

Matters Of The Heart-3-The Lure Of Lust

On this podcast, Pastor Brad will be teaching us about The Lure Of Lust. Part three of his series on the Matters Of The Heart. But first, we will hear from Misty Burdette and the miracle that God has done in her life.

Pastor's Notes:

TEXT: Matthew 5:27-30 NKJV
27 “You have heard that it was said to those of old,[a] ‘You shall not commit adultery.’[b] 28 But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

INTRODUCTION
Good morning, everyone!
I’m so glad that you’re here today. I’m loving this series. It has been challenging, to say the least, because Jesus is going straight for the jugular. He isn't sparing us any room to wiggle. He is going for the heart. That’s why this series is entitled “Matters Of The Heart”.
Today is no different. I have warned and let parents know that today is a pg-13 type message. I am quite certain that some will not like what I have to say. Some may ever say that the subject matter is “inappropriate”. I’m sure it will make you squirm in the seat a little.
We are in the mess we are in today because the church has been to silent on subjects we deem as TABOO.
Therefore, I will not be silent on a subject that even Jesus tackled and dealt with- That is the subject of adultery, pornography, and sexual sin.

ILLUSTRATION
It’s quite obvious that today's society is a sex saturated culture.
From commercials, magazine covers, and food advertisements, the human body has been used to sell products. Quite obviously, this is not new. Pornographic images have been found in the oldest of the Egyptian pyramids.
Not many years ago, you'd have to go to a smutty part of town to get pornographic material.
Today, free pornography is available via cell phones, computers, ipads, and televisions.
Parents would be wise to check behind their children to see what kinds of material they are viewing.
NOTE: Who cares if they say you are invading their privacy. If you live at my house and I pay for it, you have no privacy! Say amen, somebody!
No healthy parent wants to think about his child viewing pornography, but it often happens. Some researchers have stated that the average age of exposure to pornography is down to 8.
To be completely transparent, that's the age I remember being exposed to that kind of material from a family member.
IT IS A BIG DEAL!

64% of self-identified Christian men and 15% of self-identified Christian women view pornography at least once a month (compared to 65% of non-Christian men and 30% of non-Christian women).
37% of Christian men and 7% of Christian women view pornography at least several times a week (compared to 42% of non-Christian men and 11% of non-Christian women).
Apparently in this sexually saturated culture, lust is not just a problem for the lost, but in the church.
And don’t you dare think that the issue of lust and pornography is only an issue for men: 50 Shades Of Grey was marketed to women!

TRANSITION
Paul told Timothy
2 Timothy 2:22 (NKJV)
22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

To flee means to run!

Be like Joseph in Potiphar’s house. You must take off running. You CANNOT put any confidence in your flesh.

BACKGROUND
In our text, Jesus makes no bones about this issue. He is dealing with adultery amongst other things. Jesus makes it very clear that there’s more than just the action of physical adultery or murder. It’s what is in the heart.
Why?
Because the heart will eventually manifest into words and ultimately actions.

APPLICATION


DON’T DO IT!

- Adultery is defined as all sexual activity outside of the covenant of marriage.
- It is certainly the physical act of sex.
- it is breaking a covenant made to God and your spouse.
- Single people can commit adultery as well. It’s not just a married thing.
- Sex is good in context. God designed our bodies to work together. Outside of parameters, we open ourselves us to diseases, mistrust, abuse, divorce, among other things.
- It’s simply not worth it!

2.   DON’T ENTERTAIN IT!
-Actions begin in the mind, and what we allow in our eyes and ears affects our mind.
- Genesis 13:13 - Lot LOOKED toward Sodom. The next thing you read, he's there!
- What you constantly put in front of you will eventually become your reality.
- “It doesn't hurt if you only look.” Not true. Never forget:
- That is someones child.
- You are objectifying the human body.  
- You are rewiring your brain to respond to stimuli differently, and will affect your relationships.
- You are destroying trust.

3.   DON’T PUT UP WITH IT!
- Cut your hand off.
- Pluck your eye out.
Those things sound drastic, don't they? Well, they are!
We forget that we must also take part in our spiritual sanctification.
- How does that translate today? If your tv, internet, or devices are causing you to stumble, it would be better to get rid of them.

CONCLUSION