People of the Free Gift

The Gospels: Full of Grace and Truth The Pharisee and the Tax Collector Luke 18:9-14   And he spake this parable with regard to certain people (Luke 18:9)   How CLOSELY do you read God’s word? Did he speak “to” certain people, or “about” certain people? Show me your view of the Bible and I will show you how effective it will be in your life Genesis 1-11 - Pre-scientific? Biblical Prophecy - apocryphal Heaven and hell - metaphorical Contradictions or no contradictions? Culture of the day or relevant to us? Do you take the Bible “seriously?” I have found that nothing is in the Bible by accident Numbers Colors Names Symbols The deeper you dig, the more you will find Prepositions   And he spake this parable with regard to certain people which trusted in themselves, trusting that they were righteous, and despised others: (Luke 18:9)   PRIDE or DESPAIR   “Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed this way with regard to himself,” (Luke 18:10-11)   WHO are you praying to? Does your God speak Elizabethan English? Does your God only respect the prayers of the Puritans? Does your God only answer prayers said having the right posture? Is your God only pleased if you say what he wants to hear? Are you praying for the benefit of others around you? Are you only interested in material answers to prayer? “God, I thank you, that I am not as other men [are], extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.” (Luke 18:11)   Except by the GRACE of God go I There’s one sense in which this is not a bad prayer The heart behind the prayer makes all the difference When you see a good man seek to emulate him. When you see a bad man, thank God for his grace   “I fast twice per Sabbath,” (Luke 18:12)   The role of FASTING   Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? [is it] to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes [under him]? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD? [Is] not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? [Is it] not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when you see the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? (Isaiah 58:5-7)   Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which sees in secret, shall reward thee openly. (Matthew 6:16-18)   So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do. (Luke 17:10)   “I give tithes of all that I possess.” (Luke 18:12)   The role of TITHING Leviticus 27   But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. (Luke 11:42)   The Pharisee presents his resume before God, and you can almost hear God, Jesus

Sermon Notes Pastor Jason Oakes Emmanuel Baptist Church July 16, 2017   The Gospels: Full of Grace and Truth As in the Days of Noah and Lot Matthew 24:36-44; Luke 17:20-37     And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, “The kingdom of God comes not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20-21)   An earth-shattering STATEMENT   “But of that day and hour knows no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, not even the Son, but my Father only.” (Matthew 24:36; Mark 13:32)   Why didn’t Jesus KNOW?   And he said unto the disciples, “The days will come, when you shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and you shall not see [it]. And they shall say to you, ‘See here; or, see there: go not after [them], nor follow [them].’” (Luke 17:22-23)   False CHRIST   For as the lightning, that lights out of the one [part] under heaven, shines unto the other [part] under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.” (Luke 17:24)   RAPTURE vs. second COMING Rapture Christ comes in the air Only his own see him Prior to wrath Can happen at any moment   Second Coming Christ comes to the earth Every eye shall see him After wrath Scheduled and precise “But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.” (Luke 17:25)   Stealing their THUNDER   “But as the days of Noah [were], so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” (Matthew 24:37-39)   The days of NOAH   And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them, That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they [were] fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose. And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also [is] flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years. There were nephilim in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare [children] to them, the same [became] mighty men which [were] of old, men of renown. And GOD saw that the wickedness of man [was] great in the earth, and [that] every imagination of the thoughts of his heart [was] only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repents me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD. (Genesis 6:1-8)   “Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed [them] all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.” (Luke 17:28-30)   The days of LOT   And the men said unto Lot, “Do you have any here besides yourself? Son in law, and your sons, and your daughters, and whatsoever you have in the city, bring [them] out of this place: For we will destroy this place, because the cry

  The Gospels: Full of Grace and Truth Gratefulness Luke 17:5-19 Connect with Us Archived Messages - www.peopleofthefreegift.com/bookstore Facebook - www.facebook.com/peopleofthefreegift Choose “Emmanuel Baptist Church Roundup” as your charity of choice on smile.amazon.com Donate - Click on the “shop now” button at www.facebook.com/ebc.roundup Prep for Next Week Begin studying - As in the Days of Noah and Lot - Matthew 24:36-44; Luke 17:20-37 Pray for an opportunity to invite a friend to church or share the gospel with them Follow-up Discussion Questions Is the concept of praying for God to increase your faith, desire, love, hope, etc… a new concept, or a familiar one? How do we keep a proper balance in our prayer life and perspective between “Everything is possible ….. within God’s will” From the last few weeks: How do we keep a proper balance between our relationship with God as “son” and “servant?”  Why is doing things out of “duty” a bad thing? How does mercy and grace keep us from going down the road of entitlement? How can we become better at thanking God and people? 1.  You impose unrealistic demands onto your family, children, friends, acquaintances, lovers, employees, and/or employers.   2.  You tend to feel sorry for yourself if things don’t work out the way you wanted (self-pity), and openly advertise this in melodramatic, attention-seeking ways.   3.  People have called you a “bully”, “manipulative”, “ruthless”, “egotistical”, “vain”, or a “liar”.   4.  You believe that you deserve happiness and go to great, sometimes extreme lengths to ensure that happens, often at the expense of others.   5.  You punish people when they don’t do what you want either passively (e.g. silent treatment, gossiping, spreading rumors) or aggressively (e.g. shouting, verbally/physically abusing).   6.  In order to “succeed” in life, you believe in going to any lengths.   7.  You constantly see other people as competition or “threats”.   8.  You tend to exhibit many double-standards in the way you behave/interact with other people, e.g. I can be late and forget my duties and commitments, but YOU can’t; I can treat myself, but YOU can’t; I can abuse or disrespect you, but YOU can’t.   9.  You tend to take more than you give in friendships and relationships.   10.  You tend to look out for yourself, your needs and desires more than anyone else almost 100% of the time.   11.  You have a hard time negotiating or compromising.   12.  You have a deep-seated conviction that you have priority and should always come first, even at the expense of stepping on others.   13.  People always seem to be offended or upset by what you do or say.   14.  You generally think that you are better, or more important, than other people and other people should see this and unquestioningly respect you.   15.  You crave admiration and adoration.   16.  You like to assert your dominance or superiority over other people, finding it second nature.   The power of “thank you” People are 50% more likely to offer more help Directly tied to how somebody feels about their relationship with you Motivates Creates good will Makes peace Solidifies love and commitment The Thanker Produces positive emotional state Increases sense of well being Triggers ‘feel good’ hormones Re-enforces virtuous cycle in your brain The Thankee Feels higher levels of self worth Triggers greater desire to help Thanker Trigger

The Gospels: Full of Grace and Truth Rich Man and Lazarus Luke 16:19-31 Connect with Us Archived Messages - www.peopleofthefreegift.com/bookstore Facebook - www.facebook.com/peopleofthefreegift Choose “Emmanuel Baptist Church Roundup” as your charity of choice on smile.amazon.com Donate - Click on the “shop now” button at www.facebook.com/ebc.roundup Prep for Next Week Begin studying - Gratefulness - Luke 17:5-19 Pray for an opportunity to invite a friend to church or share the gospel with them Follow-up Discussion Questions True or false, and why? “This is not a parable” Do you understand the distinction between Hades/Sheol and Gehenna/Heaven? Do you understand the distinction between Abraham’s Bosom and “the place of torment” in Hades/Sheol? Let’s have an honest discussion about the concept of “torment” and “flames” in connection with “the place of torment” in Hades/Sheol and Gehenna. True or false, and why? “There is no salvation after death” Why is a proper belief about the afterlife important as a Christian? Why is a fascination with the dead harmful to your Christian life? True or false, and why? “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”   If you would like information about FREE access to Right Now Media, please contact me via the website or Facebook.  

The Gospels: Full of Grace and Truth A Lesson in Stewardship Luke 16:1-15 Connect with Us Archived Messages - www.peopleofthefreegift.com/bookstore Facebook - www.facebook.com/peopleofthefreegift Choose “Emmanuel Baptist Church Roundup” as your charity of choice on smile.amazon.com Donate - Click on the “shop now” button at www.facebook.com/ebc.roundup Prep for Next Week Begin studying - The Rich Man and Lazarus - Luke 16:19-31 Pray for an opportunity to invite a friend to church or share the gospel with them Follow-up Discussion Questions What does it mean to be a steward? What are we a steward over? How do you feel you are doing as a steward? How can we as a church help you in your stewardship? What do you think of Jesus’ use of this parable to teach stewardship? What can we learn and apply from this parable of the unjust steward? How can we grow in our faithfulness “now?” What is the proper balance between watching your wallet and watching your heart?