WHO IS JESUS? Part 1

AN INTRODUCTION
November 25, 2007
with Adam Waters

I AM....
I am Adam Waters
I am husband, father, son, brother.
I am prophet, pastor, counselor, friend.
I am a Michigan football fan, Illinois basketball fan.
I am 6-3, 220lbs, bald.
I am a homeowner, a dog-lover, a food-lover.
I am completely in love with Jesus.

GOD JUST IS!
Exodus 3:13-15 But Moses protested, “If I go to the people of Israel and tell them, ‘The God of your ancestors has sent me to you,’ they will ask me, ‘What is his name?’ Then what should I tell them?” God replied to Moses, “I Am Who I Am. Say this to the people of Israel: I Am has sent me to you.” God also said to Moses, “Say this to the people of Israel: Yahweh, the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob—has sent me to you. This is my eternal name, my name to remember for all generations.

WHO IS JESUS?
**The word/voice of God became human and dwelt among us for a time in order to bring us back to closeness with the Father.
**Jesus was fully God and fully human and His birth, life, death, burial and resurrection are the ultimate act of reuniting love from the Father
**Jesus is the word, firstborn, the way, the truth, the life, the bread from Heaven, son of God and son of man, lamb of God, the lion of Judah, the one who saves, messiah, redeemer, healer, Immanuel, grace, King, cornerstone, faithful and true, Rock, righteous, Lord, rabbi, alpha, omega, beginning, end, light (of the world), is, was, is to come , prince of peace, vine, son of David , our helper, the Gate, the preparer of heaven, one who sits at God’s right hand, the Christ, He is in the Father and the Father is in him.

JESUS IS THE I AM
**Either He's telling the truth or He's a liar. There is NO middle ground!
**This holiday season, we're asking you to make a choice about who you think Jesus is.

1 Samuel 8

1SAMUEL 8:1-9
with Jason Hunley
November 18, 2007

Jason took sometime to introduce himself and his ministry to our preschool (birth thru Kindergarten) children at the church that he and his wife administrate. This was good facetime for our community since we usually keep him locked away in the basement.

Jason introduced his sermon by talking of Israel's history of rebellion against God and how he had saved them through His judges. Next, he read this text:

1 Samuel 8:1
As Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons to be judges over Israel. 2 Joel and Abijah, his oldest sons, held court in Beersheba. 3 But they were not like their father, for they were greedy for money. They accepted bribes and perverted justice.
4 Finally, all the elders of Israel met at Ramah to discuss the matter with Samuel. 5 “Look,” they told him, “you are now old, and your sons are not like you. Give us a king to judge us like all the other nations have.”
6 Samuel was displeased with their request and went to the Lord for guidance. 7 “Do everything they say to you,” the Lord replied, “for it is me they are rejecting, not you. They don’t want me to be their king any longer. 8 Ever since I brought them from Egypt they have continually abandoned me and followed other gods. And now they are giving you the same treatment. 9 Do as they ask, but solemnly warn them about the way a king will reign over them.”

After reading this passage, Jason shared some personal stories of how God had "allowed him to fail" throughout his life. These were brutally honest and real times when it was hard to see God's purpose through the harships. In the end: We must realize that nothing happens by chance and that God has a plan even through our struggles and especially through our failures.

"Every wise person is marked by the scars of perseverance." Erwin McManus

BALD PROPHET: Part 9

"EXPECTATIONS"
November 11, 2007
with Adam Waters

On thursday this week, I threw my sermon out the window...

INTRODUCTION
My norman sermon prep has about 8 steps.
1- outline months of sermon series
2- pic out my texts
3- themes for each text
4- specific series within the larger concept
5- brainstorm concepts for each theme
6- study my texts
7- outline a specific sermon
8- saturday night prayer

2Kings 8:7-16
**I thought this story of Elisha was so cool.
**Looking at someone and talking from God was awesome
**I wanted to talk with you about expecting to hear God's voice.

HAZAEL changed all that
**I realized when looking at this story that maybe we don't need a lesson on expectation again.
**maybe we do expect something
**How may of you have trouble reading the Bible sometimes?
**My experience is not that God doesn't speak me, but tha the majority of the time his voice convicts me.
**John 16 says that the Holy Spirit's role is "conviction and leading us to truth"
**I realized (like Hazael) that sometimes God tells us things that we don't want to hear.

INTERACTION WITH SCRIPTURE FROM AN EXPECTANT PERSPECTIVE
**our God is alive, active and knows the details of life.
**he is holy - both loving and just.
**In His wisdom, he inspired his servants to write down his truth so that future generations could hear his voice.
**His messages to us are sometimes filled with hope and grace.
**His messages to us are sometimes hard to swallow because they cut us to the core of who we are (Hebrews 4, 2Timoty 3)

MATTHEW 10
**our kingdom call has both hope and conviction in it
**read all 40+ verses of Matthew 10 and receive this hard message for us who follow Jesus
**Our challenge: to read our Bibles this week even if its hard, especially when its hard

MY EXPECTATION
That the power of God's voice can change your life this week!

BALD PROPHET: Part 8

"EXPECTATIONS"
November 4, 2007
with Adam Waters

Introduction
· Horses wear blinders. Many of us walk into worship the same way. We're focused looking straight forward: pick up coffee, drop off kids, go find seat. We don't come expectantly!
· We wait in line because at the end we expect something great! Would you be willing to wait in line for the church service? Do you come expecting something great during the music of this service? Do you come bringing whatever you've got to give to God and anticipating His presence?
· Expect God’s presence when you COME TO WORSHIP.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT SOME PEOPLE WHO EXPECTED GOD’S PRESENCE IN WORSHIP.

· ELISHA: (2Kings 3:15) “Now bring me someone who can play the harp.” While the harp was being played, the power of the Lord came upon Elisha.
· wE Talked about harps. They were not some huge gold triangular thing. But rather a guitar-like instrument.


· SAMUEL/SAUL: (1 Samuel 10:5-6 5) “When you arrive at Gibeah of God, where the garrison of the Philistines is located, you will meet a band of prophets coming down from the place of worship. They will be playing a harp, a tambourine, a flute, and a lyre, and they will be prophesying. At that time the Spirit of the Lord will come powerfully upon you, and you will prophesy with them. You will be changed into a different person.”
· DAVID: (1Chronicles 25: 1) David and the army commanders then appointed men from the families of Asaph, Heman, and Jeduthun to proclaim God’s messages to the accompaniment of lyres, harps, and cymbals. Here is a list of their names and their work…
· PAUL: (1Corinthians 14:26) Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you.


CHALLENGE:
o Are you ready for God to open your eyes…
o During worship?
o For His voice to speak to you?
o For the Spirit to come on you?
o For your change?
o For your strengthening?