Sermons by Kyle Rye, Pulpit Minister (Page 18)
ALL ABOUT GOD
Handout It is very common for businesses and organizations to have a written mission statement. The purpose of such statements is to reveal the purpose of that particular entity. A purpose statement gives direction. A purpose statement establishes objectives. A purpose statement indicates a reason for existence. God has revealed His purpose for His people in His proclaimed will. This series of lessons will explore God’s stated purposes for His people so that our lives will be lived on purpose.…
You Are Sealed
Sometimes you receive a gift that you don’t quite understand how to use and sometimes you receive a gift that you intentionally or unintentionally abuse. One blessing that Paul identifies in Ephesians 1:13-14 that might qualify as such a gift is the Holy Spirit with whom he says believers “were sealed.” How are believers sealed with the Holy Spirit? What makes the Holy Spirit a “gift”? What is the benefit of being sealed by the Holy Spirit? Sermon Handout EPHESIANS…
You Are Free
One of our “in Christ” blessings that can be easily overlooked is our freedom. When we think about freedom, we tend to think about our freedom to worship without the threat of interference or persecution. While that is a great freedom in this country it is not a blessing promised to Christians in Scripture. The freedom that passages such as Galatians 5:1 and Romans 8:2 is offering is freedom from the Law. So, in this lesson we want to explore…
You Are Destined
Predestination is a controversial subject even though it is a biblical subject. Paul said in Ephesians 1:5 that God “predestined us for adoption.” What does that mean? Does it mean that God has predetermined our eternal state or does it mean something else? Predestination is identified as one of our spiritual blessings, so should we not be concerned with understanding it? In this lesson we will try to examine the biblical doctrine of predestination so that we can understand and…
You Are Heard
Scripture repeatedly presents prayer as a privilege (Matthew 7:7-8; Philippians 4:6; James 5:16; 1 John 5:14-15) and an expectation (Matthew 6:5-7; Ephesians 6:18; Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17), and, yet, it is so easy for us to neglect prayer. Why is prayer such a big deal? More importantly, why should we view prayer as a blessing? And, if prayer is so important, then should we not always be trying to improve our practice of it? Sermon Handout 1 JOHN 5:13-15…
You Are Chosen
Paul says in Ephesians 1:3 that God “has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing.” What do those spiritual blessings include? One spiritual blessing is that God “chose us.” Being chosen is the result of somebody intentionally setting their affection on you, and the Bible presents God’s love as something that was intentionally set on His people. Nowhere is this better demonstrated than through the life of the prophet Hosea. So, today we consider what we can learn about…
I am a Soldier
The identity of a soldier is prevalent in the writings of Paul. For example, Paul compared the Christian life to that of a soldier by informing us that “we are not waging war according to the flesh” (2 Corinthians 10:3), instructing us to “put on the whole armor of God” (Ephesians 6:10-18), and encouraging us to “fight the good fight of faith” (1 Timothy 6:12). So, what does it mean to be a part of the Lord’s Army and how…
I am a Bride
Throughout the Bible, the language of marriage is used to describe the relationship between God and His people. In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel was metaphorically identified as God’s bride or wife (Isaiah 54:6; Jeremiah 2:2; 3:20; Ezekiel 16:8). In the New Testament, the church is metaphorically referred to as Christ’s bride or wife (Romans 7:1-4; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:22-27; Revelation 19:7). What impact should our identity as Christ’s bride have on the way we live? Sermon…
I am a Friend
It may be difficult for us to wrap our minds around the concept that we can be called “Friends of God.” That description may sound a little too casual or irreverent. But that is exactly the title Jesus gave to us in John 15:14 when He said, “You are my friends if you do what I command you.” In fact, Jesus supplemented our identity as God’s “servants” with our identity as God’s “friends” (John 15:15). Based on our identity as…
I am a Witness
Just before His ascension Jesus told His disciples that “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8). A witness is an individual who can testify on behalf of another. For the Apostles such an identity made since because they witnessed the ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus. But how does such an identity apply to us? Can we serve as a witness for Christ if we…
I am a Servant
The identity of a servant was the most prevalent identity adopted by the New Testament authors (Romans 1:1; Philippians 1:1; Titus 1:1; James 1:1; 2 Peter 1:1; Jude 1:1; Revelation 1:1). In fact, Paul and Peter prioritized the title of “servant” above the title of “apostle!” Since servanthood was so prominent among first century Christians it should be no surprise that throughout the New Testament Christians are routinely identified as “servants” (Romans 6:22; 1 Peter 2:16). Why should we embrace…
I am an Alien
In 1 Peter 2:11-12, Peter wrote, “Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.” The author of Hebrews identified the heroes of faith as “strangers and exiles on the earth” (Hebrews 11:13). Why was this identity attributed to God’s elect, what do we learn about God’s expectation for His people from this identity, and how does it impact how we relate to the world around us? Sermon Handout 1…