Oaks Parish

Oaks Parish

por Oaks Parish
Cristianismo
Temporada 2

Sermon: The Battle Belongs to the Lord (June 9, 2024)

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 17:20-50 Bryan Buck Quotes for Reflection Jeremiah 9:23-24 Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD. Caesarius of Arles, Sermon 121.4, Sixth Century All that we read prefigured in David at that time, dearly beloved, we know was accomplished in our Lord Jesus Christ; for he strangled the lion and the bear when he descended into hell to free all the saints from their jaws. William Blaikie, Expository Lectures on 1 Samuel Should we not pray more really, more earnestly if we did realize these possibilities? . . . Is it not a good habit, as you kneel each morning, to think, ‘For aught I know, this may be the most important day of my life. The opportunity may be given me of doing a great service in the cause of truth and righteousness; or the temptation may assail me to deny my Lord and ruin my soul. O God, be not far from me this day; prepare me for all that Thou preparest for me!’ Richard D. Phillips, The Reformed Expository Commentary David’s response to the situation at Elah teaches us that the great affairs of life are all essentially theological. What we do with our lives, how we decide whom to marry, or not, what priorities we pursue, or whether we witness the gospel to friends and neighbors all reveal what we really believe about God. Regardless of our formal profession of faith, if we seldom act on the basis of biblical truth, we show that the world holds greater sway over our minds and hearts than God does. If we shrink from doing difficult things for God, we show that we think him weak, distant, or indifferent. Heath Thomas & J.D. Grear, Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Samuel Goliath is not really the problem here. A leather strap and a little rock can fix him. The real menacing giant in this story is the unbelief that dominates the hearts of God’s people. The obstacle is not found in God; it is not found in God’s opponents; it is found in God’s own people. I suspect God was more insulted by Israel’s disbelief than He was by Goliath’s blatant, blasphemous defiance. Application Questions 1. What feels overwhelming right now? 2. What does this story have to say about our tendency to trust in outward appearance? 3. How can trust in the victory of Christ change how you approach a particular this week?
T2 · E40
10 jun 2024
28:29

Sermon: Appearance vs the Heart (June 2, 2024)

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 16 Bryan Buck Quotes for Reflection Isaiah 53:2 (NRSV) He had no form or majesty that we should look at him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. Paul David Tripp Even if your struggles are your own making and your problems are caused by your foolishness, God still offers his forgiving and rescuing grace. Tim Chester, 1 Samuel for You Samuel had to appoint a king. In a sense it is a task we all have. We must choose who will be king over our lives. Who or what will have our ultimate allegiance? It might be a person. It might be an ideology. It might be material possessions. It might be ourselves—our comfort or power or pride. There might be a number of things competing for our allegiance. But something will rule our hearts. How will we decide? Heath Thomas & J.D. Grear, Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Samuel Most of us have tried to measure up to the world’s criteria, but few people ever feel as if they have succeeded. The stress of trying to have the perfect body, a successful career, a conflict-free family—all these have eluded us. It comes as refreshing, freeing news that God is not particularly concerned with our earthly successes. Application Questions 1. Man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart. Why can we call this gospel-centered evaluation? 2. How might your life change by seeing yourself and others as the Lord sees? 3. How does David’s ministry to Saul epitomize gospel-centered evaluation and help us understand the ministry of Jesus in our own life?
T2 · E39
3 jun 2024
27:22

Sermon: Put to Death the Deeds of the Flesh and You Will Have Life (May 26, 2024

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 15 Pat Roach
T2 · E38
28 may 2024
19:41

Sermon: By Many or By Few (May 19, 2024)

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 14 Bryan Buck Quotes for Reflection Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation Why should I fear anything that cannot rob me of God, and why should I desire anything that cannot give me possession of Him? Tim Keller, Prodigal God A person motivated by love rather than fear will not only obey the letter of the law, but will eagerly seek out new ways to carry out business with transparency and integrity. Heather Thomas & J.D. Grear, Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Samuel You can always tell whether a tree is rooted in the ground by seeing if it grows and bears fruit. For instance, a live Christmas tree, after it has been in the house for about a week, starts to deteriorate—the needles fall off and it bears no cones. Likewise, Saul did not bear fruits of victory and true righteousness because he was not planted in the Lord. Tim Chester, 1 Samuel for You In faith, we can attempt brave things for God. But Jonathan is more than an example; he is also a pointer to Jesus, and we must not miss the thrill. We can be brave because Jesus has won the victory by descending to the cross. He has gone through the jaws of death, and death consumed him. But he has risen again to overcome sin and death. In 1 Samuel 14, we are not to place ourselves in Jonathan’s shoes; Jesus is the one who has stood there, cosmically and finally. We are called to follow; to trust the Son, who takes us through death and to life, and to trust him enough to walk behind him. Application Questions 1. How did Jonathan experience blessing from trusting faith? How have you seen this true in your own life? 2. How does fear affect our ability to trust God? 3. How does the gospel idea of ransom set us free for faith?
T2 · E37
20 may 2024
28:03

Sermon: A Renewing Faith (May 12, 2024)

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 12:1-23 Bryan Buck Quotes for Reflection C.S. Lewis, Collected Letters You surely don’t mean feeling that we are not worthy to be forgiven? For of course we aren’t. Forgiveness by its nature is for the unworthy. You mean feeling that we are not forgiven. I have known that. I ‘believed’ theoretically in the divine forgiveness for years before it really came home to me. It is a wonderful moment when it does. Dane Ortlund, Deeper At conversation we walk out of the courtroom, but throughout our lives of discipleship we suffer from gospel amnesia and keep walking back in. 1 Samuel for You Israel’s new start with a new king has foundered because the underlying unbelief and disobedience of humanity in Adam has not changed. We need a king who will not only rescue us from our enemies, but also from ourselves. We need a king who can take on sin and liberate us from our slavery to our sinful desires. We need a king who obeys God in all circumstances, even when put under the pressure of unfavourable circumstances. Saul is not that man. So his kingdom will not endure. Richard D. Phillips, The Reformed Expository Commentary There is no situation and no problem in which Christians cannot be blessed by God’s mighty help, if only we will turn to the Lord in sincere faith, humble ourselves before him as our Lord and God, and renew our commitment to walk in his Word. This is the all-purpose solution to every problem, and it works because God is so gracious and ready to receive his erring children as to put his blessing upon our heads. Repentance, faith, and new obedience are the way forward for every Christian from wherever we are, good or bad, right at this moment. Application Questions 1. Consider a recent failure. What does it tell you about your relationship with God? 2. How does the gospel uniquely enable confession that leads to freedom? 3. Samuel’s description of life-giving faith can be summarized as awareness, reliance, and remembrance. Which of these three elements stands out for you as a means of growing in the gospel this week?
T2 · E36
16 may 2024
30:07

Sermon: Long Live the King! (May 5, 2024)

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 10 Bryan Buck Quotes for Reflection C.S. Lewis, Three Kinds of Men The price of Christ is something, in a way, much easier than moral effort-it is to want Him. It is true that the wanting itself would be beyond our power but for one fact. The world is so built that, to help us desert our own satisfaction, they desert us. War and trouble and finally old age take from us one by one all those things that the natural Self hoped for at its setting out. Begging is our only wisdom, and want in the end makes it easier for us to be beggars. Even on those terms the Mercy will receive us. Timothy Keller, Counterfeit God’s (2009) One of the signs that an object is functioning as an idol is that fear becomes one of the chief cornerstones of life. When we center our lives on the idol, we become dependent on it. If our counterfeit god is threatened in any way, our response is complete panic. We do not say, “What a shame, how difficult,” but rather “This is the end! There’s no hope!” This may be a reason why so many people now respond to U.S. political trends in such an extreme way. When either party wins an election, a certain percentage of the losing side talks openly about leaving the country. They become agitated and fearful for the future. They have put the kind of hope in their political leaders and policies that once was reserved for God and the work of the gospel. Richard D. Phillips, The Reformed Expository Commentary We do have a choice. Everything that Saul represents is still alive today, enthroned in the worldly seats of power and holding forth enticing calls for our submission and worship. We have a choice between Saul, whose name identifies him as the king that the unbelieving world asked for, and Jesus, whose name identified him as the Savior sent by God to deliver his people from the penalty and power of their sins (Matt. 1:21). Our choice—to embrace the world or trust in Christ—will determine the kingdom in which our salvation will be found: either an earthly reign of unrighteous expedience and fleshly power or an eternal and heavenly kingdom of righteousness and peace. Application Questions 1. How does fear separate us from God? 2. Why does the gospel give us a true sense of confidence? 3. How might God be calling you to step out in trusting faith this week?
T2 · E35
7 may 2024
29:46

Sermon: Put Your Trust in YHWH, the Orchestrator of Your Destiny (April 28, 2024)

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 9 Quincy Robinson
T2 · E34
29 abr 2024
24:22

Sermon: The Demand for a King (April 21, 2024)

Scripture Text: 1 Samuel 8 Bryan Buck Quotes for Reflection Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Ethics Do and dare what is right, not swayed by the whim of the moment. Bravely take hold of the real, not dallying now with what might be. Not in the flight of ideas but only in action is freedom. Make up your mind and come out into the tempest of living. God’s command is enough and your faith in him to sustain you. Then at last freedom will welcome your spirit amid great rejoicing. Tim Keller, Reason for God Jesus is the only Lord who, if you receive him, will fulfill you completely, and, if you fail him, will forgive you eternally. J.D. Greear, Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Samuel All earthly kings disappoint. But God is an altogether different King. He showed Israel time and time again that He had been faithful to them, even when they were not. They were unbelieving in the wilderness, but God gave them manna. They served idols, which led to other nations afflicting them; but when they called out to God in repentance, He immediately came to their aid and delivered them. Here is a King who not only supplies the needs of His own but also forgives and has mercy on those who fail Him. Why would anyone desire another king than Him? Application Questions 1. What is your typical response to seasons of confusion? How might that be happening right now? 2. Israel wanted a king. What was the difference between how they imagined kingship and the reality of it? 3. Why does God tell Samuel, “listen to their voice”? How have you seen God work in this way in your own life?
T2 · E33
22 abr 2024
27:17

Sermon: Communion of the Saints (April 14, 2024)

Scripture Text: Psalm 133; Hebrews 12:1-2 Pat Roach Quotes for Reflection Mary Shelley, Frankenstein I collected the instruments of life around me, that I might infuse a spark of being into the lifeless thing that lay at my feet. It was already one in the morning; the rain pattered dismally against the panes, and my candle was nearly burnt out, when, by the glimmer of the half-extinguished light, I saw the dull yellow eye of the creature open; it breathed hard, and a convulsive motion agitated its limbs. Application Questions 1. Where is Jesus present in the world? In Portland and the Metro Area? How do you know? 2. Who or what is it that compels you to be a part of Oaks Parish? 3. When you look around (Portland, Oaks, the mirror) - do you see a need for freedom or legal strategies of behavior modification?
T2 · E32
14 abr 2024
17:48

Sermon: Pascha Nostrum (April 7, 2024)

Scripture Text: 1 Corinthians 5:7-8; Romans 6:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:20-22 Quotes for Reflection N.T. Wright, The Challenge of Easter The church, the followers of Jesus Christ, live in the bright interval between Easter and the final great consummation. Let's make no mistake either way. The reason the early Christians were so joyful was because they knew themselves to be living not so much in the last days (that that was true too) as in the first days - the opening days of God's new creation. What Jesus did was not a mere example of something else, not a mere manifestation of some larger truth; it was itself the climatic event and fact of cosmic history. Thomas Merton, New Seeds of Contemplation Ultimately the only way that I can be myself is to become identified with Him in Whom is hidden the reason and fulfillment of my existence. Therefore there is only one problem on which all my existence, my peace and my happiness depend: to discover myself in discovering God. If I find Him I will find myself and if I find my true self I will find Him. Tim Keller, Every Good Endeavor Christians should be aware of this revolutionary understanding of the purpose of their work in the world. We are not to choose jobs and conduct our work to fulfill ourselves and accrue power, for being called by God to do something is empowering enough. We are to see work as a way of service to God and our neighbor, and so we should both choose and conduct our work in accordance with that purpose. The question regarding our choice of work is no longer “What will make me the most money and give me the most status?” The question must now be “How, with my existing abilities and opportunities, can I be of greatest service to other people, knowing what I do of God’s will and of human need? Application Questions 1. What has Easter meant to you in the past and how might that change after today? 2. What is one area in your life where you need to consider yourself dead to sin and what would it look like to be alive in Christ? 3. What flag can you plant in the soil of your vocation that signals there’s a different way to be human, a gospel way?
T2 · E31
10 abr 2024
28:24
13 de 31