Fear Not!

Fear Not!

Dave Riddle - 12/3/2023

Key Passage: Genesis 15:1

The Origin of Unhealthy Fear

- Genesis 3:10

- Sin > Shame > Fear > Hiding

Healthy Fear

- Icy roads, dangerous situations, etc

- Reverential awe for God

- Proverbs 9:10

- When this healthy fear is missing the result is not good.

- Romans 3:10-18

- Psalm 36:1

- Matthew 10:28

- Hebrews 10:31

Fear Not / Do Not Be Afraid

- First instance of this common phrase

- Genesis 15

- “I am your shield”

- Your protection. Your security

- God doesn’t want to leave us in a place of fear, shame, sin, and hiding.

- He wants to have a relationship of hope, joy, peace, and love with us.

- James 2:21-23

- Abraham: friend of God

- John 3:16-17

God’s Love Conquers Fear

- 1 John 4:10

- He loved us first. Not because we loved Him.

- 1 John 4:18

- There is no fear in love

- Perfect love drives out fear

- 2 Timothy 1:7

- God did not give us a spirit of fearfulness

- Revelation 2:10

- The last instance of “fear not”

- From Genesis to Revelation

There is nothing that can separate you from the love of God.

We Are That Household

We Are That Household

Dave Riddle - 11/19/2023

Key Passage: Hebrews 3:1-6

We are Partners in a Heavenly calling

- Hebrews 3:1

Consider Jesus

- Hebrews 3:1

The Sent One & High Priest

- Hebrews 3:1 - “The apostle”

- John 3:17

- Hebrews 2:17

- Moses sometimes acted as a priest but never a High Priest

The Household of God

- Hebrews 3:2

- Numbers 12

- oikos (Greek: οἶκος) - an inhabited house, a physical dwelling place. Also, the inhabitants of a house, all the persons forming one family - a household.

- Hebrews 3:3-4 - If everything is built by God and Jesus is the builder, then Jesus is God.

- We don’t marvel at the house itself. We marvel at the builder

- Hebrews 3:5-6

- Moses was a servant in God’s household

- Jesus is the faithful son over God’s household

- We are that household

- Philippians 2:15

- Titus 1:7

- 1 Tim 3:15

- 1 Peter 4:17

- 1 John 3:1

We His People - We Believe

We His People - We Believe

Dave Riddle - 9/3/2023

Key Passage: John 3:14-16

You may have heard “Hope is not a strategy”

• There is some truth to that popular saying.

• But hope IS an essential part of our faith.

• 1 Corinthians 13:13

• Hebrews 11:1-3

• Romans 15:13

We Believe

• We are people of faith.

• John 3:14-16

• Ephesians 2:8-9

• Saved by faith though grace.

• Romans 5:1-2

• Faith and hope

We often struggle to live by faith

• So often, we walk by what we see, know, and feel, rather than walking by faith.

• Galatians 2:20

• 2 Corinthians 5:7

• walk = peripateo (Greek: περιπατέω) literally: to tread all around, walk at large. Figuratively: to live, to make one’s way, to regulate one’s life, to conduct oneself

• Are you living in a manner consistent with your confident belief in God’s promises?

• 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

• We do not focus on what is seen!

On what our whom do you set your eyes?

• What/who are you chasing?

• Are we people who live by faith?

• Romans 8:24-25

The Canaanite Woman’s Faith 

• Matthew 15:21-28

• Great faith is powerful

The Disciples failure to heal

• Matthew 17:14-21

• Little faith is powerful

The Fiery Furnace

• Daniel 3

• We have faith even if God doesn’t answer our prayers.

• We have faith even in death.

Do you believe?

• John 11:25-26

God Hates Murder

Walk & Believe

Walk & Believe

Dave Riddle - 2/26/2023

Key Passage: John 12:34-41

A Rebuttal

• John 12:34

• You say the messiah will be “lifted up”/glorified/killed but that’s not what we have heard…

Jesus Responds

• John 12:35-36

• For Jesus, Walk and Believe are synonymous.

• Watch for these words through the end of the chapter.

Isaiah’s Prophecies Revealed in Jesus 

• John 12:37-41

• The Word of God will either spur us on to action or it will condemn us.

Joyful Generosity

House Rules - Joyful Generosity 

Dave Riddle - 11/20/2022

Key Passage: Mark 12:41-44

Joyful Generosity 

Recognizing that all we have is a gift from God and learning to share what we have.

God Gave

• God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son. John 3:16

  • Jesus is the embodiment of generosity.

Generous: A readiness to give more of something that what is expected 

Jesus Gave Willingly

• John 10:18

Jesus Gave Joyfully

• Hebrews 12:2

Jesus Gave Purposefully

• 1 Peter 3:18

Jesus Gave Sacrificially

• Philippians 2:6-8

Our Generosity Should Be a Reflection of God

• John 13:34

Generosity is An Attack On a Would-Be “King”

• Matthew 6:24

  • Money = mamōnas (μαμωνᾶς) - Mammon - everything we pursue in life. Riches, treasures, dreams, feelings, idols. Everything that isn’t God.

  • Consumerism vs Generosity

Five Resources to be Generous With 

• Physical Capital

• Intellectual Capital

• Relational Capital

• Spiritual Capital

• Financial Capital

An Example of Generosity 

• 2 Corinthians 8:1-9

• 2 Corinthians 9:6-7

Life in the Spirit

House Rules - Holy Spirit

Dave Riddle - 10/16/2022

Key Passage:  John 14:16-17

Life in the Spirit

• walking in the power and leadership of the Holy Spirit, while bearing spiritual fruit and utilizing spiritual gifts.

A Promise Fulfilled

• John 14:16-17

  • We need help!

• John 16:7

  • Jesus was leaving, but He didn’t leave us without help!

  • Helper = paraklētos - summoned, called to one's side, esp. called to one's aid. One who pleads another's cause before a judge, a pleader, counsel for defense, legal assistant, an advocate. One who pleads another's cause with one, an intercessor. In the widest sense, a helper, aider, assistant

Friendship

• Holy Spirit “…is the loving, self-communicating, out-fanning and out-pouring presence of the eternal divine life of the triune God. By the Spirit, God draws near to the creature and mediates a knowledge of divinity in a hundred thousand ways.” - Jürgen Moltmann

Conviction

• John 16:8-9

  • We are completely dependent on the Holy Spirit bearing fruit in our gospel work and in our lives.

New Life

• Acts 2:37-38

• John 3:5-6

• John 6:63a

Empowered Life

• Acts 1:8

• 2 Timothy 1:7

  • Power = dynamis (Greek: δύναμις) strength, ability of power, especially inherent power, residing in something (or someone) by virtue of its (or their) nature.

• Galatians 5:16

Changed (Fruitful) Life

• Galatians 5:22-23

• Galatians 5:25 - If we live by the spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit

  • Keep in step = stoicheo (Greek: στοιχέω) -literally, to march in military rank; to proceed in a row as the march of a soldier. Figuratively, to conform (in virtue, piety)

Gifted Life

• 1 Corinthians 12:4-7

  • We are strengthened by each other’s gifts.

• 1 Corinthians 12:12

Directed Life

• John 16:3

• 1 Corinthians 2:14

Eternal Life

• Ephesians 1:13-14

• Ephesians 4:30

United Life

• 1 Corinthians 12:13

• koinōnia (Greek: κοινωνία) - fellowship, association, community, intimacy, joint participation (the share which one has in anything), communion.

Our Upside Down Mission

Message begins around 35 minutes

Our Upside Down Mission

Dave Riddle • 04/03/2022

Key Passage: Matthew 4:19

Our God is both Sent and Sender

• John 3:16-17

• John 17:1-4, 18

• John 20:21

Jesus followers are “sent ones”

• Matthew 4:19

  • A challenge and a new identity

• Mark 3:14

  • Why? To send them out.

  • Not to continue living their lives the same way they were before.

    • We say we believe… but we live like universalists.

• Do we see ourselves as “sent ones”?

  • To whom are you sent?

What does this calling look like?

• Matthew 28:18-20

  • Salt and light

• Acts 1:18

  • You will receive power…

  • You will be my witnesses…

• Matthew 28:19

  • Therefore go and make disciples…

• 2 Corinthians 5:20

  • We are Christ’s Ambassadors

Our Content and Our Conduct

• both must be in line with God’s calling for our life.

• We can stand for everything that’s true, but does our conduct repel people before they can hear our words?

• Philippians 2:14-16

  • Blameless, pure, faultless…

    • A high calling!

  • Hold firm to the word of life and hold it out to the world.

Hearts for Redemption and Restoration

• We are citizens of God right now… But it’s not yet fully realized

  • An “Already… not yet” reality.

  • Citizen of the Kingdom of God should be our primary identity here on earth.

• Revelation 21:5

United So The World Will Know Jesus

Message starts around the 30:00 mark

United So The World Will Know Jesus

01/30/2021 - Dave Riddle 

Key Passage: John 17:21 - 23

Mission:  That The World May Know

• John 17:21 - 22

• Our works are NOT the gospel, but they can hinder or facilitate the gospel.

  • Our unity accelerates the impact of the gospel.

  • Our disunity is a hindrance to the gospel.

    • It tarnishes God’s reputation.

Message: The love of God

• A message that needs to be spoken.

• A message that manifests in our relationships with one another.

  • John 17:23

  • John 3:17

  • Where have you been sent? What is your context?

  • John 13:34-35 - love one another… by this all people will know you are my disciples.

    • 1 John 3:11 - We MUST love each other.

The Impact of Hope

The Impact of Hope

12/5/2021 - Dave Riddle 

Psalm 42:11 - why are you overcome with despair? Hope in God!

• We are the people of Hope.

  • Surrounded by despair, but not living in despair.

How is it that we can be legitimately hopeful?

God is.

• He exists

• Jeremiah 10

  • The worthlessness of idols compared to a true God. (10:10)

    • Jeremiah 10:16

God is here.

• Matthew 1:23 - God is with us.

• Hebrews 1:3a - Jesus is God in the flesh

  • Philippians 2:5-7

God is love.

• 1 John 4:8-9 - God is love.

• John 3:16-17 - How much God loves us.

• Titus 3:4-7 - what it means for us.

God is Salvation.

• Roman 8:38-39 - there is nothing that can separate us from the love of God.

• Hebrews 1:3 - God the Savior

God is King.

• 1 Thessalonians 4:13 - don’t live as those who have no hope

  • Ephesians 2:12 - We were… without Christ, without God, without hope. No longer!

• 1 Timothy 6:13-15 - Celebrating his first coming while awaiting his second coming!

  • God will make all things new!

• Hebrews 10:23 - hold tightly, without wavering, to the hope we affirm…

How can we embrace hope today?

Receive this truth in faith

• 1 Peter 5:7

Reflect on how God is providing hope in your life

• Psalm 9:1

Encourage another Jesus-follower you’ve seen exhibiting hope.

• 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Share hope with someone in your missional context.

• 1 Peter 3:15

An Omitted Passage?

An Omitted Passage?

Dave Riddle 9/12/2021

Key passage: John 7:53-8:11

Not included in most of the oldest manuscripts.

• not commented on by the early church fathers until the 10th century.

• Writing style is more like that of the synoptic gospels than that of John.

Nobody likes getting caught at fault.

The standard for this accusation was fairly high.

• the quality of the evidence and the quality of the witnesses were both important.

• John 8:4 - this woman was caught in the act.

  • Where’s the man? Possibly a trap?

The law says… what do you say?

• they were not telling the full truth.

  • Leviticus 20, Deuteronomy 22

  • Where is the man?

• Only the Romans had authority to enact capital punishment.

  • “What do you say Jesus?”

• Lots of people were participating in adultery.

  • “Do they all deserve this punishment Jesus?”

• They were trying to trap Jesus with a difficult situation.

  • “We’ve got him! There is no right answer.”

How Does Jesus Respond?

• John 8:6

  • He ignores it.

  • He has another plan.

• What did he write?

  • The sins of the accusers?

  • His official sentencing of the accused?

  • Exodus 23:1?

    • Do not spread false reports…Don’t help a wicked man by being a false witness.

      • A warning to the accusers.

  • We don’t know.

The accusers are just as guilty as the woman.

• Busted! Caught in the act!

  • Nobody picks up a rock.

Who is left?

• The only one who could rightfully pick up a rock.

This is the story of YOU and me!

• we all stand before a holy God as broken people who have been caught in the act.

  • Jesus didn’t condemn her and he doesn’t condemn you!

• “Go and sin no more”

  • He didn’t condemn her, but he also didn’t condone her sin.

• We don’t know how she responded.

  • How will you respond?

• John 3:16-17 - He came, not to condemn, but to save!

  • When we deserved the “rock of execution” he became the “rock of our salvation”.

Hope - God in Our Midst

Hope - God In Our Midst

Christmas 2020 - 12/6/2020 - Dave Riddle

We Can Have Hope!

• Psalm 42:11 - Hope in the Lord!

• Psalm 62:5 - He is my only hope.

Why?

He is

• Jeremiah 10:10a - YHWH is the true and living God!

• Jeremiah 10:16 - Not just a passive idol, but the creator of everything!

He is here

• Matthew 1:23 - Immanuel (God with us)

• Here, and involved

  • Hebrews 1:3

  • Philippians 2:5-7

  • Colossians 1:15

  • 1 Peter 5:7

He is love

• 1 John 4:8 - God is love

• John 3:16 - God loved the world in this way...

• Titus 3:4-7 - love, grace, mercy, salvation

He is Savior

• Jesus / Yeshua / Joshua - The Lord Saves

• Romans 8:38-39 - there is nothing that can separate you from the salvation that Jesus has provided to you

• Hebrews 1:3

He is King!

• 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 - this life is not the end!

  • 1 Timothy 6:12-15

Jesus Vs. John

Jesus Vs. John

The Gospel of John - Part 6 - 9/20/20

Key passage: John 3:22-30

Nicodemus - Four Object Lessons

Nicodemus - Four Object Lessons

The Gospel of John - Part 5 - 9/13/20

Key passage: John 3:1-21

Nicodemus - John 3:1-2

• A Pharisee (3:1)

  • Very strict adherence, in all possible ways, to the rules.

• A “ruler of the Jews” (3:1)

  • Well educated

  • Wealthy aristocrat

• He came to Jesus at night (3:2)

  • He, most likely, wanted to be discrete.

• “These signs must be from God” (3:2)

Four Object Lessons

Birth - John 3:3-7

• “Unless someone is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

  • How can this be?

• Jesus was using imagery that Nicodemus should have understood as a Pharisee.

• “Born of the water”

  • Could be a reference to baptism or simply a reference to natural birth.

Wind - John 3:8-10

• John 3:8 (HCSB): The wind  blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going.  So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”

  • Ezekiel 36:26-27

  • There is some mystery when it comes to this transformation.

• “How can these things be?”

  • John is using Nicodemus’s density as an ironic foil for Jesus’ wisdom.

  • John 3:10 (HCSB): Are you a teacher  of Israel and don’t know these things?”

Snake - John 3:14-18

• Just as Moses lifted up the snake... the Son of Man must be lifted up.

  • Numbers 21:4-8

  • In the same way that the Israelites suffered from snake venom, we all suffer from the venom of sin in our lives.

  • In the same way that the snake was lifted up to save the Israelites, Jesus was lifted up on a cross to save all who look to Him.

    • John 3:16-18

    • Romans 8:1 - there is now, therefore, no condemnation for those in Jesus Christ.

Light vs Darkness - John 3:19-21

• The light came into the world, but the people loved darkness. (3:19)

• Everyone who does evil hates the light. (3:20)

• Those who live by truth come to the light (3:21)

Sent in His Name

Sent in His Name

Dave Riddle - 11/10/19

Key Passage: John 3:14-17

God is both Sent and Sender

• John 17:18 - “As you sent me into the world, I also have sent them into the world”

Jesus Followers are “Sent Ones”

• Matthew 4:19 - follow me and I will make you fish for people.

  • Not, “I will make you perfect people”

• Mark 3:13-14 - apostles (sent ones)

  • They were with him

  • They were sent out

Salt & Light

• Matthew 5:13-16

  • Useful

  • Representatives of Christ

• Philippians 2:15

Ambassadors

• 2 Corinthians 5:20

• Representing Jesus in everything we do.

• He is making his appeal through us

Witnesses 

• Acts 1:8

  • As witnesses, the only thing we’re called to be is truth tellers.

  • Not the judge, jury, prosecution, or defense.

  • We are witnesses that Jesus is alive and that he has changed our lives.

Disciple-Makers

• Matthew 28:19 - therefore go and make disciples of all nations...

Content and Conduct

• We have something to tell

  • euaggelizō (Greek: εὐαγγελίζω) - to announce good news ("evangelize") especially the gospel.

• The way we live should show evidence of the Holy Spirit working in our lives.

  • The life of a Jesus follower should be aligned with the truth of God’s word.

Redeem and Restore

• Has the Kingdom been fully realized? No. But we’re called, as members of the Kingdom, to play a role in that restoration.

  • Revelation 21:5 - “Look, I am making everything new”

What does it look like to live life as a Sent One?

• That’s going to look different in each of our lives. One thing is certain though, for followers of Jesus, it isn’t optional.