https://www.bible.com/events/49354939

Church of the Nazarene East Rockingham Campus

The Names of Jesus Part 1 East Rock

Emmanuel, God with us.

Today we begin our Advent teaching series “The Names of Jesus”

Throughout this series we are looking at a few of the different names that the scriptures give to Jesus. Names In the bible often hold far more meaning and importance than what we are accustomed to in our time. Names often spoke of a persons character and even their destiny. The same is true for Jesus.

We begin our series today with a name for Jesus found at the very heart of the Christmas story. Emmanuel.

Matthew 1:18-19

This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

Mary and Joseph are pledged or betrothed. Betrothal was similar to our idea of engagement, except it was legally binding. During this betrothal Mary has been found to be pregnant.

Here we need to slow down and walk with the characters in the story.

Mary was likely a teenager, pledged to be married. The gospel of Luke records that she was visited by an angle to tell her that she would bear a son. She knows the stigma that will bring. The potential punishment of stoning by the law. But, she says yes.

Jospeh. He’s been working hard to prepare his home. He loves Mary, they have hopes and dreams together. And now this.

This is the scene, this is the confusion, the tension, the hurt, the frustration and fear. Joseph ponders his options.

This is the story of God coming to be with us.

Matthew 1:20-21

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”

One night in the midst of this turmoil an angel of the Lord comes to him in a dream.

The angels message confirms Mary’s story that it was a work of the Lord in her life. She was telling the truth.

Joseph needed to go ahead and taker her as his wife. He had a part to play in what God was doing too

Matthew 1:22-23

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

As Matthew is recalling the story of Jesus’ birth, he pauses to help is readers make a connection.

Quoting from the Prophet Isaiah hundreds of years before Jesus was born, Matthew recalls the time when another child was born as a sign of God’s presence with his people and his faithfulness to them.

In the birth of Jesus, Matthew sees the prophet Isiah’s words fulfilled in a much more meaningful and powerful way.

What was true hundreds of years before in the nation of Judah, is now fulfilled completely in the coming of Jesus.

Jesus is not just another sign- he is literally God with us, stepping into our messy and complicated story for our salvation.

Emanuel is God with us.

Over the next few weeks as we journey towards Christmas, we will look at a few of the other names given to Jesus in the scriptures.

We will see Jesus as a wonderful counsellor, the prince of peace. He is Savior, sent to save his people from their sins. Then finally on Christmas Eve, we will see Jesus as the light of the world, dispelling darkness and brining hope

Each of these titles is revealing of the very nature and character of Jesus and they invite us to know him more. That’s certainly true of Emmanuel

The name Emmanuel invites us to recognize that God is with us. To believe that He is not aloof, unaware of the messiness and challenges of our daily lives. But he is with us, regardless of how we feel.

He is Emmanuel, God with us.

Ronda Paulson is the Founder and Executive Director of Isaiah 117 House. Isaiah 117 House is a nonprofit which provides transitional support for children in foster care and for those who come around those who come around those kids during that time. The Isaiah 117 House was founded on the scripture passage Isaiah 1:17
“Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows.”

Isaiah 117 House Rockingham website link

https://linktr.ee/isaiah117houserockinghamcova

https://www.bible.com/events/49351445

Church of the Nazarene East Rockingham Campus

ThanksGIVING Part 2 East Rock

“Generosity flows from a heart of compassion.”

Today we are concluding our 2-part teaching series on ThanksGIVING.

This series is not about a percentage to give, or a guilt trip into doing something. This is about coming to see God’s compassionate heart lived out through our generous actions in the world.

Today we are going to look at a story in the bible of people giving beyond their means.

Before we can dive into unpacking the teaching text of 2 Corinthians 8, we need to get a running start at what’s happening.

During this time the believers in Jerusalem were really struggling.

Scholars aren’t sure what exactly was happening in Jerusalem that led to such dire circumstances. Whatever the reason, the bible tells us people in Jerusalem were in need.

While all this is going on in Jerusalem, the Apostle Paul was traveling around the Roman empire preaching and teaching the gospel and he wanted to help.

As he was going to different cities to preach, he was collecting money to give to the church in Jerusalem to relieve their suffering.

As we come to our teaching text in 2 Corinthians 8, Paul is highlighting the generosity of one specific group of believers from the region of Macedonia.

2 Corinthians 8:1-2

And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. In the midst of a very severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.

As the Christians in Jerusalem were struggling, the Christians in Macedonia were having a hard time as well.

Here again, we aren’t exactly sure what was to blame for their plight. It’s believed that persecution of Christians was severe in this region effecting their ability to provide for basic needs.

Whatever the cause was, the language Paul uses to describe their condition is stark. He said they were under a “severe trial”. And it was so severe was the situation left them in extreme poverty.

The word here literally translated means “down to the depths poverty” or we might say- they were at rock bottom or dirt poor.

For all that their circumstances had taken from them, it did not take their joy. It didn’t stop them from taking action to love others.

But notice that as Paul holds up the example of the Macedonians, he says “Let me tell you about the grace God has given them”

This whole conversation about generosity is because the grace of God. It was his divine enablement, his favor at work in their lives.

2 Corinthians 5:3-4

because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life.

We don’t know how much they gave because Paul never tells us. And that’s probably because the amount doesn’t matter at all. Generosity is not about an amount.

Paul says they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond. I think what he is trying to say here is that they gave more than what was comfortable.

It was sacrificial giving, it stretched them, and they wanted to do it.

2 Corinthians 8:5

And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us.

For the Christians of Macedonia, their generosity was an outflow of their relationship to the Lord. They saw their generosity as and expression of love and devotion to the Lord.

They realized it was part of their service to him as their Lord and savior. Even in the midst of their own extreme trial and poverty, giving wasn’t an optional part of their lives. It was a priority.

That’s the Macedonian generosity.

For the remainder of Chapter 8 and all of Chapter 9 Paul talks and teaches about generosity following the Macedonian example.

I want to share some things that really stood out to me about the Macedonians story.

Here’s the question I have been asking: How do I take a step of faith in that direction?

The answer would be different for each of us, of course, but a few things have really stood out to me in this story.

They gave themselves to the Lord, they received his grace.

The kind of generosity the bible calls for, the kind that the Macedonians show us- It won’t happen on our own. If we are going to experience the kind of generosity we read about here- we have to start by giving ourselves to the Lord. We have to give our lives to him. We need to be experiencing new life in Christ, his transforming grace at work in our lives.

The Macedonians joyfully refused to miss out on what God was doing in their world.

They caught the passion and the vision of how God was moving to meet the tangible needs of people around them, and they weren’t going to miss it for anything. They believed in the mission of the church and they were willing to leverage their lives to see the mission happen. And friends, we too have to see the connection between our generosity and the movement of God’s kingdom in our world.

Finally, they acted on the call to generous living.

True generosity wont stay hidden inside our hearts or our minds, it MUST be expressed through actions in our world. We can talk about giving and generosity every Sunday of the year and not be any closer to what God really desires for our lives. We have to act. We have to give. Just do it.

That’s what the Macedonians did. That’s why we are talking about them 2000 years later.

Will you live into the grace of giving and see your world changed?

This Sunday and next Sunday we will be speaking on the topic of Thanks Giving. Today we are going to talk about compassion as an expression of giving thanks. As you know, the bible calls and teaches us to give generously of our time, talents, and resource to the people around us. And at times, to people we will never know and never see. Jesus helps us to live a generous life when we look at people through His eyes. At the center of the heart of God we find a spirit of extravagant generosity. This is a characteristic that God desires for each of His children to have. In one of the parables Jesus taught, He talks about eyes that looked at the same thing but see things differently. In it, Jesus gives us a powerful lesson on the significance of loving our neighbor. Transition I want to begin by asking you what these three words have in common? Deoxyribonucleic Acid, Ethos, and Identity. • Deoxyribonucleic Acid – also known as DNA is the molecule that constitutes the essence of who we are. • Ethos – is a characteristic spirit of a culture, era, community, or an organization as manifested in its beliefs and aspirations. • Identity – the fact of being who or what a person is. What these words have in common is that they all point to the essence and characteristics of what a person or an organization is and is known for. Hope Distributed From its beginning, the DNA, the Ethos, and the Identity of the Church of the Nazarene has been centered on expressing the generous and extravagant love of God to others in tangible ways. Since its beginning, our church has focused its mission evangelism, education, and compassionate ministry. Today we celebrate, with Hope Distributed, 20 years of compassionate ministry to our community. Hope Distributed was founded in October of 2004. The very first day we served 12 people, right here, from this kitchen that is to your right. The first year we served a total of 1,667 individuals and distributed 16,993 pounds of food. In the last 20 years Hope Distributed has served 412,638 individuals and distributed more than ten million pounds (10,272,718) of food. Video – play video HD 2024 If you have served and volunteer at Hope Distributed giving your time, talent and resources please stand up. On behalf of Jeff Wilhelm, Ellen Braun, and our board of directors I want to thank you for making a difference in our community. 2 Throughout the years many people have had a part in making this happen. Members of the Joy Group were instrumental in our success. Special thanks to Chuck Oster, Earl Clark, Dick Shoemaker, Ron Garber, and Marvin Varner. We have enjoyed a great partnership with the Blueridge Area Food Bank, food partners like Walmart, Food Lion, Target, and Martins. We have been blessed with great leadership from Vickie Waldrop, Jenny Meadows. We have been led well through the pandemic and into new growth with the leadership of Jeff Wilhelm and Ellen Braun. Countless lives have been impacted with the grace and love of God through Hope Distributed. Illustration To illustrate the impact that Hope Distributed has on a weekly basis you were given a 3×5 index card. It is possible that you may have lost it or misplaced it. That’s ok. If you have a card, and you remember receiving a card, please stand up. We distributed 400 cards. This number represents only half of the people that are fed through Hope Distributed every week. A total of 825 individuals receive food from Hope Distributed each week, every week of the year. Give Us Eyes to See Why do we do this? Because it is at the center of the heart of God. As a body of believers, it is our DNA, our Ethos, it is part of our identity. Jesus said: • Love your neighbor (Leviticus 19:18, Matthew 22:34-39). • For as much as you have done to one of the least of these you have done unto me (Matthew 25:40). Serving the needs of the poor and marginalized is equivalent to serving him directly. • I have come to serve not to be served (Matthew 20:28). • I have come to proclaim good news, freedom to the captives, heal the blind, and set the oppressed free (Luke 4:18-19) Parable of the Good Samaritan In Luke 10:25-37 we find what has become known as the parable of the Good Samaritan. The bible tells us that on one occasion an expert of the law stood up to test Jesus. He asked Jesus, “What must I do to inherit eternal life.” Jesus replied by asking him what was written in the law. The man responded saying “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus said to him, “Do this and you will live!” The man wanting to justify himself asked Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?” Jesus, if I am going to do this, who qualifies as my neighbor. Jesus replied by telling the man a parable. He said, a man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and left him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. Sometime later a Levite came to the place and saw the beaten man, he too passed by on the other side. But there was another man traveling on the road. When he saw the man beaten and half dead laying on the side of the road, he took pity on him. He 3 immediately went to his aid. He bandaged his wounds. He put the man on his donkey and took him to a safe place and took care of him. The next day he took his own money paid the owner of the establishment and asked him to take care of him and when he returns, he would reimburse him for any extra expenses. Then Jesus asked the expert of the law, “Which of these three was a neighbor to the man who was beaten and robbed?” The expert of the law responded, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him to do the same. Four Sets of Eyes This story reveals to us four sets of eyes. Four sets of eyes that teach us a powerful lesson about what it means to love our neighbor. The first set of eyes are . . . 1. Eyes of self-interest. The eyes of self-interest are representative of the robbers. They disregard rules and believe rules do not apply to them. They are inconsiderate. They only see what they can get. They are focused on their own interest and gain without regard to who gets hurt in the process. They take what is not theirs. They use, abuse, and take advantage of others for personal benefit. The eyes of the self-interested person only focuses on themselves. They are not concerned for others and how their thoughts or actions impact those around them. They take more than they give. They are quick to blame. They avoid responsibility. They lack empathy and compassion and are unwilling or incapable of putting themselves in someone else’s shoes. The eyes of self-interest have a hard time loving others, giving to others, and helping others. 2. Eyes of indifference. The second set of eyes are the eyes of indifference. These eyes represent the eyes of the Priest and the eyes of the Levite. The Priest was a man whose full-time ministry was to represent the people before God. He offered sacrifices and interceded for the forgiveness of sin and sought God’s favor and blessing for the people. The priest was to pray and intercede and care for the needs of hurting people. The Levites were temple assistants who helped the priests carry out their duties. The Priest and the Levite at different times arrived at the location where the man was. They saw the blood. They saw his wounds. They saw he was stripped of all his belongings and clothes. They saw he was beaten so badly that he was almost dead. They saw he was stripped of all his dignity. The Priest and the Levite were the most qualified to help and to respond. They were the most qualified to bring hope, relief, and salvation to this man. But they did nothing. They did not want to complicate their lives. They did not want to inconvenience themselves. They saw, but they ignored and were indifferent to the need of the man. They had eyes of indifference. 3. Eyes of desperation. The third set of eyes are the eyes of desperation, they represent the eyes of the man that was beaten and left for dead. These could also be the eyes of need, the eyes of hopelessness, or the eyes of brokenness. 4 If you have ever been robbed, you know that the range of emotions caused by such an event can be overwhelming. Shock, fear, anger, vulnerability, anxiety, and insecurity set in. The man in the story could have been someone’s dad, someone’s brother, someone’s son. Jesus does not say. All we know is that man was beaten, robbed, stripped of all his belongings. He is hurt, fearful, desperate, and broken. He sees a priest coming. He probably sighs with great relief. Here comes someone who represents God’s love, God’s care, God’s goodness, God’s compassion – but he does nothing. The man feels alone, abandoned, forgotten. These eyes of desperation are looking for someone to care, for someone to help, for someone to stand in the gap and make a difference. The eyes of desperation are all around us, looking for someone to make a difference. 4. Eyes of Compassion. The fourth set of eyes are eyes of compassion. These eyes represent the eyes of the good Samaritan. The bible says that the Samaritan saw him and took pity on him. He had compassion. Compassion means to be moved as to one’s bowels. In essence, it means to be moved deep within. It is to feel something deeply in your gut. Eyes of compassion move you to action at the sight of someone’s need. They move you to action when you see hurt, abuse, or injustice. Eyes of compassion causes you to put yourself in someone else shoes and do something about it. Jesus had eyes of compassion that moved him to action. Notice the following passages: Matthew 9:36 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 14:14 14 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick. Luke 7:13 Jesus responds to a widow who lost her son: 13 When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said, “Don’t cry.” Mark 8:2 tells us what he said about the crowd who followed Him: 2 “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. People with eyes of compassion don’t walk by and ignore the needs that surround them, they see and take action to meet the need. 5. God’s love transcends all boundaries There is one significant lesson Jesus is teaching us today as He did the expert of the law. Here is the point . . . Jesus showed that authentic love transcends all human boundaries of race, religion, nationality, economic class, and educational status. Meaning of Samaritan It is interesting that Jesus names a Samaritan to be the hero of the story. Today, we understand that a Good Samaritan is a person that does a good deed for someone who is in a bad situation that they cannot do anything about. 5 This was not the case in during the time of Jesus. In fact, a Samaritan was not considered to be a good or popular person. A Samaritan was a despised person by the Jews. The historian Josephus writes that 721 during the invasion and then captivity of the Northern Kingdom of Israel by Assyria, the Jews intermarried with the Assyrians producing a half-Jewish and half-gentile Samaritan race. To complicate matters, the Samaritans established their own temple, they had their own version of the first five books of the bible, and they rejected the writings of the prophets. When the Jews of the Southern Kingdom returned to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem they were opposed by the Samaritans. According to bible historians all of this contributed to the hatred between Jews and Samaritan. Jesus himself was not received well the Samaritan. On one occasion he asked the disciples to go to a Samaritan town to find lodging, but the people did not want Jesus to stay there. When James and John experienced this, they asked Jesus if He wanted them to make fire fall from heaven to destroy the Samaritan. Jesus did not share their sentiment, because their sentiment did not reveal the heart of God. Scripture tells us that Jesus ministered to a Samaritan woman (John 4:4-20) and that he healed 10 men from a Samaritan town who had leprosy (Luke 17:11-19). The expert of the law had a hard time with this parable. It exposed his bias, his indifference, his discrimination. Things that keep anyone from loving his neighbor. But Jesus reveals that authentic love transcends all human boundaries. Nothing should keep us for expressing it to others. Conclusion I pray that God would grant us eyes of compassion that move us to action. That move us to give generously to others as God has given to us

  JOSHUA 24:1

1. “Then Joshua assembled all the tribes of Israel at Shechem. He summoned the elders, leaders, judges and officials of Israel, and they presented themselves before God.

JOSHUA 24:2

1. Joshua said to all the people, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘Long ago your ancestors, including Terah the father of Abraham and Nahor, lived beyond the Euphrates River and worshiped other gods.

JOSHUA 24:3

3 But I took your father Abraham from the land beyond the Euphrates and led him throughout Canaan and gave

him many descendants. I gave him Isaac,4 and to Isaac I gave Jacob and Esau. I assigned the hill country of Seir to Esau, but Jacob and his family went down to Egypt.

 JOSHUA 24: 5-6

5 “Then I sent Moses and Aaron, and I afflicted the Egyptians by what I did there, and I brought you out. 6 When I brought your people out of Egypt, you came to the sea, and the Egyptians pursued them with chariots and horsemen as far as the Red Sea.

 JOSHUA 24:7

7 But they cried to the Lord for help, and he put darkness between you and the Egyptians; he brought the sea over them and covered them. You saw with your own eyes what I did to the Egyptians. Then you lived in the wilderness for a long time.

JOSHUA 24:8

8 “‘I brought you to the land of the Amorites who lived east of the Jordan. They fought against you, but I gave them into your hands. I destroyed them from before you, and you took possession of their land.

· THERE ARE 13 I’S IN THE FIRST 8 VERSES.

· GOD SPEAKS AND REMINDS THEM- I DID THIS

SLIDE 11: JOSHUA WARNINGS

· WARNINGS/ADISEMENTS STRAIGHT OUT OF V’S

14-15. WHAT DOES HE STATE THEY SHOULD DO?

 JOSHUA 24:14

14. “NOW FEAR THE LORD AND SERVE HIM WITH ALL FAITHFULNESS. THROW AWAY THE gODS YOUR ANCESTORS WORSHIPPED BEYOND THE EUPHRATES RIVER AND IN EGYPT AND SERVE THE LORD.

 JOSHUA 24:13

13. BUT IF SERVING THE LORD SEEMS UNDESIRABLE TO YOU, THEN CHOOSE FOR YOURSELVES THIS DAY WHOM YOU WILL SERVE, WHETHER THE gODS YOUR ANCESTORS SERVED BEYOND THE EUPHRATES, OR THE gODS OF THE AMORITES, IN WHO LAND YOU ARE LIVING. BUT AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD.”

PROMISE KEEPER

· 1997- LIVING IN PENNSYLVANIA

· ATTENDING A CHURCH

· GROUP OF MEN GOING TO DC TOGETHER

· WEEKEND SERIES OF MEETINGS/CHURCH SERVICES

· RFK STADIUM IN WASHINGTON DC (COMMANDERS)

· PASTOR JAMES RYLE (SMALL NOTEBOOK)

· 2ND LEVEL – CENTERFIELD

· I WAS DATING – LIVING AS A MISERABLE CHRISTIAN

· HAVING MOMENTARY FUN (SIN IS FUN)

· PASTOR RYLE SAID- YOU NEED TO END GAME TONIGHT

JOSHUA 24: 23

23. “NOW THEN,” SAID JOSHUA, “THROW AWAY THE FOREIGN GODS THAT ARE AMONG YOU AND YIELD YOUR HEARTS TO THE LORD, THE GOD OF ISRAEL.”

 JOSHUA 24:24

24. AND PEOPLE SAID TO JOSHUA, “WE WILL SERVE THE LORD OUR GOD AND OBEY HIM.”

JOSHUA 24:25

25. ON THAT DAY, JOSHUA MADE A COVENANT FOR THE PEOPLE, AND THERE AT SHECHEM HE REAFFIRNED FOR THEM DECREES AND LAWS.”

 JOSHUA 24:26

26. “AND JOSHUA RECORDED THESE THINGS IN THE BOOK OF THE LAW OF GOD. THEN HE TOOK A LARGE STONE AND SET IT UP THERE UNDER THE OAK NEAR THE HOLY PLACE OF THE LORD.”

· WORD FOR STONE HERE IS E’BEN

· SAME WORD USED FOR STONE IN GENESIS 28

· JACOB HAS AN ENCOUNTER WITH GOD

· WITNESS “YOU HAVE SEEN YOU’VE BEEN WITNESS TO GODS FAITHFULNESS” NOW WILL YOU BE?

_________________________________________________________

· LIFE GROUP CURRICULUM

· DR. BRIAN CHARETTE AUTHOR

· TITLE OF THIS LAST LESSON IS ‘ALL IN”

· WHERE DOES THIS PHRASE COME FROM?

·

VIDEO “ALL IN”

· STAKES RAISED

· MUCH ON THE LINE

· JOSHUA IS CLOSE TO THE END

 PRIDE

SIN

SLIDE 22: DIE

WHO WILL YOU SERVE ?

THE ISRAELITES SERVED MANY GODS

GOD OF FERTILITY

GOD OF CROPS

GOD OF RAIN

WE DON’T HAVE THAT AS MUCH NOW AS

I DECIDE NOW WHICH GOD I WILL SERVE OR

WHO WILL I SERVE- FOR MOST OF MY LIFE I HAVE SERVED ——- ME

THIS CHAPTER SAYS “I” (GOD SPEAKING 18 TIMES?)

I THEN HAVE TO WRESTLE WITH THE OTHER I-

ME

· LISTEN TO HOW HE ANTICIPATES

· SAYS ALL THIS AS IF THEY ARE NOT GONNA DO IT