Pleasant Garden Baptist Church Podcast (Sermons‪)‬ Pleasant Garden Baptist Church

1 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also.  - 2 Timothy 2:1-2 (ESV)




3 Important Questions 


1. Do I desire the strengthening of God to make me and keep me faithful? (2:1)


2. Will I commit to be a part of our spiritual parenthood process? (2:2)


3. Will I rejoice in the generational change taking place at PGBC? (2:2)

Luke 9:57-10:2, 17-21







I. Committing to Jesus Means Becoming Uncomfortable (vv. 57-58)


57 As they were going along the road, someone said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.” 58 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”




II. Committing to Jesus Supersedes All Other Commitments (vv. 59-60)


59 To another he said, “Follow me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 60 And Jesus said to him, “Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”


III.  Committing to Jesus Means Unconditional Service (vv. 61-62)


61 Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” 62 Jesus said to him, “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God.”




IV. Committing to Jesus Means Going Where He Sends (10:1-2)


After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them on ahead of him, two by two, into every town and place where he himself was about to go. 2 And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.




V. Committing to Jesus Produces Great Joy! (vv. 17-21)


17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!” 18 And he said to them, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you. 20 Nevertheless, do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven.” 21 In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.

1 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.” - Acts 13:1-3 (ESV)







Healthy Church = Healthy Mission

1. A healthy church thrives under shared leadership (13:1).

2. A healthy church pursues God’s guidance seriously (13:2).

3. A healthy church keeps the gospel central (13:2).




But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.  - Acts 1:8 (ESV)







4. A healthy church develops and deploys leaders (13:2).




If you are interested in finding out more about our Fall Leadership Training, drop me an email: 

robert.hefner@pgbc.com

1 There is an evil that I have seen under the sun, and it lies heavy on mankind: 2 a man to whom God gives wealth, possessions, and honor, so that he lacks nothing of all that he desires, yet God does not give him power to enjoy them, but a stranger enjoys them. This is vanity; it is a grievous evil. 3 If a man fathers a hundred children and lives many years, so that the days of his years are many, but his soul is not satisfied with life's good things, and he also has no burial, I say that a stillborn child is better off than he. 4 For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and in darkness its name is covered. 5 Moreover, it has not seen the sun or known anything, yet it finds rest rather than he. 6 Even though he should live a thousand years twice over, yet enjoy no good—do not all go to the one place? 7 All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied. 8 For what advantage has the wise man over the fool? And what does the poor man have who knows how to conduct himself before the living? 9 Better is the sight of the eyes than the wandering of the appetite: this also is vanity and a striving after wind. 10 Whatever has come to be has already been named, and it is known what man is, and that he is not able to dispute with one stronger than he. 11 The more words, the more vanity, and what is the advantage to man? 12 For who knows what is good for man while he lives the few days of his vain life, which he passes like a shadow? For who can tell man what will be after him under the sun?- Ecclesiastes 6:1-12 (ESV)







Theme: if you are looking for ultimate good anywhere but God, you’ll come up empty.




Looking for “ultimate good” in the wrong places: 







1. Wealth without enjoyment (6:1-2).

2. Children without honor (6:3).

3. Long life without peace (6:6).

4. Appetite without satisfaction (6:7-9). 




Chasing “ultimate good” from Ecclesiastes 6:







1. Be sure you identify your kryptonite.

2. Remember that God gives joy and satisfaction when we live in His ways.

3. Seek the great wisdom that lies with those who recognize God’s good rule.

10 “Go west and look in the land of Cyprus; go east and search through the land of Kedar. Has anyone ever heard of anything as strange as this? 11 Has any nation ever traded its gods for new ones, even though they are not gods at all? Yet my people have exchanged their glorious God for worthless idols!  12 The heavens are shocked at such a thing and shrink back in horror and dismay,” says the Lord. 13 “For my people have done two evil things: They have abandoned me, the fountain of living water. And they have dug for themselves cracked cisterns  that can hold no water at all!  Jeremiah 2:10-13 (NLT)




 We will choose daily the placement of our worship









1. Worship of our glorious God – v.11 


2. Worship of worthless idols – v.11

3. The Fountain of Living Water – v.13

4. The empty well of false hope – v.13




Jonah 2:8 (NIV84) - "Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs."

 

Jonah would ask:  Why would we ever cling to the empty promises of broken cisterns, when God promises to constantly refresh us with living water – Himself!

 

John 4:4-14

4 He had to go through Samaria on the way. 5 Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. 7 Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” 8 He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.  9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?” 10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” 11 “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? 12 And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?” 13 Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.”

 

1. Sin will always fail to satisfy. (John 4:13)




2. Jesus will forever provide what our souls crave. (John 4:14)


3. The flow within us is purposed to spill over from our lives. (John 4:14, 28-30, 39-42)

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”   Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)*




3 Important Parental Characteristics of God 







1. God is a life-giving God. 

2. God is a sending God.




3. God is a multiplying God. 







3 Important Implications for Us









1. We are parents-to-be! 

2. Parenting isn’t always easy.

3. Many celebrations await.









3 Applications









1. Let’s be intentional with the gospel. 

2. Let’s commit to multiplying. 

3. Let’s commit to gospel driven prayer.