2/16/25 Worship Service & Sermon: Growth in God’s Kingdom - Mark 4:26-29

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2/16/25 Worship Service & Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA.

Scripture: Mark 4:26-29
Title: Growth in God's Kingdom
Worship Leader: TJ Waldy
Speaker: Mark Estes

NIV: He also said, "This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain--first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.

NLT: Jesus also said, The Kingdom of God is like a farmer who scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, while he's asleep or awake, the seed sprouts and grows, but he does not understand how it happens. The earth produces the crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens. And as soon as the grain is ready, the former comes and harvests it with a sickle, for the harvest has come.

Notes:

1. Introduction: Parables as allegory
A. E.g. Pilgrim's Progress
B. Prodigal son
i. Some church fathers took it too far
ii. Hyper-allegorical
C. Avoid over-allegorizing and de-allegorizing
D. E.g. Wicked Tenants
i. Pharisees knew Jesus was talking about them

2. Why are parables hard to understand?
A. Key: Mark 4:10-12
B. Jesus' two-fold purpose in telling parables
i. Reveal the truth to his disciples
ii. Conceal the truth from the Pharisees
C. Why do this?
D. Parables were a form of judgment on Israel

3. The parable of the growing seed
A. Symbolism
B. Four principles
i. In both the growth of corn and the work of grace, there must be a sower
ii. In both the growth of grain and grace, much is outside our understanding or control
iii. True life shows itself gradually
iv. Grain isn't harvested until it is ripe

4. Applications

#parables #spiritualgrowth #God #seeds

12/22/24 Worship Service & Sermon: An Angel, A Virgin - Luke 1:26-38

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12/22/24 Worship Service & Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA.

Scripture: Luke 1:26-38
Title: An Angel, A Virgin
Speaker: Steve Estes
Worship Leader: TJ Waldy

26 In the sixth month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee,

27 to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary.

28 The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”

29 Mary was greatly troubled at his words and wondered what kind of greeting this might be.

30 But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.

31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.

32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David,

33 and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.”

34 “How will this be,” Mary asked the angel, “since I am a virgin?”

35 The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come on you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the holy one to be born will be called[a] the Son of God.

36 Even Elizabeth your relative is going to have a child in her old age, and she who was said to be unable to conceive is in her sixth month.

37 For no word from God will ever fail.”

38 “I am the Lord’s servant,” Mary answered. “May your word to me be fulfilled.” Then the angel left her.

Notes:

1. The angel

2. The place
A. Far from Jerusalem
B. Of "inferior Jewishness"
C. The town of Nazareth

3. The time

4. The virgin
A. Her need for a Savior
B. Her modest role
C. Her godliness

5. The conversation
A. Gabriel's graciousness and Mary's fear
B. Gabriel's reassuring message
C. Mary requests an explanation
D. Gabriel's astounding, mysterious answer
E. Gabriel's help to Mary's faith
F. Mary's courageous, submissive reply

6. The applications

#God #Jesus #time #gabriel #mary

7/21/2024 Worship Service & Sermon: The Death of Ahab - 1 Kings 22

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7/21/2024 Worship Service & Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA

Scripture: 1 Kings 22
Title: The Death of Ahab
Worship Leader: TJ Waldy
Speaker: Steve Estes

Notes:

1. A meeting between Ahab and Jehoshaphat
A. The significance of Gilead
B. Ahab proposes to retake Ramoth Gilead
C. Jehoshaphat's request

2. Pressure on Micaiah
A. The pressure in general
B. One pressure in particular

3. Micaiah speaks the truth
A. Micaiah's sarcastic sycophantic answer
B. Micaiah's serious, truthful answer
C. Micaiah recounts his vision

4. Micaiah is punished for speaking the truth
A. Zedekiah slaps Micaiah
B. Ahab incarcerates Micaiah

5. Ahab dies in battle
A. The battle proper
B. God's sovereignty in the battle
C. Ahab's burial
D. A summary of Ahab's life

6. A final word

#ahab #jehoshaphat #micaiah #God