Fellowship Bible Church Sermons

The Exaltation of Christ

December 26, 2021 AM, Philippians 2:9-11.Last week we pondered the doctrine of the incarnation—
the in-flesh-ment of Jesus Christ in which He took to His
divine person and nature a human nature as well. In so
doing, He left the glorious place of open magnificence of
His deity beside the Father. However, he did not merely
come to join humanity as an exalted person. He came not
as great king or priest, but rather as slave subjected to
the most tortuous form of death then in use. If He did
that, how much more should we be willing to lower
ourselves in service to the Divine King?
By saying this, the apostle Paul has exhorted the believers
in Philippi to remove selfish ambition and conceit from
their motives. Instead, they were to humbly treat others
as better than themselves and to watch out for the
interests of others and not just themselves. (2:3-4). This
would propel them along toward the goal of being of one
accord and one mind (2:2). We too need to work very
diligently, by God's grace and through trust in Him, at
putting aside selfish ambitions and pride and exercising
true humility and concern for others.
We turn to the next three verses. Unlike last week when
the passage modeled a trait (humility) for us to cultivate
in our character, we cannot be like Christ in this way. Instead, we are called to worship Jesus Christ so as to honor
the Father. If you do not honor the Son, you do not honor
the Father.
A. If we are to do all things to the glory of God, this is one
way in which we can do so—to humbly receive Christ as
sovereign Lord, and confess Him as such.
B. Christians echo that honor of God every time they speak
and sing of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and every
time they live accordingly.
C. Finally, in following Jesus’s example of humility, we can
expect that we will please God and receive an
appropriate reward from Him. Remembering that those
who humble themselves will be exalted will help us even
when the humbling is beyond what we feel is fair or right.
Our Scripture reading was found in Ezekiel 20:27-49.

The Christian Doctrine of the Virgin Birth

December 26, 2021 SS, Various.The teaching of the virgin birth of Jesus is essential to the Christian faith in the following ways: 1) essential to the person of Christ 2) Essential to the work of Christ 3) essential to the integrity of God’s prophetic Word 4) Essential though it may not initially be understood 5) Essential because denying it indicates a lack of salvation. The Christian God can do a stupendous miracle like the virgin birth. Are there any other “gods” who can do the same? None! No other “god” has ever truly taken up residence in a man in such a way that He can be said to be the God-man. But Jesus Christ is that man!

Mary’s Thoughts of Christmas

December 24, 2021 PM, Luke 2:1-20, with a focus on 2:19.In tonight's Christmas service, Pastor Matt leads our study where we see how Mary, knew that certain promises had to be fulfilled, because the angel told her of some of them, and she knew others from the Old
Testament. She had to know that His death on the cross could not
be the end. Here are the promises she must have pondered: Mary must have pondered:
1. He will save His people from their sins (Matt. 1:21), indicated even in His very name.
2. He is the Son of the Highest and will be great. He is the Son of God.
3. He will sit on the throne of His father David.
4. He will reign forever and His kingdom will never end.
5. She also knew that this one was connected to the fulfillment of
the Abrahamic covenant, as indicated in her Magnificat.
Our Scripture reading was found in Matthew 2:1-23.

Wheat and Tares

December 22, 2021 PM, Matthew 13:24-30, 13:36-43.We conclude as did Jesus. "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" If you have any spiritual hearing, turn up the hearing aid and pay attention! Listen to the words of Jesus in the Bible. Pay attention and figure out if you are a wheat or a tare.

The Parables of Jesus, Part 2

December 19, 2021 PM, Matthew 13:10-17.The people of Israel rejected their king, that is, Jesus Christ. The Lord turns His attention in another direction. The Disciples were mystified by how Jesus taught in Parables. Jesus' parables reveals truth about the kingdom and at the same time it hides that truth from unbelievers. Parables are revealed to believers as a blessing, while parables to unbelievers are a judgement against them. The truth content revealed in the parables has to do with the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. There is a general principle given in v. 12 that we must take heed to: the person who has will be given more; and the person who
does not have will lose even what he does have. The "thing"
which is possessed is knowledge about the mysteries of the
kingdom of heaven. The implications of this statement are huge. If you believe and thus "have" a certain amount of God's revelation, that
knowledge can increase. It will not stay static. And this is what
you should want. Believe what God has given you and you will
receive more. If you want more, do something with what you
have already! If you ignore it, how do you expect God to "care"
to give you more? If you do not believe and thus do not "have" much or any revelation, then even that information and its positive effects
will degrade and become less and less. You might be an
unbeliever with some biblical literacy but no application. But
even that literacy will do you less and less good. Coming at this
from another angle, recognize that depravity is not static.
People get worse over time as they do not heed God's word. The principle of divine judgment, v. 13-15. Matthew records Jesus
here speaking of the people of His generation using words found in
Isaiah 6:9-10 about that generation. That was not a predictive
prophecy, but Matthew loosely refers to it as a prophecy in that
the idea is analogous or "translates" to the current situation. The principle of divine blessing, v. 16-17. If you can see and hear
(understand) the things Jesus says, you are blessed. Never forget
that. That blessing is not worked up from inside, but is given from
outside. This blessing is remarkable because many holy men of old
desired to see and hear what we see and hear, but could not
because of their placement in the chronology of world history and
divine revelation. You have the privilege to know revelation from
God that Abraham did not, that Moses did not; that David did not;
that Isaiah and Jeremiah and Ezekiel did not; that Daniel did not!
Think of it…and then remember the responsibility that it brings.
G. We have discussed reasons for the parables in general. Now I want
you to notice Mark 4:13. It indicates that a basic grasp of the
parable of the sower is the starting point for understanding the
other parables used in our Lord’s teaching. So this “first” parable
has a kind of "eye opening" function. It is a gateway, by
understanding it, to all the other parables. This is because it is a
very basic, entry-level lesson. It is not a secret key, but a
foundation upon which to build. By understanding and applying
this parable, you will demonstrate a basic grasp of the things of
God that indicates regeneration.
Our Scripture reading was found in 1 Chronicles 22:1-19.

The Humiliation of Christ

December 19, 2021 AM, Philippians 2:3-8.This morning we were privileged in celebrating Jesus Christs birthday through worship, bible readings, and a bible message. Christmas is part one of a three-part series of events in
which our Lord Jesus Christ was brought down to the
lowest depths of reality. Part one is the incarnation, part
two is the human life He lived for 33 years, and part
three is His death and resurrection for sinners. In comparison to Jesus:
A. We are not exalted. We never will be that exalted.
B. We are not that humble. Until we are that humble, we
have something to strive for.
C. We have not humiliated ourselves like He did. Too often
we think:
1. I need this or that. Look out for #1. But Jesus
concerned Himself with the needs of others.
2. I’m too good for that. But He took the form of a slave.
3. I’m too important to serve others, much less give
myself to them. But He did not come to be served, but
to serve and give His life as a ransom for many.
D. But what we have we ought to be willing to let go for
others. Jesus is our standard to strive for.
1. What would it be like if we had a church full of people
with “this mind” in them? What would it be like if we
had thousands of churches like that?
2. What would you be like if you had “this mind” in you?
3. What would Christmas be like around the globe if
everyone took to themselves “this mind”?
E. Maybe you are in a lower socioeconomic class. Jesus
understands where you are at. He went down to the
lowest of low. Look at His parents financial position at His
birth! Look at His torture and death.
F. Maybe you are having problems in your family or
workplace. Take on Christ’s attitude. No “holier than
thou” or “better than thou” attitude is becoming of a
Christian. Loving service is what ought to mark us—
toward our husbands and wives and children and
extended family and in our work place and in our church.
G. Maybe you don’t have the “I will” syndrome of Isaiah 14.
Perhaps it is the “I won’t” syndrome of rejecting the
Word of God, of rejecting humble service to others. “I
won’t do that for them!” That is a sinful attitude, not a
“Christ-minded” attitude. Would you humble
yourself to the lowest of lows because you love God and
people?” Jesus Christ has given us an example. We are
called to follow it.
Our Scripture readings were found in Luke 1:26-56 and Matthew 1:18-23.

The Coming Judgment on Edom, Part 5

December 19, 2021 SS, Obadiah.In this message speaker James Widgeon leads our study in the book of Obadiah. The Lord speaks through the prophet that judgement has come to Edom and her ruin has been brought through the nations sins and would be utterly destroyed. We review the covenant God established with Abraham as well as his sons Jacob who would father the nation of Israel and Esau who would father the nation of Edom. God has spoken that destruction and ruin will come to Edom because of how they mistreated their brother, the nation of Israel during their captivity.

The Parables of Jesus

December 15, 2021 PM, Matthew 13:10-17.In this message Pastor Matt leads our continued study in the book of Matthew, where we see the Disciples asking Jesus why he spoke to the people in parables. Jesus answered them, "because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given." Jesus spoke these words signifying that unbelievers would not understand His words because of the hardness of their hearts. Nevertheless, Jesus fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah which says, "hearing you will hear and shall not understand, and seeing you will see and not perceive; for the hearts of these people have grown dull. Theirs ears are hard of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, lest they understand with their hearts and turn, so that I should heal them." A believer can understand God's Word because their heart, mind, soul, and strength resides on drawing nearer to Him.

The Parable of the Soils

December 12, 2021 PM, Matthew 13:1-9, Matthew 13:18-23, Mark 4:1-9, Mark 4:3-20, Luke 8:4-8, Luke 8:11-15.This parable is given in all three synoptic gospels—along with the explanation. It must be very significant for the Spirit of God to include it in full three times. The condition of the good soil is characterized by things we can discern in all four of the soils. Several ingredients must be in place. We discern that the good heart is marked by:
(1) hearing the message of the kingdom and understanding it;
(2) accepting the kingdom message with lasting joy;
(3) enduring in adherence to the message;
(4) being devoted single-mindedly to the message;
(5) having a noble and good heart (Luke 8:15);
(6) producing fruit of various amounts.
Pastor Matt produced the above list by looking at the positive characteristics listed in Matthew 12:18-23, and then he turned each of the negative characteristics into its opposite.
B. Corresponding to this, we see that a bad response to the message
is marked by the various deficiencies in the three soils. Such
deficiencies include some combination of the following, each the
opposite of the above list:
(1) hearing but not understanding;
(2) not accepting; indifference or lack of gladness;
(3) stumbling when difficulties arise;
(4) being distracted by the things of life, money, pleasures;
(5) having an evil heart (negation of Luke 8:15);
(6) producing no fruit.
Your local agriculture extension soil testing service is a helpful tool to
test your garden's soil to see what ingredients it needs. Testing of a
person's heart soil is more difficult. Send your heart’s soil off to
Heaven for a soil test. Ask God, “Does my heart have these good or
bad characteristics?” What kind of heart soil do you have?
Our Scripture reading was found in 1 Chronicles 21:1-30.

Christ Honored in Life and in Death

December 12, 2021 AM, Philippians 1:19-26.Paul trusted he would be delivered to minister longer, but if not,
that Jesus Christ would be honored in him anyway. Like Paul, we can have a sense that as long as God is not ready to call us heavenward, we ought to have this mindset: to live is Christ, to minister for fruit, and to help other people grow in grace and joy in their faith. But when time comes to die, we can look forward to a far better situation. And like the Philippian Christians, we can strive to make progress and growth in our faith and to continue in joy.
Our Scripture reading was found in Ezekiel 20:1-26.