Philadelphia

I. Forty-two Months!
A. Yahweh's vineyard problems...Isa. 5
1. Only bad grapes!...vs. 2-5
2. Lack thereof...vs. 13, 20
3. Scary Solution...vs. 26-30
B. The Beast!...Rev. 13 (compare 2 Sam. 24:13, 14)
1. Patient Endurance...vs. 5-10
2. The Mark...vs. 15-17
C. Laid Waste...Isa. 6
1. Again!...vs. 9-13
2. Righteous Slain?...Rev. 6:9-11

II. The Hour of Test!...Luke 21:34-36; Ps. 74
A. The church in Smyrna...Rev. 2:8-11
B. The church in Laodicea...Rev. 3:14-22
C. The church in Philadelphia...Rev. 3:7-13

III. Why Philadelphia?...Zeph. 2:2, 3; Hab. 2:1-4; Mark 13:32-37
A. They posess David-like qualities...Rev. 3:7; 1 Sam. 17
B. "Truly" live by Faith!...Heb. 10:37, 38; Matt. 15:44, 45; Luke 5:1-11; Matt. 9:9
C. Even when it hurts!...Ps. 15; 2 Cor. 6:14-18

IV. Yahweh's Rod and Staff!
A. You are not alone!...1 Kings 19:9-18
B. Goodness and love...Ps. 23

SONG: In the Light by DC Talk

The Hardest Thing: The Rich Man and Lazarus

The Hardest Thing: The Rich Man and Lazarus

I. Human Nature 

 A. The Prayer of Jabez...1 Chron. 4:9, 10 

 B. A "Good Man"...Prov. 13:22 

 C. Abraham, Isaac & Jacob...Gen. 13:1-7; 25:5, 6; 31:36-42 

 D. Solomon...1 Kings 3:5-14 

 II. The Story of a Rich Man 

 A. Luxury Everyday!...Luke 16:19-31 

 1. The Rich Man's problem...Luke 12:12-21; 16:25 

 2. Lazarus...Luke 16:20, 21, 25; Matt. 5:3-12 

 B. Their judgement!...Luke 16:22-26; Ps. 49:10-20; Mark 9:42-48; Matt. 19:16-24; Rev. 20:11-13 

 C. I have (5) brothers!...Luke 16:27-31; Matt. 7:24-27; Heb. 10:26-31 

 III. The Days of Noah 

 A. The wait!...Luke 17:20-37 

 B. Eating, drinking, marrying...Matt. 24:36-39 

 C. Noah's Example...2 Pet. 2:4-10 

 IV. All Other Things! 

 A. Ponder This...Ps. 8 

 B. Test Me!...Mal. 3:6-12 

 SONG: Every Time I Breathe by Big Daddy Weave

The Master of Deception!

I. "You positively will not die!"
A. Did Yahweh really say...?...Gen. 2:15-17; 3:1-3
B. "Yahweh knows"...Gen. 3:4, 5
C. A Fatal Lesson...Gen. 3:6-24

II. Evil Philosophy!
A. "Strike Everything!"...Job 1:1-12
1. Phenomenal!...Job 1:13-22
B. "Skin for skin"...Job 2:1-7
1. Once again...Job 2:9-13
2. Poor judgement (but typical)...Job 6:1-11
C. Setting the Record Straight!...Job 42:1-16

III. "All This I Will Give To You!"
A. "Just worship me"...Matt. 4:8, 9; Daniel 2:20-22; Ps. 72:1-11
B. Away from me, Satan!...Matt. 4:10, 11
C. Special Alert!...1 Pet. 5:1-9; 2 Cor. 11:1-15

IV. Ultimate Justice!...Rev. 20
A. He is abyssed...Rev. 20:1-3
B. First Resurrection!...Rev. 20:4-6
C. Everlasting Torment!...Rev. 20:7-10

SONG: Yahweh by Hillsong

Discerning the Will of Yahweh

I. The Eyes of Yahweh
A. Asa's final years...2 Chron. 16
1. The 'treaty"...2 Chron. 16:1-9
2. Sad ending!...2 Chron. 16:10-13
B. Early On!...2 Chron. 14
C. Even More Reforms...2 Chron. 15

II. Who Is Like Yahweh?
A. Remember the Recabites...Jer. 35
B. Amaziah???...2 Chron. 25; Ps. 33
C. Saul's Bad Judgement...1 Sam. 15

III. Foxes and Birds...
A. Teacher, I will...Matt. 8:18-22
B. Rich Fool!...Luke 12:13-21
C. Sons and Daughters vs. Pagans...Luke 12:22-34

IV. Nothing too hard!...Jer. 32
A. While in Prison...Jer. 32:1-15
B. Jeremiah's Prayer...Jer. 32:16-25
C. Once More!...Jer. 32:26-44

SONG: Empty Me by Chris Sligh

Learning from the Bereans!

I. "A Little Leaven"
A. Vain Worship!...Matt. 15:1-9
B. Major problems of the past, still present?...Matt. 23
1. Self glory...Matt. 23:1-12
2. Man-inspired tradition...Matt. 23:16-26
3. Arrogant men, rejectors of truth...Matt. 23:27-39; Prov. 1:20-31
4. Penalty for blindly following false teachers...Matt. 23:13-15; John 10:1-5, 14-16

II. The fruit that comes from earnestly pursuing truth!
A. Such large crowds...Matt. 13:1-17
B. Leaving her water jar!...John 4
1. Not sweating the small stuff!...John 4:1-26
2. Her efforts rewarded...John 4:28, 29, 39-42
C. The Bereans' Great Example...Acts 17:10-12
1. Super-hungry spiritually!...Acts 17:11; Matt. 5:6; Deut. 6:6-9
2. Reverenced Yahweh, not men!...Acts 17:11b; Acts 5:28-42

III. Dawning of a New Day!...Isa. 2
A. Good News!...Isa. 2:1-5
B. Not So Good!...Isa. 2:6-9
C. Restoration...Isa. 2:10-22

SONG: Hope Now by Addison Road

Behold, I Come As A Thief!

I. Incomparable Father!
A. Now I Know...Gen. 22:18
B. Wherever you set your foot...Josh. 1:1-10; 3:1-17
C. No beauty or majesty...Isa. 53
D. No greater gift...John 3:14-21

II. Mostly Misunderstood
A. Even his own brothers...John 7:1-13; 12:37-42
B. Above the law!...Heb. 10:19-39
1. Rejecting the law...Heb. 10:26-28
2. Trampling Yahshua...Heb. 10:29-31; Matt. 26:20-23; Deut. 18:17-19

III. Like a Thief!
A. Sell everything!...Luke 18:18-30; 14:25-33; 9:57-62
B. Learning from Noah...Matt. 24:36-44
1. The delusional...Matt. 10:37-39; 7:21-23, 26, 27; Luke 12:13-21
2. The Alert and Awake!...Matt. 7:13, 14, 24, 25; 19:23-30; 13:44-46

IV. After Judgement Rebirth!
A. My name!...Ezek. 39
B. All Things New!...rev. 21;1-8

SONG: From The Inside Out by Hillsong

Clear Out That Which Is Evil From You!

I. Lessons from ancient Israel
A. Many nations...Deut. 7:1-26
There was to be no mingling between Yahweh's people and the nations. Any mixing would become a snare for them. Needed to be separate.

B. All those who heard...Lev. 24:10-23
No games. Clear out the evil from among you. Shows how adamant Yahweh is about His name. When the person that blasphemed was cleared out, everyone realized the seriousness.

C. A Thousand From Each Tribe...Num. 31:1-21
They had not made a thorough destruction as Yahweh had commanded. Yahweh has not changed.

D. No prisoners!...Num. 21:21-35
These were large nations the Israelites defeated.

II. Understanding Rebellion Against Yahweh!
A. Where are you?...Gen. 3
Disobedience is rebellion against Yahweh. According to today's standards, "she just ate some fruit" and banishing them from the garden would be considered "radical". But for Yahweh, it's His standard. We must scrutinize ourselves daily to make sure we don't become permissive and go along with the world's standards.

B. What Then is this sound I hear?...1 Sam. 15
Saul's disobedience compared to divination and idolatry, rebellion against Yahweh. (v.22, 23)

C. Hananiah...Jer. 28
Yahweh didn't take lightly being portrayed in the wrong way. Yahweh is not permissive. He demands obedience, and rightly so. Hananiah took it upon himself to say what Yahweh was going to do, without hearing from Yahweh.

We can be a bad prophet to ourselves. If we're not in tuned to Yahweh, our thinking can get warped, not reading regularly, associating with those who don't love Yahweh, questionable entertainment, etc. We can start thinking this is okay.

III. Taking Action!
A. They mingled the holy race...Ezra 9-10:1-17
It doesn't get any more touchy than sending your children away. Showed loyalty, whether to family or to Yahweh.
It started with the leadership being affected (Ezra) by the disobedience.
We can not have a "private" or "secret" relationship with Yahweh. Others will know. People always know what we're excited, passionate about or love.

B. Unintentional sins...Num. 15:22-29
Atonement still had to be made. Still accountable for it. One can affect the congregation.

IV. Widsom's Call!
A. I love those who...Prov. 8:1-17
B. All who hate me!...Prov. 8:18-36

SUMMARY:
We have to daily watch and make sure we are not disobedient, especially by following our own feelings over Yahweh's word. We must cut ties with those who do not love Yahweh. If we have friends/family that do not love Yahweh that we socialize with, we should ask, "If we were in Israel in Ezra's time, or in Deuteronomy 7, what would have happened or how would Yahweh view us?" Yahweh doesn't change. Mal. 3. Remember sins of the churches in Pergamum at Rev. 2:14-16 and Thyatira at Rev. 2:20-23.

SONG: I Will Follow by Chris Tomlin