Unwavering Hearts of Worship in Warfare (Psalm 108)

Unwavering Hearts of Worship in Warfare

(Psalm 108)

In Psalm 108, David declares that his heart is fixed (unwavering, steadfast) upon His God. He exclaims, "I will awaken the dawn!" in worship of Him. I will sing loud among all the people. The occasion is that a real and very present threat against him and his people has come– a very real and present war has arrived. For David, the reality of God is his all-consuming focus, and unwavering worship is his weapon. Satan hates worship. We can become easily distracted with a hundred disappointments, conflicts, irregularities, challenges and yes, demonic opposition too. My prayer for us is that, like David, we have hearts fixed on God and unwaveringly worship in the real and present spiritual war we wage each day. 

May our hearts be unwavering in our worship of God (1081-4). 

  • for His love is unwavering for us. It measures beyond the heavens. 

  • for His faithfulness is unwavering toward us. It reaches to the clouds. 


May our exaltation of God be in accordance with his immeasurable love and the reach of His faithfulness (108:5).

What unwavering worship and exaltation accomplishes for us.

  • It helps sets our hearts right as we face distress and it postures us to depend solely on His holy promises (v6-12).

  • It helps set our faith properly in God so we can win great victories and accomplish great things through Him (v13). 


“Worshiping God in the Wilderness” (Psalm 63)

Introduction: Each Psalm is about an experience in life with God. Psalm 63 was written by King David during one of the most stressful and agonizing "wilderness" experiences of his entire life. Even still, David worships his God. Even still David longs for God more than anything–even the very things that keep him alive like food and water. He remembers his God is better than life. So no matter what He will keep blessing Him as long as he lives. Psalm 63 teaches us to worship in the wilderness.

Summary of David's "wilderness" experience with God (Ps. 63:9-11; 2 Samuel 15-19). 

  • A conscious and conniving effort to remove David from being King was enacted (2 Sam. 15:4-6).

  • David must flee for his life into the wilderness (2 Sam. 15:12-14, 23).

  • David does what is right and resolves to let God do whatever he decides is good (2 Sam. 15:24-26). 

  • David refuses to seek revenge or curse in return when slandered, leaving everything in God's hands (2 Sam. 15:28-16:12).


What the wilderness taught David and what it teaches us today.

  • The wilderness tested David’s resolve to keep God as His God & develop an appetite for Him above all else (v1).

  • The wilderness taught David to long for & appreciate the “sanctuary” experiences with His God (v2).


  • The wilderness taught David that God’s love is “better than life” and to bless Him as long as he lives (v3-4).

  • The wilderness taught David to fight by faith in the future promises of God knowing he will be satisfied (v5-6).

Questions for Whole-hearted Worshipers - Psalm 150

What?

Praise the Lord!

Halal- to shine, to glory, to boast

For whom?

Praise..the Lord!

Don’t worship what man’s hand has crafted (idols)

Don’t worship what God’s hand has created (nature)

Don’t worship what man’s mind has concocted (speculations)

Where?

Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty expanse.

Immanence of God- He is near us, with us, and within us.

Transcendence of God- He is beyond us. He is infinite and uncontainable.

Why?

Praise Him for His mighty deeds. Praise Him according to His excellent greatness.

How?

Praise Him with trumpet sound. Praise Him with the harp and lyre (with music)

By whom?

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

Publically and privately

Recounting and Rejoicing in the

Attributes and actions of the

Infinite and immanent

Sovereign God of

Earth and eternity

The Last Sermon in 1 John

The big picture of 1 John was written…

  • So that we may have fellowship with God and one another

  • So that we may not sin

  • Because we know the truth

  • Because there are those trying to deceive us.

  • So that we may know we have eternal life.


Knowing we have eternal life gives us confidence before God.

If we ask God for anything He hears us and gives it to us according to His will.

If we see a God-believer commiting sin not leading to death we ask God to give him life. We can be sure that He hears us and gives us what we ask.

  • There is a sin leading to death we are not obligated to pray for that.

  • Sin not leading to death vs sin leading to death. Possible interpretations:

    • Physical death

    • Blasphemy of the Holy Spirit

    • Apostasy

    • Those who were from us but not of us.

      The final three assurances in 1 John

      • We know that all believers are secure and protected by God from the evil one.

      • We know that the whole world lies in the power of the evil one

      • We know that the Son of God has come that we may know him and have relationship with him.

“The Effects of God’s Love on our Fear of Judgement" (1 John 4:13-21)

The trustworthy testimony of John and the Apostles (v13-15). 

1. They have fellowship with God because he gave them His Spirit (13). 

2. They have seen and told others the truth about the Father and the truth about His Son (14). 

3. His hope was that all respond by faith so they too can have fellowship with God (15) 

The trustworthy conclusion of John and the Apostles (v16)

1. We all have come to personally experience God's love for us (v16a)

2. We all realize that God is love (v16b). 

3. When we all live in love we are living also in God and God is living in us (v16c). 

How does this affect us today in our relationship with God and then with each other (v17-21).  

1. It gives us confidence on judgement day (v17).  

2. It casts all fear of God's judgement out of our lives because fear involves punishment (v18).

3. Since God will not judge or punish us on judgement day we love each other as he loved us. (v19-21).

“Practice Makes Perfect–God’s Love and Ours”  1 John 4:7-12

“Practice Makes Perfect–God’s Love and Ours” 

(1 John 4:7-12)

I. You and I are dearly loved ones by God so let's practice loving one another (v7-8).  

Because... 

1. The source of love is God. 


2. The nature of God is love. 

Implication & Application:


II. God's love was revealed by who he sent to us (v9-10). 

  1. He sent His only Son so that we could model our life after His (v9). 

  1. He sent His only Son so that we could see and experience God's all-in and costly love for us. (v10).  

So what? 

1. If God loves you and me so much, we ought to practice loving each other so much (v11). 

2. No one has ever seen God. He is seen in our practice of love for each other: Practice makes perfect (v12).

Discernment in the Last Days- 1 John 4:1-6

The Holy Spirt is given to discern the Spirit of truth from the spirit of error.

Discernment is necessary because many false prophets are in the world.

Their aim is to shake your faith and confidence in Jesus Christ.

False teaching will be persuasive.

John’s readers were outnumbered and so are we.

Be willing to be an “unbeliever” even if the teaching comes from a professing Christian.

We discern by the Holy Spirt and according to doctrinal confession about Jesus.

The Spirt of truth confesses Jesus Christ as fully God and fully man.

The spirit of error denies such confession; this is the spirit of the anti-christ.

The Antichrist’s objective is to deceive you and keep the lost in the dark about Jesus.

His spirit is active in the world wherever the truth about Jesus is distorted.

You are from God: The Holy Spirit in you is greater than the antichrist’s in teh world.

We are from God: The Apostle’s teaching about Jesus in the Scriptures is who we listen to.

Be a Berean (Acts 17)

Sermon- From Condemnation to Confident Fellowship & Commandment Keeping (1 John 3:19-24)

By this we know we are of the truth and reassure our hearts before Him (v 19)

“By this” refers to verses 16-18

Christ laid down His life for us (v 16)

We lay down our lives for one another opening our hearts to do whatever we can to provide for the needs of one another (v 17)

Let us no love in words or in talk but in deed and in truth (v 18)

Implication: To know we are of the truth and have our hearts before God comes by our actions to meet the needs of one another.

Whenever our hearts condemn us (v 20a)

Implication: John knows our hearts need reassurance when we fail to measure up and our behavior aren’t what they shoucld have been.

Your heart is the command center

Condemnation is the expression of very strong disapproval bringing punishment

So what do we do when our own hearts condemn us?

Remember your God!

Is this feeling and experience leading me away from the Father or toward Him?

God is bigger than your heart and He knows everything about you.

Application: Tell yourself the truth.

His verdict is over you- “I don’t condemn you”

You can have confidence before God with a fruitful prayer life while continuing onward doing what pleasees Him.

This happens by confidence in Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirt abiding in you.

From self condemnation to confident fellowship with God and Spirit filled obedience to Jesus.

"By This We Know Love" (1 John 3:11-18)

The message you heard from the beginning: love one another (v11). 

  • Don't be like Cain; you have crossed into a new way of life (v12-15)

    • He was from the evil one, not born of God. 

    • He murdered his brother, his deeds were evil.

    • The world operates like Cain, not Christ. 



Biblical Truth and Principle: With respect to eternal life, a hateful attitude of the heart is no different than a hateful deed in action. 

  • Loving one another is based on the historical event of the crucifixion of Jesus (v16a). 

    • Jesus voluntarily endured unimaginable torture, an agonizing death, a painful betrayal by his disciples, and total abandonment by His Father who he perfectly obeyed. 

    • He endured all this... 



Biblical Truth and Principle: Taken to heart, this love transforms our actions toward each other (16b-17). 

  • In our willingness to... be rich in generosity with our resources to demonstrate God’s love.

  • In our readiness to... have open hearts toward those in need.

  • in our call to... love not in mere talk but in deed and in truth

Practicing Sin & Righteousness (1 John 3:4-10)

Defining the practice of sin

Sin is missing the mark

Sin is lawlessness

The practice of sin is antithetical to why Jesus came.

Both the practice of righteousness and sin will be evidenced

Righteous standing

Righteous living

Satan’s priority is to get you to practice sin. The devil has been sining from the beginning.

The practice of righteousness is seen most clearly in love.

Show love to:

Other believers

Your neighbor

Yourself

Your friends

Your enemies

The needy

The Lord God

The reason the son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.

Sermon- The Anointing You Received- 1 John 2:28-3:3

The Anointing You Received

1 John 2:28-3:3

October 20, 2024

John’s concern: Be aware and discerning that intentional efforts to draw you away from Christ are prevalent and can be difficult to spot.

Among the more deceptive is Gnosticism.

Which says:

1.        God is pure bliss, an idea, a concept. We can connect with God in a number of different ways.

2.        God is not personal. God as pure bliss would never stoop down as flesh and live among us.

3.        Jesus is divine but only appeared to be in human form. He did not come in the flesh and live in the created world.

4.        You are an essence of the divine but trapped in an evil physical body.

5.        The fall is from the immaterial world not into a physical world.

6.        You are ignorant of your condition and must be awakened to the presence of the divine in you.

Gnosticism denies salvation as the rescue from original and personal sin.

It says salvation is the eradication of ignorance of the light imprisoned within you.

It says authority speaks from the voice of the spirit inside you.

It says darkness is only an illusion.

It says sin has no substantive meaning because it is linked to the body and not to the divine light in you.

The purpose of Christ’s coming to earth was to impart this to people and help them to their true divine nature that had been covered over by the material world and forgotten.

This required a kind of “anointing”

“The Anointing” we received: response and action

1.        We’re trusting in the Lord looking ahead to his appearing with confidence.

2.        We are able to see the great love of the Father who has given us

a.        A new name

b.       A bright future

c.        A purifying hope

How does it look in action to abide in Christ?

1.        It looks like coming clean and admitting we have sinned

2.        It looks like not calling God a liar by not owing up to your sin

3.        It looks like fighting our sin and falling upon Jesus Christ our advocate when we do

4.        It looks like learning to walk like Jesus walked.

5.        It looks like learning to walk like Jesus walked

6.        It looks like complete commitment to Christ more than you sin and worldly comfort

7.        It looks like sticking to the text of Scripture

8.        It looks like believing Christ is the only light you need

9.        It looks like not hating your brother or sister- labeling them out of their new identity in Christ.

 

Here at Anchor Point Church in Duluth, we practice expository preaching. Expository preaching is a style of preaching that involves explaining and interpreting a specific passage of Scripture in a detailed and systematic manner. Our pastors endeavor to be faithful in drawing out the meaning of the text, often going verse by verse, and then applying its principles to the lives of the listeners. The goal is to faithfully communicate the original intent of the biblical authors, ensuring that the congregation understands the message within its proper context. Please join us on Sunday morning!

Sermon- Stand Firm in the Gospel Message (1 John 2:18-25)

Why we must stand firm in the Gospel message

  1. Because we are in the last hour (2:18)

  2. What did John and the NT authors mean when they said things like, “It is the last hour”? (Jude 17-21; Heb 1:1-3; 1 Tim 4:1-2; Acts 2:16)

  3. The last hour is the age marked by the arrival of Christ and the Spirit of truth

    1. Distinguishing the last hour from the last day

      The last hour is the long period of time spanning the first and second coming of Christ. We live in the last hour now.

    2. The last day is the physical bodily return of Christ when He will judge the living and the dead

  4. Distinguishing antichrists from disciples of Christ. (v 19-23)

    1. They were part of the Christian community and confession but now have departed from both.

  5. But you have all been anointed by the Holy one and you all have knowledge (v 20-21)

    1. They deny that Jesus is the Christ (v 22a)

    2. They deny the Father and the Son (v22b)

    3. They deny Jesus as coming in the flesh (2:2-3; 2 Jn 2-7)

  6. How we stand firm in the Gospel message today (2:24-25)

    1. Let what you have heard from the beginning abide in you. Then you will abide in the Son and the Father.

    2. Realize how easy it is to be deceived

    3. When you go to church, does the pastor ask you to open your Bible?

    4. Be grounded in the Word of God and empowered by the Spirit of God

    5. Keep connected and confess Jesus as the Christ

    6. If we stand firm, we will be in close fellowship with God and each other which is what Jesus promised.

The Tapestry of the Christian Life- Part 2 (1 John 2:7-11)

  1. Experiencing vibrant fellowship with God requires walking in the light not the darkness.

    • God is light. Sin is darkness.

    • Claiming to be without sin vs. confessing your sins- you must confess your sin to have fellowship with God.

    • Claiming you have no sin vs surrendering your sin to God- Daily confession of your personal sin.

    • When you sin having no advocate vs. having Jesus as your advocate.

      • Jesus is the payment for your sin. This is fundamental to walking in the light,

2. Experiencing vibrant fellowship with God requires walking in obedience to all Jesus’ commands.

“By this we may know that we are in Him: whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way He walked. (v 6)

3. Experiencing vibrant fellowship with God is love for others (2:7-11)

By faith in Christ, the command to love is in us. Your faith in Christ brings you into fellowship with God.

The definition of love: 1 John 4:7-16

Love is the Father sending His Son to be cricified for an undeserving sinner like me.

Love is the son saying, “Yes, this is the way to show them our love.”

God is love is not some daydreaming abstraction that’s detached from the cross.

It’s a statement about the loving nature of God revealed in His saving action on behalf of humankind in the sentencing of His Son to death so sinners like us may be saved in His name.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Hate is the emotion of intense dislike. To feel extreme enmity causing verbal or even physical attacks. Get off and stay off Hate St. (1 John 3:15)

Proverbs 10:12

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.




Here at Anchor Point Church in Duluth, we practice expository preaching. Expository preaching is a style of preaching that involves explaining and interpreting a specific passage of Scripture in a detailed and systematic manner. Our pastors endeavor to be faithful in drawing out the meaning of the text, often going verse by verse, and then applying its principles to the lives of the listeners. The goal is to faithfully communicate the original intent of the biblical authors, ensuring that the congregation understands the message within its proper context. Please join us on Sunday morning!

Overcoming the World- Sermon on 1 John 2:12-17

Overcoming the World- Sermon on 1 John 2:12-17

Preached by Dave Peterson on September 29, 2024

Verses 12-14 are personal and the structure and symmetry seem more like a poem.

Key things:

1) Knowing the true God

2) Forgiveness of sins

3) Abiding in the word of God

A reminder of the benefits of the gospel we now enjoy.

The gospel is foundational truth and brings new life to you. That is why you are an overcomer.

Why is there no direct reference to women in these verses? In Biblical times, women and girls were often spoken about in relation to men, but women are definitely included in this passage.

“Little children” refers to all believers.

Have the truths of the gospel moved information to transformation in your life? That is where the Christian life begins.

Forgiveness isn’t just about you. His name gets the glory through your testimony.

It’s not just the forgiveness of sin, but the coming to know the true and living God.

Being forgiven and knowing God defines what it means to be a child of God.

“Fathers” refers to those mature in the faith.

The strength and depth of our faith is in knowing the living God.

For those who are newer in Christ, don’t be put off by older believers. For older believers, those coming behind you need you to model the long obedience in the same direction.

Take timeless truths, and bring them into our current world.

“Young men” refers to those growing in Christ.

Three truths and their impact:

1) trusting in God’s strength and not your own

2) Abiding in the Word of God

3) Not loving the things of the world

What are the “things of the world”?

The things of the world are the desires of the flesh (sex), the desires of the eyes (money), and the pride of life (power).

How can a Christian overcome the world? See John 17:15

The believer belongs in the world, but not to the world.

Using the analogy of a coming winter, we have two options to stay warm: 1) Isolation- stay inside by the fireplace or 2) Insulation- dress warm and venture out

Insulation would be building up our faith by reading our Bibles, being in church, fellowshipping with other believers, and loving God’s kingdom.

The world is passing away (1 John 2:17) but we are headed to a new and better world.

1 John 2:17

Here at Anchor Point Church in Duluth, we practice expository preaching. Expository preaching is a style of preaching that involves explaining and interpreting a specific passage of Scripture in a detailed and systematic manner. Our pastors endeavor to be faithful in drawing out the meaning of the text, often going verse by verse, and then applying its principles to the lives of the listeners. The goal is to faithfully communicate the original intent of the biblical authors, ensuring that the congregation understands the message within its proper context. Please join us on Sunday morning!

The Tapestry of the Christian Life- Part 1 (1 John 2:3-6)- Sermon Notes

John repeatedly weaves the tapestry of Christian living using obedience, love, and belief as threads.

The finished tapestry is a joyous fellowship of light, life and love. The finished tapestry shows the world that we are disciples of Jesus.

The thread of obedience (verses 3-5)

“How can I know that I am really a Christian?”

We can know we have come to know Him by keeping His commandments.

Obedience to Jesus’ commandments does have bearing on your standing with God.

There is a necessary connection between knowing Christ and obeying Christ.

When we obey His commandments we are moving toward completion in His love.

Two pressing questions:

1) How many commandments did Jesus give? (ballpark: around 50)

2) How do we keep them without experiencing them as burdensome? (1 John 5:3)

Three options: (first two are burdensome)

1.) Fake it- “Fake it till you make it.”- This is more of a behavior change than a heart change. What is your life like when no one is watching?

2.) Pharisee it- “Obedience without really knowing God.”- The Pharisees had their eyes on other, but not on their own hearts.

These two have one thing in common: force obedience. But there is a third option…

3.) Fait it- Awareness > Confession of personal sin

The Holy Spirt gives us a new heart and the ability to keep God’s commandments. We have faith in Christ’s perfect obedience.

Jesus walked in perfect obedience to the Father.

Implication:


All of this begins with a new heart. You can have one by professing faith in Jesus.

Here at Anchor Point Church in Duluth, we practice expository preaching. Expository preaching is a style of preaching that involves explaining and interpreting a specific passage of Scripture in a detailed and systematic manner. Our pastors endeavor to be faithful in drawing out the meaning of the text, often going verse by verse, and then applying its principles to the lives of the listeners. The goal is to faithfully communicate the original intent of the biblical authors, ensuring that the congregation understands the message within its proper context. Please join us on Sunday morning!

"This is the Message" Sermon Notes on 1 John 1:5-10

Introduction: What we believe and know about the nature and character of God matters.

“This is the message”- God is light. In Him is no darkness at all. (v5).

God’s very essence and nature is light.

John and the disciples heard this message from Jesus and told it to others. (John 8:12, 9:5, 12:35-36, 44-46).

Light/Darkness: What is Jesus talking about? Holiness, creating power, love, protection, provided guidance to where God is leading.

Darkness is represented by everything anti-God- sin and separation.

How this applies to our lives as disciples of Jesus (1:6-2:2)

If we say we have fellowship with God, but if we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth.

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us, but if we confess our sins to God He is faithful and just to forgive us our sines and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Confession = humble acknowledgement “I am a sinner by nature”.

If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar and His Word is not in us. But if we do sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteous.

Propitiation means satisfaction. Because God is a holy God, His wrath and justice burns against sin. Jesus became our substitute.

God does not remind you of your past sin. Satan does that.

Conclusion: Let’s experience fellowship with God and each other. Let’s walk in the light because God is there. Let’s confess our sins to stay there. Remember, we have an advocate.

Here at Anchor Point Church in Duluth, we practice expository preaching. Expository preaching is a style of preaching that involves explaining and interpreting a specific passage of Scripture in a detailed and systematic manner. Our pastors endeavor to be faithful in drawing out the meaning of the text, often going verse by verse, and then applying its principles to the lives of the listeners. The goal is to faithfully communicate the original intent of the biblical authors, ensuring that the congregation understands the message within its proper context. Please join us on Sunday morning!

"You Gotta Hear This!" Sermon Notes on 1 John 1:1-4

On Sunday, September 8, 2024 Pastor Josh began a new series on the book of 1 John.

He gave the purpose and context of First John. Detailing John’s life in his late twenties and early thirties, spent alongside Jesus and the other disciples who had all died by the time 1 John was written. John was likely in his eighties by this point

The initial application for us today is to never throw in the towel, no matter what age we are in! Invest in spreading the Gospel now and for future generations.

Into John’s first letter: (1 John 1:1-4)

What’s his main subject and focus (1:1-2)?

  • That which was from the beginning

  • The word of life

  • The eternal life

What’s his main point and hope (1:3-4)?

Our faith in and life experience with Jesus has given us a quality of life and fellowship the world does not offer, and we want you to have it too!

Principle: Salvation is about fellowship with God and with each other.

Here at Anchor Point Church in Duluth, we practice expository preaching. Expository preaching is a style of preaching that involves explaining and interpreting a specific passage of Scripture in a detailed and systematic manner. Our pastors endeavor to be faithful in drawing out the meaning of the text, often going verse by verse, and then applying its principles to the lives of the listeners. The goal is to faithfully communicate the original intent of the biblical authors, ensuring that the congregation understands the message within its proper context. Please join us on Sunday morning!