A. The Passover (Exodus 12)
B. Crossing the Red Sea (Exodus 14)
C. The bitter waters of Marah (Exodus 15:22-27)
II. Examples of healing
A. King Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:1-6)
B. The waters of Jericho (2 Kings 2:19-22)
C. Jesus healed many (Matthew 4:23)
D. Healing was a part of the Spirit’s work in confirming the truth in the first century (Mark 16:17-18; Hebrews 2:4; 1 Corinthians 13:8-10; James 1:25)
III. The worst sickness of all
A. Sin (Psalm 38:3; Isaiah 1:4-6; Romans 6:23)
B. The Great Physician alone can heal (Mark 2:17; 1 Peter 2:21-25)
A. “Go” to grow! (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15)
B. “Make disciples” (Matthew 28:19)
C. “Preach the gospel” (Mark 16:15; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Romans 1:16; James 1:21; Acts 8:4; 2 Timothy 4:2; Acts 8:5; Acts 8:12; Matthew 16:18; Ephesians 4:5; John 5:39; Luke 24:44; Acts 8:35; 2 Peter 3:2; John 17:20)
II. Results
A. “Baptizing them…” (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16a; Acts 2:38-41; 8:12, 36-38; 16:15, 32-33)
B. Not all will accept (Mark 16:16b; Acts 17:32; 26:28)
C. It is not our duty to force faith, but to give others the opportunity to trust and obey (Romans 10:13-17)
D. After baptism, continued obedience (Matthew 28:20; 1 John 1:7; Galatians 5:24-25)
A. “My life, my joy, my all” (Colossians 3:1-4; Luke 9:23; Matthew 5:10-12; Mark 12:29-30)
B. “He is my strength…” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)
C. “When I am sad to Him I go” (2 Corinthians 7:4; Philippians 4:4)
II. The continual friendship and blessing of being in Christ
A. “My Friend in trials sore” (Romans 8:35-39)
B. “I go to Him for blessings” (3 John 2; James 4:3; Ephesians 1:3; Luke 9:25; Acts 14:17)
III. Jesus is our guide and protector
A. “He’s so true to me” (2 Thessalonians 3:3; John 14:15; 1 Peter 5:8)
B. “Following Him I know I’m right” (Matthew 7:13-14)
IV. Christ is our trustworthy Friend
A. “I trust Him now, I’ll trust Him when life’s fleeting days shall end” (Ephesians 1:11-12; Hebrews 6:13-18)
B. “Eternal life, eternal joy” (Mark 10:29-30; 2 Timothy 2:11-13)
A. The Day of Atonement (Leviticus 16:29-31; 23:26-32; Numbers 29:7)
B. Other reasons for fasting can be observed
1. War (Judges 20:26; 1 Samuel 7:6)
2. Danger (Ezra 8:21-23; Esther 4:16)
3. Illness (2 Samuel 12:16-23)
4. Death (1 Samuel 31:13; 2 Samuel 1:12)
5. Forgiveness (1 Kings 21:17-29; Jonah 3:4-10; Nehemiah 9:1-3)
C. Lengths (Judges 20:26; 1 Samuel 31:13)
II. New Testament
A. Improper reasons (Luke 18:12; Matthew 6:16)
B. Reasons for proper fasts in the New Testament
1. Ministry (Matt. 4:1-11; 2 Corinthians 6:4-10; 11:23-28)
2. Sending out missionaries (Acts 13:1-3)
3. Appointment of elders (Acts 14:21-23)
III. What about today?
A. Jesus’ expectation (Matthew 6:16-17)
B. First century examples (Acts 13:1-3; 14:21-23; 2 Cor. 6:4-10; 11:23-28)
A. He is our light, salvation, and stronghold (Ps. 27:1; 28:8)
B. His people will always have enemies (Ps. 27:2-3; 1 Peter 5:8; Ephesians 6:10-18; 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 2:3)
II. God is our strength
A. We must intently seek Him with perseverance (Ps. 27:4)
B. He will protect us in times of trouble (Ps. 27:5; Jas. 4:7-8)
C. Assurance of present and future deliverance (Psalm 27:6)
III. Yet, we experience lingering fear
A. Distractions of negativity (Ps. 27:7-9; Matthew 14:22-30)
B. Fear and doubt diminish faith, but God is there (Psalm 27:10; Matthew 14:31-33)
IV. God is our guide
A. We must be willing to learn and follow (Psalm 27:11-12)
B. Faith can get us through difficulties (Psalm 27:13)
C. Wait on the Lord (Psalm 27:14)
A. In worship and in life (John 4:21-24; Colossians 3:16-17; Psalm 46:1-3)
1. He dwells with the church (1 Corinthians 3:16-17; Matthew 18:18-20)
2. He dwells with the individual Christian (1 Cor. 6:17-20; Hebrews 13:5)
B. But what if we neglect His presence? (Ezekiel 8:16-18; 10:18-19; 2 Peter 3:9; Hebrews 10:26-27)
II. The-LORD-Is-There in the future
A. No fear in death for the Christian (Revelation 21:2-4)
B. Great terror for those not in His body (Revelation 21:5-8)
C. The great separation (Revelation 22:14-15)
A. “There is, beyond the azure blue, a God concealed from human sight” (Genesis 1:1; Romans 1:20)
B. “He tinted skies with heav’nly hue and framed the worlds with His great might” (Genesis 1:1; Hebrews 11:3)
II. Specific revelation
A. “There was, a long, long time ago, a God whose voice the prophets heard” (2 Peter 1:16-21)
B. “He is the God that we should know” (John 17:3; 2 Peter 3:9; John 14:6)
C. “Who speaks from His inspired word” (Romans 10:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
III. The creation of man
A. “Secure is life from mortal mind; God holds the germ within His hand” (Genesis 2:7; 1:26-28)
B. “Though men may search they cannot find, for God alone does understand” (Job 38:4-7; Deuteronomy 29:29)
IV. The sacrifice of the Son
A. “Our God, whose Son upon a tree, a life was willing there to give” (Ephesians 2:14-16)
B. “That He from sin might set man free, and evermore with Him could live” (Romans 6:16-18; Ephesians 3:10-11; Matthew 25:34)
A. Our standing in God’s presence (Isaiah 59:1-2; Romans 3:23; 6:23)
B. God is willing to wipe the slate clean (1 John 1:9)
C. God will “remember them no more” (Jeremiah 31:34; Hebrews 8:12)
II. The condition of God’s forgiveness
A. Repent, acknowledging wrongdoing (Acts 2:38; 8:22; 1 John 1:9)
B. Be faithful (1 John 1:7)
C. We must forgive to be forgiven (Matthew 6:12-15; 18:21-35)
III. The need for self-forgiveness
A. A Christian is a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
B. There is no condemnation in Christ (Romans 8:1)
C. Leave the “old man” behind! (Romans 6:3-7; Ephesians 4:20-24)
A. Joy in the strength and salvation of God (Psalm 21:1; 1 Peter 1:10-12; Ephesians 3:4)
B. Prayer (Psalm 21:2; James 1:6; 1 John 5:14-15)
C. The crown (Psalm 21:3; Galatians 4:4-5; 2 Timothy 4:8)
D. Life (Psalm 21:4; John 10:10)
E. Honor and majesty as a gift from God (Psalm 21:5-6; 2 Samuel 7:18; Ephesians 2:8-9)
II. The hope of future victories
A. Steadfast trust (Psalm 21:7; 1 Corinthians 15:58)
B. The enemies of God do not stand a chance (Psalm 21:8-12; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; Matthew 8:12; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; 25:21, 23)
III. The reward for faithfulness
A. The power rests with God, not with us (Psalm 21:13)
B. Nothing is more important than praising and submitting to the Lord (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14; Philippians 2:12-13)
A. The evil shepherds – destroy, scatter, drive them away, do not attend to the sheep of God’s pasture
B. God’s shepherds will feed His flock, comfort them, provide for them
1. God’s shepherds in the church are called elders (Acts 14:23), pastors (Ephesians 4:11), bishops (1 Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:7-9), overseers (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:2)
2. The elders play a vital role in equipping the saints (Ephesians 4:11-13)
II. A Messianic prophecy (Jeremiah 23:5-6)
A. A descendant of David (2 Samuel 7:12-13; Matthew 1:6; Luke 3:31)
B. A Branch of righteousness (Zechariah 3:8; 6:12)
C. A King (1 Timothy 6:15)
D. Executor of righteous judgment (John 12:48)
E. The salvation of His people—the church (Ephesians 5:23)
F. His name: The LORD Our Righteousness
III. We might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21)
A. In Christ (Galatians 3:27)
B. We become a new creature (2 Corinthians 5:17)
C. We are reconciled to God (2 Corinthians 5:18-20)
D. We become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 John 1:7; Philippians 3:8-11)
But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. (Acts 8:12)
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