8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night.
9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened.
10 But the angel said to them, “ Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people;
11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.
12 This will be a sign for you:you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,
14 “ Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased.”
15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”
16 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger.
17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child.
18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds.
19 But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart.
20 The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them
(Luke 2:8-20 NASB)

Introduction:

Theme: Four ways the birth of Christ motivates us to proclaim the death and resurrection of Christ, so you will do this more faithfully.
1. Remember what the message of Christmas is
2. Remember what the message of Christmas anticipates
The Setting: vv. 8-9
I. The witness of the angel vv. 10-15

II. The purpose of the message vs. 10b

III. The faithfulness of the shepherds vv. 15-17

IV. The worship of God vv. 18-20

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46 And Mary said:
“ My soul exalts the Lord,
47 And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior.
48 “For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave;
For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed.
49 “For the Mighty One has done great things for me;
And holy is His name.
50 “ And His mercy is upon generation after generation
Toward those who fear Him.
51 “ He has done mighty deeds with His arm;
He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.
52 “He has brought down rulers from their thrones,
And has exalted those who were humble.
53 “ HE has filled the hungry with good things;
And sent away the rich empty- handed.
54 “He has given help to Israel His servant,
In remembrance of His mercy,
55 As He spoke to our fathers,
To Abraham and his descendants forever
(Luke 1:46-55 NASB)

Introduction:
The Setting: Luke 1:26-45
Theme: Three aspects of Christmas praise so you might enter into the joy of the season.
I. Christmas praise leads to God exalted vv. 46-47
II. Christmas praise results from God acting vv. 48-54
A. Toward Mary vv. 48-49
B. Toward God fearing generations vs. 50-51a
C. Toward the humble vv. 51b-52
D. Toward the hungry vs. 53
E. Toward Israel vs. 54
III. Christmas praise demonstrates God remembers vs. 55

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Introduction:

2 Kings 19:14-19

Hezekiah’s Prayer

14 Then Hezekiah took the letter from the hand of the messengers and read it, and he went up to the house of the Lord and spread it out before the Lord.

15 Hezekiah prayed before the Lord and said, “O Lord, the God of Israel, who are enthroned above the cherubim, You are the God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.

16 Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and listen to the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God.

17 Truly, O Lord, the kings of Assyria have devastated the nations and their lands

18 and have cast their gods into the fire, for they were not gods but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. So they have destroyed them.

19 Now, O Lord our God, I pray, deliver us from his hand that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You alone, O Lord, are God.”

Theme: Four necessary elements of prayer in a time of urgency so you will pray more effectively.

I. Ascribe to the LORD His greatness vs. 15

Three acknowledgements:

He is the True God
He is the Sovereign
He is the Creator

II. Implore the LORD to take notice of your circumstance vs. 16

To hear
To see
To listen

III. Voice the immediate threat posed by the enemy of the LORD vv. 17-18

They have destroyed . . .

The nations
Their lands
Their false gods

IV. Make your request known to the LORD vs. 19

Request for deliverance
Reason for the request

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1 Jesus, therefore, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
2 So they made Him a supper there, and Martha was serving; but Lazarus was one of those reclining at the table with Him.
3 Mary then took a pound of very costly perfume of pure nard, and anointed the feet of Jesus and wiped His feet with her hair; and the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.
4 But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, *said,
5 “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?”
6 Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it.
7 Therefore Jesus said, “Let her alone, so that she may keep it for the day of My burial.
8 For you always have the poor with you, but you do not always have Me.”
9 The large crowd of the Jews then learned that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but that they might also see Lazarus, whom He raised from the dead.
10 But the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death also;
11 because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and were believing in Jesus
(John 12:1-11 NASB)

Introduction:
Review:
Theme: Five aspects of loving devotion to Christ so you might demonstrate this in your own life
The Setting vv. 1-2
A. Time vs. 1a
B. Place vs. 1b
C. Occasion vs. 2a
D. Attendees vs. 2b
I. Loving devotion to Christ is Pricey vs. 3a
II. Loving devotion to Christ is Personal vs. 3b
III. Loving devotion to Christ is Provocative vs. 4-6
IV. Loving devotion to Christ is Purposeful vs. 7
V. Loving devotion to Christ is Proper vs. 8
The Controversy vv. 9-11
A. The Popularity of Jesus and Lazarus vs.9
B. The Plot to kill Jesus and Lazarus vv. 10-11

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This Sermon is in English with Korean translation:

Introduction:

(Acts 14:21-27 NASB)

21 After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch,

22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying, “ Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”

23 When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

24 They passed through Pisidia and came into Pamphylia.

25 When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

26 From there they sailed to Antioch, from which they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had accomplished.

27 When they had arrived and gathered the church together, they began to report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles
(Acts 14:21-27 NASB)

Theme: Six crucial activities of the church you can participate in, so the church may fulfill its God ordained purpose.

1. Endow strength to souls vs. 22a

2. Encourage persistence in the faith vs. 22b

3. Establish the leadership vs. 23a

4. Entrust them to the Lord vs. 23b

5. Evangelize the lost vv. 24-25

6. Exalt God for His faithfulness vv. 26-27

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Introduction:

Review:

17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days.
18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off;
19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother.
20 Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed at the house.
21 Martha then said to Jesus, “ Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
22 Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”
23 Jesus *said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”
24 Martha *said to Him, “ I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”
25 Jesus said to her, “ I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies,
26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
27 She *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world
(John 11:17-27 NASB)

Theme: Four common features of an ultimate question so you will know why you can’t avoid it.
It’s a question that naturally comes up in a time of death vv. 17-19

It’s a question that matters especially to those grieving vv. 20-22

It’s a question that speaks to the subject of the after life vv. 23-24

It’s a question that fixes your attention on Jesus Christ vv. 25-26

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Introduction:

1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.

2 It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.

3 So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, “ Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”

4 But when Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.”

5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

6 So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was.

7 Then after this He *said to the disciples, “ Let us go to Judea again.”

8 The disciples *said to Him, “ Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?”

9 Jesus answered, “ Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.

10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”

11 This He said, and after that He *said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep.”

12 The disciples then said to Him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”

13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep.

14 So Jesus then said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead,

15 and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.”

16 Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him
(John 11:1-16 NASB)

Theme: Four indications that Jesus perfectly reflects God so you will trust Him as Savior

I. God’s glory is a higher priority than man’s well being vv. 1-4

II. God’s love is not inhibited by man’s urgency vv. 5-6

III. God’s plans are not stifled by man’s opposition vv. 7-10

IV. God’s people are not free of man’s weaknesses vv. 11-16

A. We succumb to death vv. 11-14
B. We succumb to doubt vs. 15
C. We succumb to delusion vs. 16

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Introduction:

1 Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.

2 It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.

3 So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, “ Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.”

4 But when Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.”

5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.

6 So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was.

7 Then after this He *said to the disciples, “ Let us go to Judea again.”

8 The disciples *said to Him, “ Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?”

9 Jesus answered, “ Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.

10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”

11 This He said, and after that He *said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep.”

12 The disciples then said to Him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.”

13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep.

14 So Jesus then said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead,

15 and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.”

16 Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him
(John 11:1-16 NASB)

Theme: Four indications that Jesus perfectly reflects God so you will trust Him as Savior

I. God’s glory is a higher priority than man’s well being vv. 1-4

II. God’s love is not inhibited by man’s urgency vv. 5-6

III. God’s plans are not stifled by man’s opposition vv. 7-10

IV. God’s ______ are not free of man’s __________ vv. 11-16

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