Subtopic: "Don't Fight The Feeling"

Sermon Notes By Pastor Arthur H. Coleman Sr. for Sunday January 12, 2014

Text: Ezekiel 36:24-27 “For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. (vs25) Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. (vs26) A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. (vs27) And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.”

Romans 12:1-2 “I Beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (vs2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

Ephesians 4:21-24 “If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: (vs22) That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; (vs23) And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; (vs24) And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”

PREMISE

The Pulpit Commentary, Vol.20, Pages 157-158 , a Comment on Ephesians 4:20-24 “Ye have not so learned Christ, if so be ye heard him,” ect. (ver.20) The whole tenor Of Christ’s teaching and influence is against these things. Only make sure that you have come under it. What they are. (1) “Put off the old man,” ect. Comprehensiveness of the word “man;” his tendency is to rottenness or corruption; the lusts of deceit which are connected with him are that which will cause great harm or damage and ruinous. (2) “Be renewed in the spirit of your mind.” Renewal begins within by the Holy Spirit rousing in you a desire for it, urging you to use the means towards it. Accept and improve these movements of the Spirit within you. (3) In this way, “put on the new man,” and especially encourage and seek to have developed these two features of creation--- righteousness and holiness. Righteousness, including integrity, honest, true, fair, open dealing; doing justly out and out, in every place and in every relation--- in the house, the market, the shop, among neighbors, among strangers, everywhere and at all times. Holiness of truth, including high reverence for God and all that is Divine, sympathy and congeniality of heart with God, cleanness of nature, purity, of soul, conformity to the image of Christ, who is the Image of the invisible God. No professing Christian can be exempted from this rule of life. Nor should any assume too readily that he is thoroughly conforming to it. “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”(1 Cor.10:12). Christianity in its practical relations is very searching and thorough. It demands a high standard of life and patience. But no wonder, if Christ be the Head, the Source of all vital power, and if there be a complete provision by which the needed power may be communicated to all members. Never let it be said to Christians, What do ye more than others?”

Subtopic:   The New Ambition Of My Rededication: “This Is My Year”

Sermon Notes by Pastor Arthur H. Coleman Sr. for Sunday January 5, 2014

Text: Ezek. 36:26-27 " A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.(vs. 27)And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them".

Phi. 3:7-15 "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.(vs8) Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.(vs9) And be found in him, not having my own righteousness which is of God by faith: (vs10) That I might know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; (vs11) If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.(vs12) Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.(vs13) Brethren I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,(vs14) I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.(vs15) Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything  ye be otherwise  minded, God shall reveal even this unto you". 

Premise

The Pulpit Commentary page 119 on Phi.3:12-14 "The most advanced Christian is always the humblest. The nearer we draw to Christ, the more we feel our own unworthiness. The light of Christ's holiness, manifested in the heart of his saints, brings into clearer light the exceeding sinfulness of sin. But he is striving after perfection. The Christian knows his own weakness and sin, but he knows also that he is really following Christ. If we are doing so, we must know it; we must be conscious of real effort in the spiritual life. This very sense of imperfection urges the Christian to sustained effort. He is never satisfied with himself,  therefore he presses onwards. He does not dwell with complacency on his own attainments, but forgets the progress he has made; in view of the far greater height which remains to scale, he throws himself into the work with ever-increasing energy".

Subtopic:   The New Ambition Of My Rededication

Text: Ezek. 36:26-27 " A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.(vs. 27)And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments and do them".

Phi. 3:7-15 "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.(vs8) Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.(vs9) And be found in him, not having my own righteousness which is of God by faith: (vs10) That I might know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; (vs11) If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.(vs12) Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.(vs13) Brethren I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,(vs14) I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.(vs15) Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything  ye be otherwise  minded, God shall reveal even this unto you".

Premise

The Pulpit Commentary page 119 on Phi.3:12-14 "The most advanced Christian is always the humblest. The nearer we draw to Christ, the more we feel our own unworthiness. The light of Christ's holiness, manifested in the heart of his saints, brings into clearer light the exceeding sinfulness of sin. But he is striving after perfection. The Christian knows his own weakness and sin, but he knows also that he is really following Christ. If we are doing so, we must know it; we must be conscious of real effort in the spiritual life. This very sense of imperfection urges the Christian to sustained effort. He is never satisfied with himself,  therefore he presses onwards. He does not dwell with complacency on his own attainments, but forgets the progress he has made; in view of the far greater height which remains to scale, he throws himself into the work with ever-increasing energy".

Subtopic: "Spiritual Showers"

Text: Ezekiel 34:26-27 "And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.(vs27) And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them".

Acts 3:19-20 "Repent Ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord:(vs20)And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:"

Premise

The Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 12, pages 211-212, a comment on Eze.34:26. "It is a sign of miserable deadness when any church or soul can be satisfied to continue in the dull routine of formal service without receiving any refreshing Divine grace. The first waking from such a condition of such lethargy or apathy must result in a great thirst of spirit".

The Pulpit Commentary, Vol.18, page120, a comment on Acts 3:19-20."THE TIMES OF REFRESHING THAT ARE ALWAYS CLOSE AT HAND. God is ever "waiting to be gracious", as it were watching for opportunities of giving men his rich spiritual blessing. Revivals are always close by, when men's hearts are made humble and open and seeking. Does an individual soul set itself upon humiliation and prayer? the "times of refreshing" are at hand for it. Does a church unite in confession and supplication? the "times of refreshing" will come in response to its cry. And this assurance should act as a moral persuasion, and urge men to seek for higher and better things. We are not limited or reduced, especially to insufficiency in God.  He would bless us more abundantly if we were more truly ready for the blessing."

Subtopic: "Do You Really Care"

Text: Ezekiel 44:23-24 (Concerning The Ordinances for the Priests of Israel) "And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane(with contempt or disregard for God or Holy things), and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. (vs24) And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths."

 Jude 3 "Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints". 

PREMISE

The Pulpit Commentary, Vol.12, Page 401,a comment on Ezekiel 44:23 "THERE IS A SPIRITUAL AND REAL DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE HOLY AND THE PROFANE--- It cannot be doubted that the ceremonial differences were intended to be the emblems of deeper and more real distinctions of a moral nature. In the Christian dispensation men were early taught upon the highest authority to call nothing common or unclean. But whilst Christ abolished distinctions, which were a means to an end, which served a temporary purpose of preparation, he emphasized those distinctions which, in the sight of a holy God, are real and important. Especially was this the case with the eternal difference between moral good and evil, between what is in accordance with, and what is repugnant to, the nature, the character, and the will of God. This distinction is one which the Church of Christ is bound to maintain, both by teaching and by conduct, before a sinful and disobedient world."