Refusing & Choosing

June 14, 2023

Notes from Scott Sutton's sermon on Sunday, June 11, 2023.

Sermon text: Hebrews 11:23-40



Context: The Hebrews church is an early Christian church full of Jews who are struggling

with wanting to go back to what is familiar... particularly the law. On one hand, they are

trying to intermingle the old covenant with the new by simply adding Jesus to what is

already familiar. On the other hand, some would like to simply return to life under the Old

Covenant. That is why the writer is walking them through the Hall of Faith. He wants them

to see that their story is the story of a people. He wants them to see how faithfulness in the

Old Covenant connects to Jesus in the New Covenant. He wants them to move into the New

Covenant by helping them see that in each and every story if faith in God in the Old

Covenant was preparing them for this.


And in verse 23, he makes what must have been a compelling argument to these Hebrew

Christians.


  • In the early church the phrases "Old Covenant or The Law" could be used almost interchangeably with "What Moses Wrote".
  • It's like saying, "I want you to persevere like Moses. I want you to trust God like Moses. If Moses was on this side of the coming of Jesus Christ, Moses would
  • NEVER consider turn from Jesus and back to The Law." Ultimately, he is making them look backwards in an attempt to get them to move forward.
  • He speaks of Moses' faith in God. Our faith can only be as string as the object of our faith. It expresses the faithfulness of that person or thing. So before we consider
  • Moses' faith, let us consider what is revealed in these verses about the object of
  • Moses' faith... God.


1.) God faithfully.....

  • Gave Moses' parents the strength to preserve his life. The King wants to kill the
  • babies, which is a threat those who want to save the babies.
  • Guided Moses' circumstance and heart into Pharaoh's courts, and then out to
  • God's people.
  • Parted the Red Sea... and then brought hose same waters down upon the Egyptians.
  • (Miracles)
  • Brought down the walls of Jericho
  • Quickened a prostitute to preserve His people (Providence)
  • Effected the rise and fall of Kingdoms
  • Stopped the Mouths of Lions
  • Quenched the power of fire
  • Delivered His people FROM death and persecution
  • Delivered His people THROUGH death and persecution


There is NOTHING that God is unable to faithfully do for His glory and the Good of His

people. This is why He is the only worthy object of our faith.

11:1 Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

So each of the following expressions of faith are the acts of human beings, looking to and beholding the movement of God outside of time, through time, and among a people... and then living out real life expressions from a deep assurance of hope, and deep conviction even though they are not walking by sight.

Moses' set the tone with a pattern of "Refusing and Choosing" And that pattern continues throughout these verses.


2.) By faith, God's people refuse

  • Fleeting pleasures of sin... physical
  • Wealth (Treasures of Egypt), Power (Titles), Influence (Association with particular people)
  • Evil... Sometimes through fighting and sometimes through suffering (God ALWAYS has a purpose)


3.) By faith, God's people choose

  • To be mistreated
  • To be with the people of God
  • The great wealth of Christ's reproach [Explain how Moses considered the reproach of Christ as so valuable]
  • To endure temporary uncertainty because of eternal certainty... Rom. 8:18 "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us." You have to look at both the current sufferings and the future eternal glory to appreciate what is most lovely. When time melts back into eternity, faith melts back into sight.
  • To cling to God's Promises... The Promises are not only for your crises... People of the Promise... Rom. 9:8 "Children of the Promise"...


Questions for discussion:

1.) What impact does God's faithfulness tend to have on His people? You?

2.) Discuss some ways that you are currently struggling to trust God and move forward faithfully?

3.) What are some things that you need to "REFUSE"?

4.) What are some practical steps that you can put in place for help with "refusing"? 

5.) What things are our children being offered that we need to help them refuse?

6.) What are some specific ways that we can help our children to refuse? 

7.) How can we help one another and our kids to genuinely hear from God?

8.) After considering what needs to be refused as a group, discuss the things that you need to be choosing instead? What does a faithful path forward look like? 

Freed to Serve

April 28, 2025
Notes from Scott Sutton's sermon on Sunday, April 27, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 2:11-17 This is the beginning of a section addressing how God's people now function in this world. It begins with aliens and exiles and continues with servants, wives, husbands, and finally, all of you. 1.) Our identity defines our actions. We are sojourners and exiles (temporary, passing through, not at home) We have a heavenly citizenship Actions We abstain from the passions of the flesh Keep conduct among the Gentiles honorable (our conduct is for the benefit of other people) Honorable conduct wins souls… sojourners, exiles, and soul winners “Peter’s point is that believers’ behavior creates a context in which people will listen to God’s word. He is not teaching that ‘good deeds’ in themselves convert unbelievers, but they establish an environment for the Gospel-word to do so.” -Barnett 2.) Our identity defines our expectations (Unbelievers will respond to honorable conduct in 1 of 2 ways) Some will speak evil against us as though we are evildoers Some will see our good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation 3.) Our identity defines our view of authority (Does anyone here ever just want to do whatever you want to do, whenever you want to do it? That’s why laws exist) Be subject to every human institution (for the Lord's sake) This includes governors and emperors (no distinction between good/bad) The will of God... by doing good, we silence the ignorance of foolish people 4.) Our identity defines our view of freedom Don't use freedom as a cover-up for evil We are freed to serve God Honor, Love, and Fear Discipleship Questions: 1.)Why is it so important to understand our identity before talking about our behavior? 2.) How might this reality impact your parenting? For real, what are 3 ways that you can apply that this week? 3.) How is good conduct a form of evangelism? 4.) What do these verses say that we can expect from others? 5.) How can we honor a government that isn't always honorable? Seriously, what are 5 things we should immediately stop doing and 5 things we should immediately start doing? 6.) What are some tangible ways to honor others? Love the brotherhood? Fear God? Honor the Emperor? 7.) Should we fear the Emperor?

Cornerstone

April 22, 2025
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, April 20, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 2:4-10 Everyone must accept or reject Jesus. He is the cornerstone. We choose to accept Him as the foundation of our lives or toss the truth aside. When we come to Jesus… We become part of His People 1 Pe 2:4-5 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. The cornerstone is The New Temple. From this we learn that following Christ entails joining his community, the church…The freelance Christian, who follows Jesus but is too good, too busy, or too self-sufficient for the church, is a walking contradiction. -Daniel M. Doriani We join a royal, holy, priesthood 1 Pet. 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Because of who Jesus makes us. We receive God’s mercy Fallen man is not simply an imperfect creature who needs improvement: he is a rebel who must lay down his arms….Now repentance is no fun at all. It is something much harder than merely eating humble pie. It means unlearning all the self-conceit and self-will that we have been training ourselves into for thousands of years. It means undergoing a kind of death. Acts 17:30-31 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” Discipleship Questions: Why is it impossible to be neutral about Jesus? Why do you believe that Jesus truly is the Son of God? Do you ever have doubts about this? If yes, what are they? According to 1 Peter 2:9, who are we after we come to Christ? Why does Paul say (in 1 Corinthians) that if Christ is not risen, our faith is in vain?

Born Again

April 16, 2025
Notes from Scott Sutton's sermon on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 2:2-3 Why do our souls ache for certainty? We are so eager for certainty that we will look for it in all the wrong places. - Certainty in our Finances [show slide from news] - Certainty in our Jobs [Acts 17:24-27] - Certainty in our Health [Covid] - Certainty in our Abilities [Ecclesiastes 3:11 “God has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.”] “Things that have never happened before are happening every day.” -Morgan Housel In these verses, God gives us what our souls ache for! 1.) You must be born again of imperishable seed - We have all been born of perishable seed o Impure souls o Disobedient to truth o Unloving insincerity toward others o Lack of loving effort o Impure hearts - We are withering grass and falling flowers - The imperishable seed is the living and abiding Word of God o Does not wither o Does not fall o Does not let us down o It remains forever o It MUST BE PREACHED! But still, how can we be certain that we have been born again? 2.) If you are born again, hope will be seen in your relationships When your relationship with God changes, God changes your relationships! - Sincere brotherly love - Love earnestly - Put away… o Malice o Deceit o Hypocrisy o Envy o All Slander 3.) If you are born again, hope will be seen in your appetite for God’s Word - Like newborn infants - Long for the pure spiritual milk Discipleship Questions: 1.) Where are some unhealthy places where you look for certainty? 2.) Why do you do that? 3.) What were some evidences of your perishable seed before you came to Christ? Any of that still lingering that needs to be repented from? 4.) Why does Peter call the Word of God the imperishable seed? 5.) In light of the text, how would you describe being "born again" to a 5-year-old? 6.) How has imperishable hope proven itself in your relationships? OR How might it if you lean into loving others earnestly? 7.) Why does Peter tell us that hope will be seen in our appetite for God's Word?
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