Westside Christian Fellowship

If you want to stay up on the latest audio messages from Westside Christian Fellowship, don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes. Tweet Complete Sermon Notes Religious People Are Often Stiff-Necked & Angry   Religion says, “I have to follow rules.” A relationship with Christ says, “I want to follow His plan for my life.”   Religion says, “I have to go to church.” A relationship with Christ says, “I want to position myself to learn more, worship Him, and benefit from fellowship.”   Religion offers a set of rituals; a relationship with Jesus offers a guiding light.   Religion is man’s attempt to find God; relationship assures us of His presence. __________________________________________   ACTS 7:44 – The tabernacle in the wilderness 48 “However, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the prophet says: 49 ‘Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. What house will you build for Me? says the Lord, Or what is the place of My rest? 50 Has My hand not made all these things?’ WOW – LOOK AT THIS: http://the-superhero-multiverse-imvu.wikia.com/wiki/File:Earth_in_the_Milky_Way_Galaxy.gif   51 “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, 53 who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.” The neck reflects the heart [uncircumcised]. Bowing down and a lowered head is often a mark of humility. We are stiff-necked when we reject His will.   54 When they heard these things they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth. 55 But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, 56 and said, “Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” “Saw the glory of God.” (cf. Isaiah 6) – The closer we draw near to Him, the more we will reflect His glory (radiance, nature, light). Biblical preaching cuts to the heart then points to Christ. What do you do when you’re cut [badly wounded emotionally]? KEY: Are you mad and defensive [stiff necked], or open and teachable? Cf. ACTS 2. God allows us to be cut to reveal the heart.           ~ A package comes in the mail – “What’s this?”   57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, stopped their ears, and ran at him with one accord; 58 and they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, “Lord Jesus,

If you want to stay up on the latest audio messages from Westside Christian Fellowship, don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes. Tweet Complete Sermon Notes The Path of Idolatry   “I destroy homes, tear families apart, take your children, and that’s just the start. I’m more costly than diamonds, more costly than gold, the sorrow I bring is a sight to behold… Just try me once and I might let you go, but try me twice, and I’ll own your soul. …you’ll forget your morals and how you were raised, I’ll be your conscience, I’ll teach you my ways…I’ll be your master; you will be my slave, I’ll even go with you, when you go to your grave. Now that you have met me, what will you do? Will you try me or not? It’s all up to you. I can bring you more misery than words can tell. Come take my hand, let me lead you to hell.” Unbeliever – their idol leads them to hell “Yes, I believe that, but I’m not going to tell anyone.”   Charles Peace was a gentleman who was condemned to death row in the United States. A pastor mentioned ‘hell’. Charles Peace tapped him on the shoulder and said: ‘Sir, do you mind me asking a question? Do you believe what you’re reading?’. He said: ‘Of course I believe what I’m reading’. He said: ‘If I believed what you believe, I would crawl on my hands and knees to the four corners of the world across broken glass to warn people of such an eternity’.   13% of Jesus’ recorded words are about judgement and hell. J. C. Ryle said: “Beware of new and strange doctrines about hell and the eternity of punishment. Beware of manufacturing a God of your own – a God who is all love, but not holy – a God who has a heaven for everybody, but a hell for none.”   “I don’t like the fire and brimstone type.”   God is pleading: Deuteronomy 5:29 [NKJV] “Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever!” I am not willing that any should perish, but that all come to repentance.   Creation says bow your knee. I will not!  /  Conviction says surrender. I will not! Beware of idolatry – Will you try me or not? It’s all up to you. I can bring you more misery than words can tell. Come take my hand, let me lead you to hell.”   Believer – idolatry is hell on earth – instead of joy [depression], instead of peace [anxiety], instead of Spirit-empowered living [you barely hold on].   WHY – Because you are worshipping a false god.   Kyle Idleman said, “What if I told you that every sin you are struggling with is because of idolatry.” Martin Luther adds, “You can’t violate the other nine commandments without breaking this one first (idolatry).”   ________________________________________________________________________________________________   Stephen left us with this – Moses received the commands of God, but the Children of Israel did not obey… “And in their hearts they turned back to Egypt.”

If you want to stay up on the latest audio messages from Westside Christian Fellowship, don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes. Tweet Complete Sermon Notes Don’t Reject the Voice of God INTRO: “There will be no peace in any soul until it’s ready to obey the voice of the Lord.” ~ D.L Moody   There are turning points – Abraham, Moses, the Children of Israel, this Council in the book of Acts – and there will be turning points in our lives as well.   DO WE LISTEN OR IGNORE?   Stephen addressing the council – ACTS 7:17 – “But when the time of the promise drew near which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt 18 till another king arose who did not know Joseph. 19 This man dealt treacherously with our people, and oppressed our forefathers, making them expose their babies, so that they might not live. Pharaoh rejected Joseph’s family, and the favor dried up.   He wanted to – “to extinguish what threatens.”   The devil doesn’t want you to hear God – 1. What threatens my pride – 2. What inconveniences my flesh?   20 At this time Moses was born, and was well pleasing to God; and he was brought up in his father’s house for three months. 21 But when he was set out, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and brought him up as her own son. 22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and deeds. Don’t reject your past: God will use it!   23 “Now when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel. 24 And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian. 25 For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand. 26 And the next day he appeared to two of them as they were fighting, and tried to reconcile them, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren; why do you wrong one another?’ 27 But he who did his neighbor wrong pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? 28 Do you want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday?’ 29 Then, at this saying, Moses fled and became a dweller in the land of Midian, where he had two sons. He should have rejected his feelings, BUT if we cf. vs. 35 they rejected Moses as well.   “It came into his heart” vs. God placed it in his heart (Kings, Jeremiah, Rev.).   I feel like eating that. I feel like doing that. I feel like saying that. I feel like dating them. I feel like leaving that. I feel like giving up on that.   ~ Feelings take the course of least resistance –   To truly hear God’s voice, you will need to stop listening to the flesh. Perfect example: “I want to hear from God!” – BUT later today I’m going to flop down on a couch for 4 hrs, eat 3000 calories, drink a 6-pack of IPA, and really enjoy Lady Gaga’s…   DOES THIS BUILD ME UP SPIRITUALLY?   30 “And when forty years had passed, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush,

If you want to stay up on the latest audio messages from Westside Christian Fellowship, don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes. Tweet Complete Sermon Notes God’s Will – Simple But Not Easy Simple – “trust and obey” – but not Easy. FALSE WITNESSES CAME AGAINST STEPHEN WHO WAS FULL OF FAITH AND POWER: ACTS 6:15 And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel. 7 Then the high priest said, “Are these things so?”2 And he said, “Brethren and fathers, listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran, 3 and said to him, ‘Get out of your country and from your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.’ This is the beginning of God’s people – Israel.   We often only see portions of God’s will not the whole picture. God often leads us by withholding information. Challenges are not necessarily an indicator that we are out of God’s will – Mary traveling to Bethlehem, or Abraham leaving.   4 Then he came out of the land of the Chaldeans and dwelt in Haran. And from there, when his father was dead, He [God] moved him to this land in which you now dwell.  It could read – “then he obeyed.” After obedience, then you can ask, “What’s the next step?”   “Speak, for your servant is listening.”   5 And God gave him no inheritance in it, not even enough to set his foot on. But even when Abraham had no child, He promised to give it to him for a possession, and to his descendants after him. No immediate reward – God was his reward. I’d rather live in a rental home…   Numbers 18:20 (NIV) “The LORD said to Aaron, ‘You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them; I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites.’”   THEY DIDN’T GET LAND – THEY GOT GOD! One way to test faith is to see what we are willing to give up.   A study bible offers these five points on how the enemy, the flesh, and the world divert us from God’s will: 1. Doubt: Makes you question God and His goodness. 2. Discouragement: Makes you look at your problems rather than God. 3. Diversion: Makes the wrong things seem attractive so that we want them more than the right things. 4. Defeat: Makes you feel like a failure so that you don’t even try. 5. Delay: Makes you put off doing something God wants you to do so that it never gets done.   6 But God spoke in this way: that his descendants would dwell in a foreign land, and that they would bring them into bondage and oppress them four hundred years [how is this God’s will?]. 7 ‘And the nation to whom they will be in bondage I will judge,’ said God, ‘and after that they shall come out and serve Me in this place.’ Foretold to encourage His people – bondage & oppressed for 400 years in Egypt.

If you want to stay up on the latest audio messages from Westside Christian Fellowship, don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes. Tweet Complete Sermon Notes Persecution – What You Need to Know   AUDIENCE WATCH: Persecution – A Price to Pay for Being a Christian (John MacArthur)   INTRO: DOES GOOD HAVE A WONDERFUL PLAN FOR OUR LIFE?   “The preacher promises a bed of roses for those who come to Christ, but those who are in Christ are evidently sitting on a painful bed of thorns.” Ray Comfort “When Christ calls a man he bids him come and die” (Bonhoeffer).   What if promotional material for the Navy SEALS read, “Limited time to be stationed on Coronado Island. Free luaus, snorkeling, and cruises with nightly excursions–all paid for by the United States Navy.” How many would jump at the opportunity? How many would be shocked, disappointed, and disillusioned when they found out what really was involved?   Here is the key: our relationship with God does not hinge on trials, difficulties, and persecution – it hinges on who He is. He is our foundation in the midst of the storm. He is our peace in the midst of fear. He is our comfort in the midst of anxiety. God ascribes to Himself names that we can identify with when trials approach: Jehovah Jireh–our provider. El Shaddai–all powerful Jehovah Shalom–our peace. Jehovah Rohi–our Shepherd. Jehovah Nissi–our victory and our strength. Jehovah Tsidkenu–our righteousness. Jehovah Shammah–“He is there” in the darkest times. He will never leave nor forsake.   “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33, NIV). Please don’t misunderstand: God blesses His people–we should pray for, enjoy, and encourage His blessings. But a wonderful, comfortable life is not always a blessing – the presence and power of God in our lives is: “The Lord gives strength to his people; the Lord blesses his people with peace” (Psalm 29:11). Strength in the midst of the storm is a true blessing.   Stephen Accused of Blasphemy [speaking offensively about God]. ACTS 6:8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Then there arose some from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and those from Cilicia and Asia), disputing with Stephen. 10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit by which he spoke. 11 Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 12 And they stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; and they came upon him, seized him, and brought him to the council. 13 They also set up false witnesses who said, “This man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and the law; 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.” 15 And all who sat in the council, looking steadfastly at him, saw his face as the face of an angel.  

If you want to stay up on the latest audio messages from Westside Christian Fellowship, don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes. Tweet No Sermon Notes

If you want to stay up on the latest audio messages from Westside Christian Fellowship, don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes. Tweet Complete Sermon Notes What Delays Spiritual Growth?   Is it possible to fully obey?   Intro: What Delays Spiritual Growth? Looking like a baby is adorable at 5 months, but pathetic at 35. Before we progress in ACTS, we need to see why many are not progressing.   They just chose 7 men – ACTS 6:5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, 6 whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. 7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith [i will come back to this]. God often delays growth until the foundation is established – “then the word spread”. Prayed and laid hands on them: Ordained, Commissioned, Filled: Hebrews 6 – “laying on of hands” was common-place.                                  ⇲ 1 Tim. 5:22 – “Don’t lay hands on any man suddenly – neither be partaker of other men’s sins.” THE WORD “SPREAD AND GREW” – This is what we desire in our lives.   Is it possible to fully obey God? What Delays Spiritual Growth?   “The peril of perfectionism is that it seriously distorts the human mind. Imagine the contortions through which we must put ourselves to delude us into thinking that we have in fact achieved a state of sinlessness” (R.C. Sproul). Antinomian rejects morality (e.g., we’re under grace).   1 John 2 says things such as: “I write this to you so that you will not sin… We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands.” And if it’s possible, what would our lives look like if we obeyed Him more? What “If” it was a PASSION NOT A PAIN; A JOY NOT A DRUDGERY; A DELIGHT NOT A DISAPPOINTMENT. Listen – “Ears to hear”, Follow, Observe, Heed, Carry out, Comply – OBEY Rebel, Ignore, Disregard, Neglect, Decline, Deny – DISOBEY    Pharisee ALERT – “Finally, someone who is ‘pushing’ obedience.” 1 Sam. 15:23 – Rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft, and arrogance like idolatry. _______________________________________________ God leads us primarily through obedience – 1887 – When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word, What a glory He sheds on our way! While we do His good will, He abides with us still, And with all who will trust and obey. Trust and obey, for there’s no other way To be happy in Jesus, but [than] to trust and obey. MY MOTIVATION is for you to     … GROW      and      … GO. MEDICAL SITE: “In order for cells to grow, 3 things are necessary. First, they must have food. Second, they must be active or they become too weak to do their work. Third, they must help the body get rid of waste materials.” 1. Food for Growth is Obedience: “We pray for God to change our situation. But often,

If you want to stay up on the latest audio messages from Westside Christian Fellowship, don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes. Tweet Complete Sermon Notes James on Sickness, Suffering, & Wandering LAST ONE – Part Twelve 1/18/2017   James 5:13 – Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit. Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins.   1. Suffering [TROUBLE] – the answer is prayer not lashing out, not simply bearing it, and not retaliating – better not bitter. Nervous breakdowns – to walking away from God. Affliction can lead to humility – those close to God have endured much affliction.   2. Cheerful – the other extreme – people seek Him when suffering, but discard Him when all is well. Fuel the Joy – sing and praise Him.   3. Sickness: God is allowing it, or a demonic attack, or a condition of our fallen bodies [may or may not be self created]. “Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord [oil represents who is healing]. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up.” “Calling the elders” – go get them / or go to them. Men who live well pray well – “the effectual, fervent prayer of a [man in right standing with God]. King Ahab’s prayers vs Elijah’s. ___________________________ “And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed.” Faiths Roll – “the prayer of faith”: God gives this gift. If it was always God’s will to heal – we would never die. This is why it’s not a absolute, BUT when sin is connected to the illness.   Sins connection to illness – (cf. Mk. 2:5; Jn. 5:14; 9:2–3; 1 Cor. 11:30) Confession took place – confessing to one another.   Guilt can cause sickness – HEADLINES: “Is guilt getting the best of you”; “How emotions cause disease and illness”; “What are the physical effects of guilt?” Healing HERE is connected with the forgiveness of sin.   “And if he has committed sins,

If you want to stay up on the latest audio messages from Westside Christian Fellowship, don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes. Tweet Complete Sermon Notes 7 Things That Hinder God’s Work In the truest sense, nothing hinders God – we HINDER ourselves. ________________________________________ Tip of the week: Know What You’re Consuming Sugar – 4lbs to 100lbs. The immune system fights off diseases including cancer cells but the more it has to fight…. Cottonseed oil is made from a byproduct of the industrial waste from the cotton farming industry, which isn’t a food crop. Cotton crop waste is also used is to make some “cellulose” additives (when wood isn’t used) that’s added to products like Kraft shredded cheese. You’ll find these cotton byproducts in hundreds of mainstream processed foods because they’re cheap to produce and have a long shelf life. Cotton waste is also fed to conventional farm animals as a way to cheaply dispose of it and artificially bulk up their feed. http://foodbabe.com/2016/05/16/this-ingredient-isnt-food-but-most-americans-eat-it/ An on-line listener: “I was dying and submitted to Christ. Look at what He did for me after I was in bed 12 years filled with toxins from my workplace, a 2.35cm nodule was in my lung, with heart problems, and diabetes. Prayer and nutrition and submission to God changed that!…All my diseases are gone, no medications, full of energy and coaching others who are trapped in their bodies and homes…I will be 68 yrs. old in a week….I was given 4 to 9 months to live.

If you want to stay up on the latest audio messages from Westside Christian Fellowship, don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes. Tweet Complete Sermon Notes What is “Trying Your Patience”? JAMES PART ELEVEN: 1/4/17   Context 5 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. 4 Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. 5 You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you. THE SINNER & THE SAINT ARE MENTIONED – “The saint must be fed and the sinner warned” (Spurgeon).   Matthew Henry – “Public calamities are most grievous to rich people, who live in pleasure, and are secure and sensual; and therefore they shall weep and howl more than other people for the miseries that shall come upon them.”   Turn to God. “It’s easier for a rich man to go through the eye of a needle…” Idolatry – are we putting more emphasis on our wealth than we should? Both grumbling and complaining result when we do. SWEARING is when the volcano of grumbling and complaining grows. _______________________________________ 7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth [without grumbling and complaining], waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. 8 You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. TIMING TRYS OUR PATIENCE – In a hurry Timing of the EARLY [Oct./Nov.] and the LATTER [April/May] rain – growth is a cycle, as is God’s timing. My TIMING vs. God’s perfect timing leads to impatients.   THE WRONG FOCUS TRYS OUR PATIENCE The WRONG FOCUS, SELF FOCUS & a HURRIED FOCUS lead to impatients.   LISTENING TO THE WRONG VOICE TRYS OUR PATIENCE “You also be patient” – Listening to the WRONG VOICE- Satan, the world, and our flesh all work against us: God’s leading calms your heart, but the flesh wants to rush. God leads, but Satan pushes. God encourages, the world discourages. God reassures, the world frightens. God enlightens, Satan confuses. God convicts, Satan condemns. Patience is the result of making “wise” decisions that correspond with His word. Disobedience leads to disappointment. Ask, “Is God truly guiding me?” Before making an important decision. Furthermore, if you’re not in the word, the word won’t be in you. One of the best ways to know if God is truly guiding you is to pray, stay, and obey—stay in His Word; obey His principles, and ask for direction. “God is more likely to direct me through wise teaching than through inner voices” (J.I. Packer). The need to stay, pray, and obey is absolutely vital when it comes to knowing God and His will.

If you want to stay up on the latest audio messages from Westside Christian Fellowship, don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes. Tweet Complete Sermon Notes A Prisoner of Appetite – Is Unhealthy Eating a Sin?   Intro.: Unhealthy – the ability to take care of our body but choosing not to do so. This is a struggle for most of us – When I’m overweight it’s BECAUSE of neglect in this area. And it’s hard to preach on what you’re not “living out”. NOT HERE TO BEAT UP BUT ENCOURAGE  ⇙ Growing up – called Chubber Lang, Stuffed Pig, etc. I was 240lbs. this time last year – Would Jesus be overweight? Would Paul lose credibility? Would we take James less seriously? Thomas Costain’s history, The Three Edwards, described the life of Raynald III, a fourteenth-century duke in what is now Belgium.   Grossly overweight, Raynald was commonly called by his Latin nickname, Crassus. After a violent quarrel, Raynald’s younger brother Edward led a successful revolt against him. Edward captured Raynald but did not kill him. Instead, he built a room around Raynald in the Nieuwkerk castle and promised him he could regain his title and property as soon as he was able to leave the room…. …This would not have been difficult for most people since the room had several windows and a door of near-normal size, and none was locked or barred. The problem was Raynald’s size. To regain his freedom, he needed to lose weight. But Edward knew his older brother, and each day he sent a variety of delicious foods. Instead of dieting his way out of prison, Raynald grew fatter. When Duke Edward was accused of cruelty, he had a ready answer: “My brother is not a prisoner. He may leave when he so wills.” Raynald stayed in that room for 10 years & wasn’t released until after Edward died in battle. By then his health was so ruined he died within a year…a prisoner of his own appetite. KEY: The physical affects the spiritual. We’ve been talking about the filling of the Holy Spirit, and disobedience.   The School Of Obedience by Andrew Murray, “The one thing God asked of Adam in Paradise was obedience. The one thing by which a creature can glorify God, or enjoy His favor and blessing, is obedience. The one cause of the power sin has got in the world, and the ruin it has wrought, is disobedience.” “The secret of a true obedience is the return to close and continual fellowship with God” – JUST OBEY MY VOICE. Does the Bible say anything about – Addiction? Wise Stewardship? Disciplining our bodies? … Gluttony? RECOMMENDED READING: “Breaking the Stronghold of Food” by Dr. Michael Brown.

If you want to stay up on the latest audio messages from Westside Christian Fellowship, don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes. Tweet Complete Sermon Notes “And He Shall Be Called…” ISAIAH 9:6 NASB – “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.”   ___________________________________________   Gabriel Announces Christ’s Birth  – LUKE 1:26 [NKJV] Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, 27 to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And having come in, the angel said to her, “Rejoice, highly favored one, the Lord is with you; blessed are you among women!” “Hypostatic Union” – divine/human – Jesus got nutrition but not LIFE from Mary.   29 But when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and considered what manner of greeting this was. 30 Then the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name JESUS. 32 He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. 33 And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Angeles would often say, “Do not be afraid.” When we are not in control or don’t understand – we get fearful – TRUST and OBEY Man cannot SAVE himself – “God himself will provide the lamb for the burnt offering, my son” (Genesis 22:8). Mount Moriah 2000 years EARLIER –        ↣ HE COULDN’T HAVE DONE IT AS A CHILD –  “I lay my life down.”                      ↣ HE HAD TO ENDURE THE CROSS – We think we have mental anguish?   This is WONDERFUL news – He shall be called – “ETERNAL FATHER” _________________________________________________ The Angels Announce Jesus to the Shepherds [the lowly and the receptive] – 2:8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” He shall be called – “PRINCE OF PEACE” WHAT GOOD NEWS? “Good tidings of great joy which will be to all people...

If you want to stay up on the latest audio messages from Westside Christian Fellowship, don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes. Tweet Complete Sermon Notes If It’s of God – You Cannot Overthrow It   We’ve been in the book of ACTS – God working through His people. Christianity would have never survived w/ out God. The hero is defeated and crucified – who is going to DIE for that? — H.G. Wells, “I am an historian, I am not a believer, but I must confess as a historian that this penniless preacher from Nazareth is irrevocably the very center of history. Jesus Christ is easily the most dominant figure in all history.” YOU CANNOT OVERTHROW HIM. — Napoleon, “I know men and I tell you that Jesus Christ is no mere man. Between Him and every other person in the world there is no possible term of comparison. Alexander, Caesar, Charlemagne, and I have founded empires. But on what did we rest the creation of our genius? Upon force. Jesus Christ founded His empire upon love; and at this hour millions of men would die for Him.” YOU CANNOT OVERTHROW HIM. — Voltaire (died 1778), “Curse the wretch. In 20 years, Christianity will be no more. My single hand will destroy the edifice it took 12 apostles to rear.” YOU CANNOT OVERTHROW HIM.   But how do cults flourish? Just because something flourishes doesn’t make it right – weeds flourish.     DOES IT LINE UP WITH THE TRUTH – is the fruit of the Spirit present?   We were created to worship God – People are so hungry spiritually that they’ll consume anything! The city of Karnataka –  lower class “takes a bath by rolling over leftovers” from their food. According to members of the Church of Scientology, an E-meter can be used to determine whether or not someone is carrying spiritual baggage. In Kali temples of south Kerala they promote hook hanging – The ritual is performed to pacify the god Kali. In western India, some parents volunteer to have their infants dropped fifty feet from the roof of a mosque and caught on a taut bed sheet in the belief that it will ensure their family’s good health and prosperity. Be careful where you search for truth – all religions can be wrong, but… ACTS 5:28 – Context: “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!” 29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree. 31 Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are His witnesses to these things, and so also is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him.”   1. What was the doctrine that was so upsetting?           ~ Do you have this forgiveness – peace that surpasses all understanding? 2. If the world hates you – keep in mind that it hated Me first (cf. Jn. 15:18).   Clarification for newcomers: CHURCHES SHOULD BE welcoming, accepting, friendly, warm, hospitable places of worship; BUT they should also challenge,

If you want to stay up on the latest audio messages from Westside Christian Fellowship, don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes. Tweet Complete Sermon Notes It’s Hard For a Rich Man JAMES PART TEN: 12/14/16 Context: Businessmen to the Rich – 4:13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”;14 whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.” 16 But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin. God’s will vs. my will 5 Come now, you rich, weep and howl for your miseries that are coming upon you! 2 Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver are corroded, and their corrosion will be a witness against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have heaped up treasure in the last days. 4 Indeed the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, cry out; and the cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth. 5 You have lived on the earth in pleasure and luxury; you have fattened your hearts as in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he does not resist you. James is writing to those who call themselves believers – what we do with wealth reveals our heart. It’s not about “riches” – look at Abraham and David and Jobe comma but it’s allowing riches 2 tarnish your character. We want more and more and more so we commit fraud and take advantage of others. Riches can lead to a wasted life. Anybody can waste their life, but it’s particularly disheartening for the wealthy [life is an elusion]. Weep – miseries are coming: Mark 8:36 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? 37 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” Riches are deceptive because we don’t see our need for God: Matthew 19:24 “…It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle…” The cries of the reapers have reached the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth – Lord of Hosts: He is God of the armies of the earth and of the heavens WISDOM FROM PROVERBS 11 11 Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is His delight. Deception: making something appear better or worse for gain. Get a 2nd opinion: From the mechanic to the contractor – the politician to the doctor. 4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death. 5 The righteousness of the blameless will direct his way aright, but the wicked will fall by his own wickedness. 6 The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, but the unfaithful will be caught by their lust. Wickedness and Unrighteousness go together: “My good works grow out of God’s working within me” (J.I. Packer). 7 When a wicked man dies, his expectation [a strong belief that something will happen] will perish,

If you want to stay up on the latest audio messages from Westside Christian Fellowship, don’t forget to subscribe to this podcast on iTunes. Tweet Complete Sermon Notes Obey God Rather Than Men ACTS 5:29 But Peter and the other apostles answered and said: “We ought to obey God rather than men.” ‘Ought’ isn’t neutral; it means: “To be bound in duty or by moral obligation.” In the same way that a soldier enlists in the military, a Christian enlists. Jesus was “obedient unto death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:8). Obedience leads to the filling of the Spirit as well as knowing God’s will. ______________________________ Apostles on Trial Again 5:22 But when the officers came and did not find them in the prison, they returned and reported, 23 saying, “Indeed we found the prison shut securely, and the guards standing outside before the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside!” 24 Now when the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests heard these things, they wondered what the outcome would be. 25 So one came and told them, saying, “Look, the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!” 26 Then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence, for they feared the people, lest they should be stoned. 27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest asked them, 28 saying, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!” “Fear” is the reason we don’t share – filled with fear vs. faith. Wisdom is needed – they were strategic. They were given a platform – or a relationship was built, or circumstances allowed it. “Filled all Jerusalem”:  Reminded me of Acts 1:8, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth [unbelievers].” Filled Jerusalem with your Doctrine – a set of beliefs. How my meeting with a Catholic priest came about – MAIN POINT – We cannot believe both the Bible and Tradition. Papal infallibility says that the Pope is preserved from the possibility of error “when, in the exercise of his office as shepherd and teacher of all Christians, in virtue of his supreme apostolic authority, he defines a doctrine concerning faith or morals to be held by the whole Church.”