8/6/2023 Worship Service & Sermon: What is Faith? Hebrews 11:1-2, 6

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8/6/2023 Worship Service and Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA.

Scripture: Hebrews 11:1-2, 6
Title: What is Faith?
Worship Leader: Matt Lambert
Speaker: Steve Estes

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received commendation...And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Notes:

1. Mistaken ideas about faith
A. Wishful thinking
B. Emotion

2. Faith is a confidence in God based on good reasons
A. Confidence in God
B. Based on good reasons
C. More about faith based on good reasons

3. Faith responds positively to what God says

4. Lessons
A. Faith involves your mind and your will

#faith #assurance #Hebrews

7/30/23 Worship Service and Sermon: Suffering and Safety in Christ - Romans 8:18-28

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7/23/2023 Worship Service and Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA.

Worship Leader: Randy Helper
Speaker: Tyler Estes
Scripture: Romans 8:18-28
Title: Suffering and Safety in Christ

Notes:

1. The primary theme of Romans 8 is that those who are in Christ are safe

2. The suffering of Christians is not something to treat lightly
A. Our sufferings are sometimes the result of our sin
B. But our sufferings are sometimes the result of another's sin
C. And our sufferings are sometimes the result of vanity in a fallen world
D. The Bible draws a connection between our sufferings and the glory that we receive with Christ

3. Our sufferings are insignificant compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us at Christ's Second Coming

4. We are sustained in our sufferings by the hope of our salvation

5. We are also sustained in our sufferings by the intercession of the Holy Spirit

6. Applications

#Romans #suffering

7/23/2023 Worship Service and Sermon: Persevere - Hebrews 10:32-39

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7/23/2023 Worship Service and Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA.

Worship Leader: Matt Griffith
Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: Hebrews 10:32-39
Title: Christian: Persevere

Remember those earlier days after you had received the light, when you stood your ground in a great contest in the face of suffering. Sometimes you were publicly exposed to insult and persecution; at other times you stood side by side with those who were so treated. You sympathised with those in prison and joyfully accepted the confiscation of your property, because you knew that you yourselves had better and lasting possessions. So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, "He who is coming will come and will not delay. But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.*" But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved.

Notes:

1. What the readers experienced in the past
A. Pressure from fellow Jews
B. Pressure from Gentiles
C. Result of pressure

2. Argument #1: You've already come so far
A. Regarding loss of property
B. For those who escaped ill treatment...
C. Now...persecution seems to have returned
D. The point

3. Argument #2: Great rewards for perseverance; awful consequences for abandonment
A. Perseverance
B. Abandonment

4. All this takes reasonable faith

5. Closing exhortation

*Habakkuk 2:3-4

#perseverance #Hebrews #persecution

7/9/2023 Worship Service & Sermon: The love of God for born-again believers

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7/9/2023 Worship Service and Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA.

Scripture: Various
Title: The love of God for born-again believers
Worship Leader: John Sletta
Speaker: Rich Goswiller

For [God] makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matthew 5:45b)

God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Romans 5:5b)

I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you. (Jeremiah 31:3b)

That you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is in the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. (Ephesians 3:17b-19)

For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but it is because the Lord loves you and is keeping the oath that he swore to your fathers, that the Lord has brought you our with a mighty hand and redeemed you for the house of slavery. (Deuteronomy 7:6-8)

I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me. (John 17:23)

The Lord you God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)

Notes:

1. God loves you with a redemptive love
A. God has a general love for all His creation (Matthew 5:45b)
B. God has a distinctive redeeming love for people He saves (Romans 5:5b)

2. God loves you with an eternal love (Jeremiah 31:3b)

3. God loves you with an infinite love (Ephesians 3:17b-19)

4. God loves you with an unchangeable love

5. God loves you with an unconditional love (Deuteronomy 7:6-8)
A. Does NOT mean God loves sinners the way they are!
B. Means God's love for you is unmerited.

6. God loves you with a special love
A. God loves to love His saints (Zephaniah 3:17)

7/2/23 Worship Service & Sermon: God’s Ways, Our Ways - Mark 5:21-43

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7/2/2023 Worship Service and Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA.

Scripture: Mark 5:21-43
Title: God's Ways, Our Ways
Speaker: Stephen Coleman

Notes:

1. God's timing is not our timing
A. The synagogue ruler and the hemorrhaging woman
B. How does Jesus prioritize?

2. God's ends are not our ends
A. Jesus restores, cares for the hemorrhaging woman
B. Jesus came to give life to the spiritually dead
C. The end is life for those who are in Christ

3. God's means are not our means
A. Foreshadowing Calvary

6/25/2023 Worship Service & Sermon: God, Humans, Hatfields and McCoys - 2 Corinthians 5:18-21

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6/25/2023 Worship Service and Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA.

Worship Leader: Mike Colbert
Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:18-21
Title: God, Humans, Hatfields and McCoys

All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Notes:

1. Hatfields and McCoys
A. Who were they?
B. The Civil War
C. The hog incident
D. Roseanna and Johnse
E. Other incidents

2. Our distance from God is like the Hatfields vs. McCoys in that there is real hostility from both sides
A. Hostility from humans toward God
B. God at odds with humans

3. How our distance from God is unlike the story of Hatfields and McCoys
A. H&M hated each other for the other's wickedness; humans dislike God for His righteousness
B. Because of His love, God's desire is to restore friendship with us

Benediction: To every follower of Jesus: "Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation." (Colossians 1:21-22)

To every not-yet follower: "Come! Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes, let him take the free gift of the water of life." (Revelation 22:17)

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen

#reconciliation #imputedrighteousness

6/18/2023 Worship Service & Sermon

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6/18/2023 Worship Service and Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA.

Worship Leader: Luke Stoltzfus
Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:11-17
Title: The Life of a Genuine Christian

Notes:

1. The life of a genuine Christian--particularly of a genuine minister--is fueled by the fear of God

2. The life of a genuine Christian--particularly of a genuine minister--is fueled by a sense of Christ's love
A. Text speaks of Christ's death as a substitutionary one
B. Result of Christ's death: We sense his love and change how we live

3. The life of a genuine Christian--particularly of a genuine minister--will sometimes be attacked
A. Said directly elsewhere in 2 Corinthians
B. Hinted at in this passage
C. Paul's goal in defending himself

4. A genuine Christian--particularly a minister--should be defended by other Christians who know him well
A. It's right for a minister to defend/explain himself
B. It's right for Christians to defend other Christians--particularly ministers--when those Christians are slandered
C. Only a change in the heart by Christ will give Christians the insight and courage to act this way

6/11/23 Worship Service and Sermon: Christians on Judgment Day - 2 Corinthians 5:9-10

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6/11/2023 Worship Service and Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:9-10
Title: Christians on Judgment Day
Worship Leader: Matt Carter
Speaker: Steve Estes

So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.

Notes:

1. Christians live holy lives to bring pleasure to Christ

2. Christians also live holy lives for another reason
A. There will be a day of reckoning
B. Judgment can be negative or positive
C. Christians, safe and secure in heaven, will enjoy more/fewer rewards based on how they have lived

3. Christians lead holy lives to avoid loss and enhance their own joy in heaven
A. Appearing before the judgment seat of Christ
B. Who will appear?
C. In what manner will we appear?
D. Purpose of appearing
E. What will be the general standard of judgment?
F. What will be the particular standard of judgment?

4. Some observations
A. Our presence in heaven is based 100% on God's grace and mercy
B. Our status in heaven will reflect our faithfulness and diligence
C. Faithful Christians will be rewarded appropriately. Less faithful Christians, though not punished, will forfeit rewards
D. Neither our presence nor our status in heaven is based on merit
E. Do you struggle with a besetting sin?
F. David's big sins
G. Perhaps the tears God will wipe away will be tears shed on Judgment Day
H. Regarding those above you in heaven
I. Regarding those below you in heaven
J. Final thought

#christianliving #heaven #judgmentday

6/4/2023 Worship Service and Sermon: Departed Christians - What Do They Experience? - 2 Corinthians 5:1-8

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6/4/2023 Worship Service and Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA.

To honor the privacy of our families whose children helped lead our Call to Confession this morning, that section have been removed from our recording. Brick Lane members and regular attendees may request access to the full recording by contacting Andrew Hageman.

Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:1-8
Title: Departed Christians: What Do They Experience?
Worship Leader: TJ Waldy
Speaker: Steve Estes

For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

Notes:

1. Our future bodies will be far superior to our current bodies
A. Current bodies are likened to mere tents
B. Future bodies are likened to buildings
C. What we were created for
D. Applications

2. A seeming problem
A. When do we receive these bodies?
B. Until then, what do we do in the meantime?
C. Some commentators, troubled by this answer, propose some "creative" ideas

3. Solution to the problem
A. Our groaning is positive, not negative
B. Paul expresses longing, not horror, over heaven
C. Why talk about "nakedness"?
D. God's whole plan is this...

5/28/2023 Worship Service & Sermon: Correct Confidence - Philippians 3:1-11

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5/28/2023 Worship Service and Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA.

Worship Leader: Steve Boyer
Speaker: David Royes
Scripture: Philippians 3:1-11
Title: Correct Confidence

Notes:

1. A False Teaching
A. The danger of putting confidence in the flesh

2. A Powerful Testimony
A. Earthly gain as rubbish
B. Self-abandonment as the beginning of righteousness
C. Knowing Jesus as resurrection

3. A Simple Safeguard