10/6/24 Worship Service & Sermon: Risky Request - Philemon 1

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10/6/2024 Worship Service & Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA

Worship Leader: Mark Estes
Speaker: David Foglebach
Scripture: Philemon 1
Title: Risky Request

Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother,

To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker--also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier--and to the church that meets in your home:

Grace and peach to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I always thank my God as I remember you in my prayers, because I hear about your love for all his holy people and your faith in the Lord Jesus. I pray that your partnership with us in the faith may be effective in deepening your understanding of every good thing we share for the sake of Christ. Your love has given me great joy and encouragement, because you, brother, have refreshed the hearts of the Lord's people.

Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do, yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. It is as none other than Paul--an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus--that I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, who became my son while I was in chains. Formerly he was useless to you, but now he has become useful both to you and to me. I am sending him--who is my very heart--back to you. I would have liked to keep him with me so that he could take your place in helping me while I am in chains for the gospel. But I did not want you to do anything without your consent, so that any favor you do would not seem forced but would be voluntary. Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever--no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord. So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me. If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me. I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back--not to mention that you owe me your very self. I do wish, brother, that I may have some benefit from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in Christ. Confident of your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you'll do even more than I ask. And one thing more: Prepare a guest room for me, because I hope to be restored to you in answer to your prayers.

Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. And so do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my fellow workers. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Notes:

1. The request
A. Reconcile with a runaway slave
B. The modern equivalent

2. The risks
A. Paul's friendship with Philemon
B. Philemon's reputation
C. Onesimus' life

3. Risking reconciliation

#philemonmorris #onesimus #Paul

9/29/2024 Worship Service & Sermon: The Reigns of Jehoahaz and Jehoash - 2 Kings 13

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9/29/2024 Worship Service & Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA

Worship Leader: Luke Stoltzfus
Sermon: Steve Estes
Scripture: 2 Kings 13
Title: The Reigns of Jehoahaz and Jehoash

Notes:

1. Jehoahaz
A. "He did evil in the eyes of the LORD..."
B. Result of this evil
C. "Then Jehoahaz sought the LORD's favor"
D. How God did it
E. Israel's response

2. Jehoash
A. Different king, same summary
B. A significant episode
C. A dead man lives again

3. Conclusion

#jehoahaz #jehoash #israel #elisha

9/22/24 Worship Service & Sermon: Jehu Destroys Ahab’s House & Baal Worship - 2 Kings 10

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9/22/2024 Worship Service & Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA

Worship Leader: Dave Dailey
Sermon: Steve Estes
Scripture: 2 Kings 10
Title: Jehu Destroys Ahab's House and Baal Worship

Notes:

1. Destroying Ahab's house
A. Jehu's challenge
B. Heads roll in Samaria
C. Jehu seeks support of citizens and soldiers in Jezreel
D. Jehu slaughters Ahab's house in Jezreel

2. Meeting relatives of Judah's recently departed king
A. Remember Ahaziah?
B. The deadly meeting on the road to Samaria

3. Meeting a most unusual man
A. Jehonadab the Recabite
B. Jehonadab joins Jehu
C. The principle of this part of the passage

4. Killing Baal worship
A. A compulsory command
B. Death and destruction

5. What are we to think of this chapter?
A. Christian, don't be naive about politics
B. God uses scary unbelievers to achieve His holy purposes
C. God often rewards unbelievers (in this life) for the good they do
D. It won't do to abandon the sins we don't like, but cling to the sins we do like

#jehu #ahab #baal

9/15/24 Worship Service & Sermon: The Heights of His Holiness - Leviticus 14:33-56

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9/15/2024 Worship Service & Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA

Worship Leader: Tyler Estes
Sermon: David Royes
Scripture: Leviticus 14:33-56
Title: The Heights of His Holiness

Notes:

1. The Holiness of God in His Sovereignty
A. God's promises are sure
B. God's providence is real

2. The Holiness of God in His Separation
A. Uncleanness is contagious
B. Uncleanness is deep-seated
C. Uncleanness is persistent
D. Uncleanness renders something fit for destruction

3. The Holiness of God in His Son
A. Provision for the cleansing of uncleanness
B. A High Priest who is also a carpenter

4. Applications
A. Do not despair over the shame you feel today
B. There is great purpose in seemingly insignificant obedience to God

#holiness #uncleanness #God

9/8/2024 Worship Service and Sermon: Jehu Kills Joram, Ahaziah, and Jezebel - 2 Kings 9

9/8/2024 Worship Service & Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA

Worship Leader: Steve Boyer
Sermon: Steve Estes
Scripture: 2 Kings 9
Title: Jehu Kills Joram, Ahaziah, and Jezebel

Notes:

1. Previously on The Northern Kingdom...
A. Elijah flees
B. Jehovah replies
C. God's plan to topple Baal in Israel

2. Jehu anointed as king
A. Elisha sends a young prophet on a mission
B. Reaction of Jehu's lieutenants

3. Jehu kills two Baal-worshiping kings
A. Killing Joram of Israel
B. Killing Ahaziah of Judah

4. Killing Jezebel
A. Jezebel prepares to die in style
B. Jehu has Jezebel thrown out the window
C. Jehu feasts while Jezebel is feasted on

5. Lessons
A. Rebellion against God is fanned into flame by those we associate with
B. Rebels vs. God are gradually storing up wrath for themselves
C. God avenges His suffering people
D. Is God's wrath so gory and terrible?

#jehu #joram #ahaziah #jezebel

9/1/2024 Worship Service & Sermon: Joram’s Last Chance for Grace - 2 Kings 8:1-6

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9/1/2024 Worship Service & Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA

Worship Leader: Matt Carter
Sermon: Steve Estes
Scripture: 2 Kings 8:1-6
Title: Joram's Last Chance for Grace

Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, "Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the LORD has decreed a famine in the land that will last seven years." The woman proceeded to do as the man of God said. She and her family went away and stayed in the land of the Philistines seven years. At the end of the seven years she came back from the land of the Philistines and went to the king to beg for her house and land. The king was talking to Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, and had said, "Tell me about all the great things Elisha has done." Just as Gehazi was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, the woman whose son Elisha had brought back to life came to beg the king for her house and land. Gehazi said, "This is the woman, my lord the king, and this is her son whom Elisha restored to life." The king asked the woman about it, and she told him. Then he assigned an official to her case and said to him, "Give back everything that belonged to her, including all the income from her land from the day she left the country until now."

Notes:

1. Background to today's text (2 Kings 4 for reference)

2. King Joram had already seen God's divine kindness through Elisha
A. Aramean ambushes foiled
B. Aramean army delivered into Joram's hands
C. Northern kingdom's capital relieved of starvation

3. King Joram asks to hear more about Elisha's great works
A. The widow in debt
B. Death in the stew
C. Feeding one hundred
D. A borrowed ax
E. The Shunammite woman's son

4. Lessons
A. See how God cares for His own people
B. See how important our response to accounts of God's mercies are

Background for next week's sermon

2 Kings 8:7-14 NIV - Hazael Murders Ben-Hadad
2 Kings 8:25-29 NIV - Ahaziah King of Judah

#Joram #Shunammite #Gehazi

8/25/24 Worship Service & Sermon: Who, then, Is This? - Mark 4:35-41

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8/25/2024 Worship Service & Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA

Worship Leader: Randy Hepler
Speaker: Wendell Stoltzfus
Scripture: Mark 4:35-41
Title: Who, then, Is This?

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, "Let us go across to the other side." And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was. And other boats were with him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. But he was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, "Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?" And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, "Peace! Be still!" And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?" And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, "Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?"

Notes:

1. The fisherman and the sea
A. Simon Peter
B. Sea of Galilee

2. Jesus in the boat
A. He had been teaching all day
B. He still had a lesson to teach that night

3. The storm
A. More than experienced fishermen could handle
B. Eventually, the disciples ask Jesus to help
C. Jesus rebukes the storm, then rebukes His disciples

4. The disciples' reaction
A. "Who then is this?"
B. These sinful men realize they're in the presence of the Holy One
C. Jesus' lesson for His disciples

5. The storms we encounter
A. What makes us afraid?
B. "Why are you so afraid?"

8/18/2024 Worship Service & Sermon: Saints, When Absent from the Body, Are Present with the Lord - 2 Corinthians 5:8

8/18/2024 Worship Service & Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA

Worship Leader: Randy Hepler
Speaker: Jonathan Edwards (modified by Steve Estes)
Scripture: 2 Corinthians 5:8
Title: Saints, When Absent from the Body, Are Present with the Lord

2 Corinthians 5:8--We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.

Notes:

1. Departed saints live in the same wonderful place as Christ
A. Christ in Heaven still has a human nature
B. Heaven is a place
C. Angels are in Heaven
D. Departed saints are in Heaven
E. We who are saved will be in Heaven

2. The souls of saints in Heaven have an unhindered sight of Jesus Christ
A. When absent from friends, we can only think about them
B. "But then we shall see Him face to face"
C. Those in Heaven see Him "as He is"

3. Departed saints become perfectly like Him by seeing Him

4. Departed saints enjoy a glorious and immediate closeness with Him
A. Departed saints are present with the Lord
B. But His glorious state won't intimidate them
C. Reasons with His majesty won't intimidate them

8/11/2024 Worship Service & Sermon: Elisha’s Fiery Horses & Chariots - 2 Kings 6:8-23

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8/11/2024 Worship Service & Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA

Worship Leader: Dawson Estes
Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: 2 Kings 6:8-23
Title: Elisha's Fiery Horses and Chariots

Notes:

1. Intro: Secrets are sometimes hard to keep.
A. Aramean king's secrets are being leaked.
B. The new prophet on the block

2. The Aramean king sends an army to capture Elisha.

3. God is with His people, even when they cannot see it.
A. First of three prayers
B. Picture the fiery beings.
C. Think of their number.
D. Think what the actual miracle was.

4. How God protected Elisha and his servant
A. Who made the first move?
B. Second of three prayers
C. Last of three prayers

5. God protects His people so that unbelievers may find that same protection in Him.
A. How Israel treated the captured Arameans
B. What do we learn about God from this?

6. Lessons

#elisha #benhadad

8/4/2024 Worship Service & Sermon: Elijah, Elisha and Chariots of Fire - 2 Kings 2

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8/4/2024 Worship Service & Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA

Worship Leader: Luke Stoltzfus
Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: 2 Kings 2
Title: Elijah, Elisha, and Chariots of Fire

Notes:

1. Vexation at Elijah's departure
A. Anxiety at coming change
B. The prophets go to Bethel
C. The prophets go to Jericho

2. The prophets go to the Jordan
A. Elijah's last miracle
B. Elijah asks his protege what he can do for him
C. God takes Elijah away in style
D. Elisha's reaction

3. God reveals Elijah's successor
A. Elisha mourns, then gets to work
B. Elisha is recognized as Elijah's successor

4. Three short episodes to start Elisha's ministry
A. Episode 1: Ordinary ministry with Jericho's prophets
B. Episode 2: Ministry of God's grace at Jericho
C. Episode 3: Ministry of God's judgment at Bethel

#elijah #elisha #chariotsoffire