Kingdom People Have Hungry Ears

Pastor Rocklyn Clarke - Sunday October 26, 2008

© 2008 Life Church Ministries, Inc.

http://www.LifeChurchMinistries.org/

Notes

Introduction

Bible Reading 10/19 - 10/25: Jer 33:1 - 49:22; 1Tim 4 - 2Tim 4; Psalm 89 - 96; Prov 25:23 - 26:12

Review

The Kingdom Makes a Difference

Preparation

Select The Passage:

Discover the Exegetical Idea

Analyze the Exegetical Idea

Explain It: What does this mean?

Prove It: Is it True? Do I believe it?

Apply It: What difference does it make? So What?

Formulate the Homiletical Idea

Determine the Purpose of the Sermon

Make it plain

Use accessible language and modern parables

Make sure people do something with God's message.

Decide How to Accomplish This Purpose

Outline the Sermon

The Statue and the Stone - Dan 2:24-49

Four Kingdoms

Babylon

Medo-Persia

Greece

Rome

God's Kingdom was established during the Roman Empire

The Kingdom will prevail over everything else

The Kingdom makes a difference

How Will The Kingdom Make a Difference?

The Church must begin to assess its effectiveness.

The Church must adopt new effective biblical strategies.

Reengineering - IBM Credit Corp.

Reengineering - Streamlining Purchasing

The Kingdom is bigger than politics

Politics - the way people cope with competition for limited resources

Example - office supplies vs. office budgets

The Kingdom of God is within you - Luke 17:21

Training the Saints - Eph 4:1-16

It's a head thing - the head-switching funeral story

Worship services and "prophetic pronouncements" are not enough.

Count the cost = Luke 14:25-35

Spiritual leaders are coaches - Eph 4:1-13

God wants to change the way you think.

God wants to change the way you act.

You must restructure your life in ways that will help you put God's Word into practice.

We do this for non-kingdom things:

Going back to school to gain skills for a better job

Dieting to fit into a wedding dress or swimwear

Changing your routine into order to "run into" a special someone

Growing Up Into Christ - Eph 4:14-16

Kingdom People Make A Difference

Homiletical Idea - Kingdom People Make A Difference

Keep it simple.

Use illustrations of truth out of my own experience.

Passage - 2Cor 2:12 - 3:6

Explain the passage's background.

Read the passage.

God's servants have a real impact on the world around them.

Prove It: Is it True? Do I believe it?

Yes - I know people who've made a difference.

Yes - I've been able to make a difference in some lives.

Apply It: What difference does it make? So What?

People need to know that they're supposed to make a difference.

Knowing this will help you to do it.

Focus On Others - 2Cor 2:12-13

Allow God To Use You Wherever You Are - 2Cor 2:14-16

Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you.

Be ready for unexpected conversations.

Practice Openness and Integrity - 2Cor 2:17

"Before God" implies face to face communication. God is our friend.

God wants to be your father - Isa 9:6-7.

God wants to be your friend - John 15:13-15.

God wants to be your life - John 7:37-39.

See Other People As Your "Best Work"- 2Cor 3:1-3

Let God Be Your Source - 2Cor 3:4-6

Purpose of the Sermon

Expand your world view.

Analyze your life to determine if you're making a difference.

Make whatever changes are necessary.

New Material

Preparation

Expository Preaching

Expository preaching is the communication of a biblical concept, derived from and transmitted through a historical, grammatical, and literary study of a passage in its context, which the Holy Spirit first applies to the personality and experience of the preacher, then through the preacher, applies to the hearers.

Select the Passage

Ex 33:7 - 34:8

Study the Passage

NIV

Hebrew Study Bible

KJV

The Message

NASB

RSV

Discover the Exegetical Idea

God responds to those who are hungry for him.

Analyze the Exegetical Idea

Explain It: What does this mean?

Not everyone is hungry for God.

Some people are indifferent to or only mildly interested in him.

It's the hungry ones that God responds to.

Prove It: Is it True? Do I believe it?

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness - Mat 5

Jesus rejects the lukewarm - Rev 3

I've been hungry for God most of my life.

All my saved life God has opened ministry doors for me:

Bishop opened his study to me.

Sister T. invited me to be a part of leadership meetings.

Bishop switched me from Deacons class to Ministers class.

Apply It: What difference does it make? So What?

God will do the same for you!

Get hungry

Formulate the Homiletical Idea

Kingdom People Are Hungry

Determine the Purpose of the Sermon

Make it plain

Use accessible language and modern parables.

Make sure people do something with God's message.

Keep it simple.

Use illustrations of truth out of my own experience.

Make The Congregation Hungry!

Decide How to Accomplish This Purpose

Outline the Sermon

Kingdom People Have Hungry Ears

Getting someone's attention

Consider the process of getting the attention of someone important:

Reporters at a press conference.

Competing with others for the attention of a visiting preacher.

Competing with others for Bishop's attention.

What if you had to compete for God's attention?

Does God have to compete for your attention?

Moses Sets Up The Tent Of Meeting - Ex 33:7-11

Outside the camp - away from distractions

God speaks with Moses face to face - like a friend

God's response is framed as a response to Moses' act of devotion.

Consider The Range Of Possible Responses To God

Not everyone is hungry for God.

Some people are indifferent to or only mildly interested in him.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst . . . - Mat 5:6

Jesus rejects the lukewarm - Rev 3:14-16

What's your attitude? How do you compare with Moses?

Moses Is Hungry For More Of God - Ex 33:12-23

He wants to know more about God's plan.

He wants to learn God's ways.

He advocates for God's people.

He wants to see God's glory.

God rewards those who diligently seek him - Ex 34:1-8; Heb 11:6

God proclaims his name in Moses' presence.

Moses receives an auditory experience but not a full visual one.

We have to hear God before we see him.

Noah

Abraham

Moses and the burning bush

Samuel at the tabernacle

God's presence transforms you - Ex 34:28-35

Transformation is one of the rewards for diligently seeking God.

Get Hungry - 2Cor 3:1-18

I've been hungry for God most of my life.

All my saved life God has opened ministry doors for me:

Bishop opened his study to me.

Sister T. invited me to be a part of leadership meetings.

Bishop switched me from Deacons class to Ministers class.

There's more at stake now - better covenant, promises - Heb 8:3-6

When your ears are hungry . . .

You look for real food

Israelites gathering Manna

Do not work for food that spoils - John 6:25-29

Itching ears just want to be scratched - Tit 4:1-4

Hungry ears want to be fed.

Stop rebelling - say "yes" to God.

Discussion Questions / Topics (based on the indicated scriptures)

Scripture Reference - Ex 33:7 - 34:8; Ex 34:28-35

Has God gotten your attention recently? How did he do it? How well do you listen to God? Are you obedient or rebellious?

Moses met with God outside of the camp and afterwards his face glowed. How do you avoid distractions when meeting with God and how does your time with God transform you?

What is your attitude towards God - hungry, mildly interested, indifferent, angry, or something else? Discuss.

What do you want to understand about God? What have you done to get answers? Have you asked God for understanding?

Witnessing Activities (pick one or two)

Make a list of the non-Christians in your life that you spend time with on a regular basis.

Help each other develop strategies for introducing some of the people from your lists to someone from your life group. Arrange to implement at least one of these strategies.

Discuss some ways that you might expand the circle of non-Christians that you know.