Sermons
Oct 8, 2023
Divine Providence – When Scripture Seems Contradictory
By: Carl Helmuth
Series: The Whole Counsel of God
Four Considerations When Confused by ‘Sovereignty’ Scriptures:
1. Believe the “what" even when you do not understand the “how” (or the “why”).
- We are called to believe “what” scripture says is true, even when we cannot understand “how” it can be.
- Our faith is in the “what” not the “how”.
- When two scriptures teach two truths that you cannot reconcile, believe they are both true and leave the “how” to the Lord.
- To demand to know “how” or “why” something is true, is to say that we can only believe what we can fully understand. It is to demand that God explain Himself to us.
2. Read the scriptures through the lens of “God is more powerful than man”.
- When God and man are both at work in a certain event, then God’s involvement overpowers man’s involvement.
3(A). Do not think about “indicative” texts the same way you think about “imperative” texts.
- These are different categories of texts and have different purposes. They are both true!
- They do not contradict each other; they compliment each other.
- The “indicative” tells us what God does.
- The “imperative” tells us what we are to do.
- We fulfill the “indicative” by believing it.
- We fulfill the “imperative” by obeying it.
3(B). Also, separate “indicative” texts from “subjunctive” texts.
- These are different categories of texts and have different purposes. They are both true!
4. Notice that some scripture is written from God’s perspective and other scripture is written from man’s perspective.
WatchNotesDownloadDateTitle
- Oct 8, 2023Divine Providence – When Scripture Seems Contradictory
Oct 8, 2023Divine Providence – When Scripture Seems ContradictoryBy: Carl HelmuthSeries: The Whole Counsel of GodFour Considerations When Confused by ‘Sovereignty’ Scriptures:1. Believe the “what" even when you do not understand the “how” (or the “why”).- We are called to believe “what” scripture says is true, even when we cannot understand “how” it can be.- Our faith is in the “what” not the “how”.- When two scriptures teach two truths that you cannot reconcile, believe they are both true and leave the “how” to the Lord.- To demand to know “how” or “why” something is true, is to say that we can only believe what we can fully understand. It is to demand that God explain Himself to us.2. Read the scriptures through the lens of “God is more powerful than man”.- When God and man are both at work in a certain event, then God’s involvement overpowers man’s involvement.3(A). Do not think about “indicative” texts the same way you think about “imperative” texts.- These are different categories of texts and have different purposes. They are both true!- They do not contradict each other; they compliment each other.- The “indicative” tells us what God does.- The “imperative” tells us what we are to do.- We fulfill the “indicative” by believing it.- We fulfill the “imperative” by obeying it.3(B). Also, separate “indicative” texts from “subjunctive” texts.- These are different categories of texts and have different purposes. They are both true!4. Notice that some scripture is written from God’s perspective and other scripture is written from man’s perspective.
- Oct 1, 2023Divine Providence – A Lying Spirit
Oct 1, 2023Divine Providence – A Lying SpiritBy: Carl HelmuthSeries: Divine ProvidenceA Lying SpiritTwo things to think about:God truly is sovereign over the schemes of the enemy.- He uses them for His purposes.- 1 Sam. 16:14; 1 Sam. 19:9; Job 1 & 2; Matt. 4:1; Luke 22:21; Luke 22:31-34; 2 Cor. 12:7-9; 2 Thess. 2:6-12; Rev. 12:7-9; Rev. 13:7-8; Rev. 20:1-10God is sovereign over His revelation/truth.- Job 12:16 …the deceived and the deceiver are His.- Ezek. 14:1-11; Deut. 29:4; Matt. 11:25; Matt. 13:10-17; John 12:37-41; 2 Thess. 2:11-12; Luke 24:13-35; Luke 18:34
- Sep 24, 2023Jim Stevanus – Ruling Desires
Sep 24, 2023Jim Stevanus – Ruling DesiresBy: Jim StevanusSeries: (All)Ruling DesiresWe think what we think, we do what we do, and we say what we say because of what we WANT in our heart!The StruggleFor the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.Galatians 5:17The HopeAnd those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.Galatians 5:24
- Sep 17, 2023Divine Providence – Job (Part 2)
Sep 17, 2023Divine Providence – Job (Part 2)By: Carl HelmuthSeries: Divine ProvidenceDivine Providence - Job (Part 2)Seven Teachings from Job:1. God is just – even when bringing the worst affliction on the best of men.2. We should accept both good and adversity from God.3. God uses any/all of His creation for His purposes – yet is without fault.4. God used Job’s suffering to gain glory for Himself,…but also, to strengthen and bless Job,…and also, to bring hope and faith to millions who have read Job5. God’s providence is often unexplainable in this life yet is trustworthy.6. The blessings of the Kingdom are mainly heavenly blessings, and not necessarily for this life.7. The Lord has promised to bless immeasurably, those whom He loves yet causes to suffer.
- Sep 10, 2023Divine Providence – Job (Part 1)
Sep 10, 2023Divine Providence – Job (Part 1)By: Carl HelmuthSeries: Divine ProvidenceDivine Providence - Job (Part 1)1. Satan does not know the future.2. Satan does not know the true hearts of God’s people.3. When God’s people love/worship/adore Him, even when there is a high cost and no gain, it baffles the forces of evil.4. When God’s people love/worship/adore Him, even when there is a high cost and no gain, it brings great glory to God.
- Sep 3, 2023Divine Providence – Blessings and Curses
Sep 3, 2023Divine Providence – Blessings and CursesBy: Carl HelmuthSeries: Divine ProvidenceDivine Providence - Blessings and CursesWhy Preach Deuteronomy 28? (Blessings & Curses)1. The providence of God dominates this chapter.2. It helps us have an accurate view of God.3. It deepens our joy and thanksgiving.4. It causes us to live with a “gospel” emphasis.5. It will cause us to love Christ more.
- Aug 27, 2023Divine Providence – God Works Mysteriously
Aug 27, 2023Divine Providence – God Works MysteriouslyBy: Carl HelmuthSeries: Divine ProvidenceDivine Providence - God Works MysteriouslySeven truths demonstrated in Judges 20:1. One’s love for God will be revealed in their hatred for that which He hates.2. Aligning ourselves with the Lord will eventually cost us friends/loved ones.3. This treatment of sin/evil (Judges 20), reveals the true holiness of God.- We are not good appraisers of the evil of sin, nor the holiness of God.- We see the holiness of God by what He is willing to do to deal with sin.4. Obeying God’s prescriptive will for us, does not guarantee that His providential “blessing” will reward our obedience.5. God’s will for us is determined by His word, not by our experience.- Nor is it determined by what we perceive as His “blessing”.6. In this life, God’s providence is usually a mystery to us.- While we can’t understand it; we can trust it.7. There is only one way to approach God: complete selfless humility.
- Aug 20, 2023Divine Providence – God Working Through Animals
Aug 20, 2023Divine Providence – God Working Through AnimalsBy: Carl HelmuthSeries: Divine ProvidenceDivine Providence - God Working Through Animals
- Aug 13, 2023Daniel Raber – Philippians 1:21-30
- Aug 6, 2023Divine Providence – In The Natural World
Aug 6, 2023Divine Providence – In The Natural WorldBy: Carl HelmuthSeries: Divine ProvidenceDivine Providence - In The Natural WorldFour Takeaways From Jesus Calming the Storm:1. The Word of the Lord is powerful.- If His words are fulfilled in an ear-less, soul-less storm, are they not also powerful in those made in His own image?2. Christ upholds the universe by the word of His power.- This is a miracle by Jesus, that mirrors the minute-by-minute providence of God.3. Before Christ calmed the storm; He also caused it.- If God controls the elements some of the time, He also must control the elements all the time.4. A God who never slumbers or sleeps, is the One who loves and cares for each of His children.
- Jul 30, 2023Divine Providence – Introduction
Jul 30, 2023Divine Providence – IntroductionBy: Carl HelmuthSeries: Divine ProvidenceDivine Providence - IntroductionFour purposes/goals for this series:1. To give us a bit of a “change of pace”.- This is a topical series rather than an expository one.- It will give us a chance to look at scriptures that we will not otherwise come across for a long time.2. We will learn many other truths from God’s word in addition to teaching on divine providence.3. To change the way we think about God working in our lives daily.- To change from a cultural worldview, to a biblical one.4. To allow this doctrine to comfort us, give us hope, and correct sinful fear and worry in our lives.- Despair, fear and anxiety/worry evaporate when we come to know that we live under a God who aggressively provides for His children.
- Jul 23, 2023Thessalonians – Final Words
Jul 23, 2023Thessalonians – Final WordsBy: Carl HelmuthSeries: ThessaloniansThessalonians - Final WordsSanctify- to purify, to cleanse, to make holy- to set apart, to separate from profane thingsTo what degree will I be sanctified?A: Completely – to the full end.- to the full image of Christ.What part of me will be completely sanctified?A: All of you – the entirety of your being.Two Dilemmas in our sanctification:1. Our righteousness is all from Christ; not our doing...- yet we are to strive earnestly in our sanctification.2. The power for our sanctification is from God Himself...- yet we are to strive earnestly in our sanctification.
- Jul 16, 2023Thessalonians – Testing Prophecies 4
Jul 16, 2023Thessalonians – Testing Prophecies 4By: Carl HelmuthSeries: ThessaloniansTesting Prophecies 4What is “fruit” in Matthew 7:16-20?1. Words/actions/character2. The result of their ministry- Not success in terms of numbers and size.- What are the words/actions/character of their followers?3. Doctrine (is also a fruit)Four Scriptural Tests For Testing Prophecies:1. Deuteronomy 18 – Accuracy (applicable for predictive prophecy)2. Deuteronomy 13 – Doctrine (do they teach about God accurately?)3. Matthew 7 – Words/actions/character (know the root by the fruit)4. 1 John 4 – Doctrine/source (the incarnate Word; the written Word)
- Jul 9, 2023Thessalonians – Testing Prophecies 3
Jul 9, 2023Thessalonians – Testing Prophecies 3By: Carl HelmuthSeries: ThessaloniansTesting Prophecies 31. God sometimes grants to the kingdom of evil, the ability to work signs, wonders and even predictive prophecies that come to pass.- A prophecy coming true, DOES NOT mean its source is from God.- Matt. 24:24; 2 Thess. 2:9-11; Rev. 13:13-14, Acts 16:16-192. We are to be a people whose faith/nourishment comes from HEARING or READING the Word about Christ.- We are NOT a people who put faith in what we see or experience.- Deut. 4; Rom. 10:17; John 20:31; Rom. 15:4; Matt. 11:20-243. What is most important about a prophet is that he leads people to know, worship, and believe in the true God.- A true prophet teaches the doctrines of God/Christ accurately.4. This test is one where God does the testing.- God purposely uses false prophets, with great abilities, to test His people and thereby separate the genuine from the false.5. This test of God’s, will reveal who loves Him with all their heart and soul.- It is love for God that motivates us to test prophets carefully.- It is love for things other than God that leads to being deceived.6. This test includes discerning a true prophet from a false one; but also then, to purge the “evil (prophet) from among” us.- It wasn’t enough to just expose him, but they were to dispose of him.
- Jul 2, 2023Thessalonians – Testing Prophecies 2
Jul 2, 2023Thessalonians – Testing Prophecies 2By: Carl HelmuthSeries: ThessaloniansTesting Prophecies 2It is a very serious thing for anyone to claim that they are speaking words that come from God.- The one source we know is from God is the written word.Predictive prophets/prophecy can only be tested AFTER the outcome has happened.- We have something better – the living word to guide us.“Prophets” who “miss” on a prophecy should never influence us in the future.- This is a very objective test with a life sentence.
- Jun 25, 2023Thessalonians – Testing Prophecies
Jun 25, 2023Thessalonians – Testing PropheciesBy: Carl HelmuthSeries: ThessaloniansInstructions for Life in the Church 3Jesus Christ, who is the Word of God, speaks......the Apostles write it down......when we read what they wrote......we hear what the Spirit is saying to us.Four Ways We Quench The Spirit:1. By not listening to the Spirit and thus not knowing God’s will for us.2. By obeying the desires of the flesh over the desires of the Spirit.3. By worshipping God in ways that dishonor Him.4. By walking in fear, rather than boldly in faith.Notice:We are not asked to blindly trust what anyone says.We are to test everything BEFORE we trust it.Paul uses “good” & “evil” rather than “true” & “false”.We are to test a prophecy to know its source.
- Jun 18, 2023Thessalonians – Instructions for Life in the Church 2
Jun 18, 2023Thessalonians – Instructions for Life in the Church 2By: Carl HelmuthSeries: ThessaloniansInstructions for Life in the Church 2Holy Spirit-given “faith perspectives” that are necessary in order to carry out these commands:1. A belief that God will someday bring perfect justice to all evil. (Ecc. 12:14, Deut. 32:43, Matt. 12:36, Matt. 16:27, 2 Thess. 1:6)2. A view that God is working in every situation – even our suffering. (Phil. 1:12-14, 2 Cor. 12:7, Acts 4:27-28, Rom. 11:11, Acts 8:1-4)3. A belief in an absolute sovereign God. (Rom. 8:28, Eph. 1:11)4. A hatred of sin, and desire to be like Christ. (Rom. 5:3-4, James 1:2-3)5. A trust that suffering for Christ has eternal reward. (2 Cor. 4:17, Luke 6:23)6. A deep love for Christ and the mercy we have been shown. (Acts 5:41)7. A deep love for those for whom Christ died – His Church. (Col. 1:24)8. God’s own glory is His highest pursuit. And our greatest good comes when He is most glorified.
- Jun 11, 2023Thessalonians – Instructions for Life in the Church
Jun 11, 2023Thessalonians – Instructions for Life in the ChurchBy: Carl HelmuthSeries: ThessaloniansInstructions for Life in the Church1 Thessalonians 5:12-14Noutheteo (Greek)- to admonish, warn, exhort, counsel- literally = to place in the mindUnruly- out of order (disorderly)- out of step – out of line- some have “idle”Fainthearted- KJV – feebleminded- literally “small souled” “small spirited”- timid, discouraged, fretful, depressed, worried, anxiousWeak- Those who are weak through lack of knowledge.- Those who are weak in faith – struggle to believe. (Rom. 4:19)- Those who are weak in battling the flesh. (2 Cor. 11:29, Matt. 26:41)- Those who are weak in conscience. (Rom. 14:1-2, 1 Cor. 8:7-10)- Those who are weak physically – the sick. (James 5:14)
- Jun 4, 2023Thessalonians – The Day Of The Lord
Jun 4, 2023Thessalonians – The Day Of The LordBy: Carl HelmuthSeries: ThessaloniansWe Are Not Appointed to WrathGoal: That we would be a people who are prepared for any trial and tribulation that may lie ahead of us.Question 1: If your ____________ is taken from you; will you still rejoice in the Lord?Question 2: What are you doing today to arm yourself in order to be better prepared for that Day?First, from the context of this verse...“wrath” = God’s eternal wrath on the unsaved.Second, from the context of this whole passage...“wrath” = God’s wrath on the unsaved in the DOTL.Third, we must distinguish between God’s wrath and God’s judgment/discipline on family of God.Fourth, we must distinguish between God’s wrath and “tribulation”.Fifth, we must distinguish between God’s wrath and Satan’s wrath.Sixth, many scriptures show that the God’s wrath on the wicked and His deliverance of the saints will happen at the same time.Seventh, the Lord knows how to rescue the godly and hold the unrighteous for judgment.
- May 28, 2023Thessalonians – The Wrath of God
May 28, 2023Thessalonians – The Wrath of GodBy: Carl HelmuthSeries: ThessaloniansThe Wrath of GodSalvation (what are we saved from?)Sin – the penalty, power, presence of sin- Matt. 1:21; John 1:29; 2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 6:1-11; Col. 2:13; Eph. 1:7- symbolically, by the removal of leavenSatan – captivity to, and accusations of Satan- 1 John 3:8; Rom. 8:1, 33; Col. 1:13; 2 Tim. 2:25- Pharaoh and his army being drownedDeath – the last enemy – separation from God- Rom. 6:23; 1 Cor. 15:26; Heb. 2:9; John 5:24- Crossing the Red Sea on dry landGod’s wrath – judgment, eternal torment- John 3:36; Rom. 3:5-6; 1 Cor. 5:7; 1 Thess. 1:10- Passover lamb appeases the destroyer angel1. God’s wrath is just.- God’s anger is not like man’s anger.- God’s anger is the right, controlled, necessary, and measured response to the belittling of His holiness.- Wrath is not an attribute of God, but a response that is generated because of His attributes.- God is slow to anger.- God will someday repay to all, with perfect justice, that which is deserved.2. God’s wrath helps us understand, appreciate and love Him.- There are attributes of God that cannot be understood rightly without considering His wrath.- God’s wrath is the best metric we have, to be able to fully grasp His other (more abstract) attributes.- We cannot fully appreciate the gospel, without considering the wrath of God upon Jesus on the cross.- We cannot be fully devoted to God without embracing His wrath against sin/evil.- God’s wrath brings Him glory.3. God’s wrath is being revealed now...and...it is being stored up for a future judgment.- God’s wrath upon the wicked is already being released.- Those who are unrepentant are even now “storing up” wrath against themselves. God has set a day when He willjudge the earth and it will be a “day of wrath”.4. God’s wrath for His children whom He loves, is fully satisfied in Christ.- Jesus Christ is the only man who can withstand the great and terrible wrath of God ... and survive.
