INTRODUCTION

Sermon One

Scriptural Reading:  

Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.”After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them (Acts 16:6–10 NIV).

TEXT	Acts 16:6–10
SUBJECT	The Macedonian Call
COMPLEMENT	1. God sends his missionaries to specific geographic location and specific people group in order to advance his kingdom (6–8). 2. Missionaries are encouraged to be sensitive to the voice of God and act accordingly (9–10).
EXEGETICAL IDEA	God sends missionaries to particular geographic locations and missionaries are required to obey God’s mission agenda.
HOMILETICAL IDEA	We are to go to the location and people God sends us to.

SERMON OUTLINE	I. God’s initiative to Mission Works: A. God sends People to specific location and people group (6–8). 1. Gen. 45:8 2. Psalm 105:26 3. Exod 3:10 B. God reveals his mission plan through vision, dream, or intuition (9–10) 1. Isa 6:8 2. Jer 1:7 II. Man’s Response to God’s Mission Works (9–10). A. Man goes. B. Man preaches. C. Man heals through the power of God.
ILLUSTRATION	The Prophet Jonah was asked to go to Nineveh; unfortunately, he disobeyed God due to the prevailing circumstances that the children of Israel and the Assyrians were not good neighbors. How many of you plan a trip to somewhere else and were diverted to change the plan? Paul had a plan to go somewhere else; however, he was diverted to go to Macedonia to preach the gospel as the result of the vision he received from God.
APPLICATION	To respond to God’s agenda, we must table our agenda by being obedient to the voice of God. We can do this by being prayerful, mission minded, and are willing to venture for mission.
CONCLUSION	When we make ourselves available to mission works, our inability to do mission works becomes God’s ability in us to do the unusual things.

INTRODUTION

Sermon Two

Scriptural Reading:

The word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.”

“Alas, Sovereign Lord,” I said, “I do not know how to speak; I am too young.”

But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,” declares the Lord.

Then the Lord reached out his hand and touched my mouth and said to me, “I have put my words in your mouth. See, today I appoint you over nations and kingdoms to uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant (Jer 1:4–10 NIV).

TEXT	Jer 1:4–10
SUBJECT	The Call of Jeremiah
COMPLEMENT	1. God knows the unknowing and appoints them (6). 2. Man limits his ability to function, but God promises strength and protection (7–8). 3. God empowers and appoints man to destroy and to build (9–10).
EXEGETICAL IDEA	God empowers the unborn and appoints him to function according to His plan.
HOMILETICAL IDEA	You cannot escape the call of God on your life.
SERMON OUTLINE	I.The Omniscience and the Election of God (6). A. God knows the presence, the past, and the future (6). B. God elects His chosen and sends him or her (6). II. Man’s Perception about Himself (7–8). A. Man has fear (7–8). B. Man limits his ability (7–8). II. God’s Response to Man’s perception (7–10). A. God promises strength (9–10). B. God promises protection (9–10).
ILLUSTRATION	How many of you have limited yourselves as the result of your inadequacy based on your ability to function in various capacities such as educational background, age category, the inability to articulate mentally and in speech communication? Some of these issues tend to limit us to reach out. Jeremiah, the prophet had the same problem when he was called to reach to the world.
APPLICATION	In order to reach out to the world to proclaim the gospel message, we should ignore our limitations and recognize God’s ability in us to do mission. We can do so by recognizing God’s protection, his power, and provision on our lives while we are on the mission field.
CONCLUSION	When we avail ourselves to God, he can use our availability to do his works through us instead of our qualifications. It takes God’s ability in us to do his works in regardless of our qualifications. Our qualifications before God do not count when it comes to God’s works.

INTRODUCTION

Sermon Three

Scriptural Reading:

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him.But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there.When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. ⁷ For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed (Acts 8:1–7 NIV).

TEXT	Acts 8:1–7
SUBJECT	Persecution Advances the Gospel Message
COMPLEMENT	1. The church is scattered (1–3). 2. The gospel is preached, signs are performed, healing occurred, and people paid close attention to the gospel’s message (4–7).
EXEGETICAL IDEA	God allows persecution against the church in order to advance the gospel message to the unbelieving world.
HOMILETICAL IDEA	Leave your comfort zone and allow God to use you.
SERMON OUTLINE	I. Why Persecution (1–3)? A. The church goes (1–3). 1. Acts 8:1–3 2. Gal 1:13, 23 3. Acts 20:28 B. The gospel is preached (4–7). 1. Phil 1:12–14 2. Phil 4:23 3. Phil 1:12–30 C. Signs and wonders followed. 1. Acts 8:5 2. Acts 20:20–26 3. Acts 8:28
ILLUSTRATION	How many of you have been persecuted for preaching the gospel? How many of you are settled down and are not making move to reach out? In the days of the early church, God allowed persecution against the apostles to advance the gospel message to the world.
APPLICATION	Plan a mission endeavor to another country to minister and see how God expands your territory to reach more people. Do it prayerfully, intentionally, and missionally to affect the unaffected of the world evangelically.
CONCLUSION	When we make ourselves unavailable to God or become disobedient to his call, he can create a situation for us in order to carry out his mandate for our betterment and for his kingdom advancement.

Text: Exodus 2–14

Theme: What Principles of Leadership Can You Learn from Moses’ Leadership Story?

I.When a leader does something morally wrong, his ability to lead is hindered.

1. Exodus 2:1–13

2. Leviticus 11:44–45

3. Matthew 5:48

II. The appearance of God to God’s chosen leader does not regard the specificity of time and place.

1. Exodus 3:1–2

2. Genesis 18:16–32

3. John 2:1–12

III. God can use his chosen leader despite of his inability to lead due to his sovereignty.

1. Exodus 3:11

2. Job 12:13–14

3. Psalm 103:19

IV. It is necessary for a leader to share his unbelief about himself with reference to his weaknesses to lead. It indicates humility and dependency on God’s grace to lead.

1. Exodus 6:12

2. Colossians 3:12

3. Ephesians 4:2

Main Idea: When a leader is humbled before God, he can be used as problem solver in God’s arena; indeed, Moses is the symbol of humility and deliverance.

APPLICATION:

Among these principles of leadership seen in Moses’ leadership story, which one stands out the most for you?

Do you listen to wise advice or do you throw it off?

Do you have someone in your life as a spiritual leader who monitors or mentors you?

Are you a humble individual?

Are you a teachable Person?

Are you a pliable person?

OBSERVATION AND INTERPRETATION

Every leader whether consciously or unconsciously is guided by a philosophy of leadership. Such philosophy of leadership resonates with certain principles of leaderships that guide the individual’s behavior impacting the character or the morality of the potential leader. These principles of leaderships control how the individual relates to God in Christian leadership and those he leads in term of listening to wise counsel, taking appropriate action, taking responsibility and responding to accountability in the leadership scene. Such principles of leadership that guide the leader’s behavior tends to protect or to unprotect the vision of the leader that broadens the directions the visionary and his followers take to meet the specific goal within the corporate vision for the mission of the organization. Such organizational vision leads to the way to get there while the mission is the target to get the job done. In this light, every leader is guided by the principle or principles of life to impress his followers to continually believing, trusting, and following him in the time of sunshine or rainfall. No one wants to follow a leader whom one does not trust as the result of the lack of attributes mentioned in the preceding paragraphs. Among biblical leaderships in scriptures, Moses is one of the leaders that was guided by a philosophy of leadership that resonated with certain leadership principles of a good leader. Scriptural texts will be used in this discourse to synthesize, to assess, and to verify his model of leadership that every potential servant leader should emulate in order to make positive impact to his generation. Moses is the perfect example of a good leadership model as the result of being shaped and designed by the divine to be a good leadership life model for Christian leader to follow in this generation and the generation to come. The story of Moses with relative to his growing up in Egypt in reference to his leadership comes in stages with respect to events unfolding. As Moses grew up in Egypt after having been into the King’s palace as the Son of the King’s daughter, he took the law in his hand by killing one of the Egyptians because he felt that his people were being maltreated. After this incidence, he fled and sought refuge in Midian after having been accused by one of the Hebrews of killing an Egyptian (Exodus 2:11–13). This incidence indicates that when a leader does something wrong morally, his ability to lead is overshadowed and therefore prevents him of becoming an effective leader. When a leader’s action is not in alignment of what he says, people will not follow his directives or vision; therefore, effective leaders should be free from moral corruption in order to make positive impact. People will follow a leader based on his morality that guides his integrity in society; nevertheless, every leader makes mistakes; however, leader’s weaknesses should not be used as the license to sin against God and society as the result of the depraved nature of humility. Know as the leader, you are held in high esteem; therefore, leaders are advised to do their best in leading because what leaders do live after them forever. After Moses fled Egypt, he became a tender for the flock of his father-n-law, Jethro. While tending the flock, God appeared to Moses through the burning bush and spoke to him concerning his mission to deliver the children of Israel from captivity in Egypt (Exodus 3:1–2). This event indicates that God can approach his future leader anywhere and at anytime to address issues he wants done. It calls a leader to be sensitive to the voice of God audibly or intuitively. Someone says that the voice of the people can sometimes be the voice of God. Leaders need to be sensitive to his surrounding to enable him make sound decision. Sensitivity is the key to a discerning heart. During the conversation between God and Moses, Moses felt incompetent to lead the children of Israel out of slavery due to his known inability to lead. He felt that he was not worthy to carry out the task. In instances, God calls us to lead; decisively, we feel incapacitated to lead as the result of our weaknesses (Exodus 3:11–12). In leadership, it is good to admit one’s inadequacy to lead because it enables the leader to depend on God in leading and not becoming egoistic. Despite of Moses’ inadequacy to lead, God chose him to lead. God will choose a leader to lead event if the individual is not competent to lead as the result of his sovereignty. If God chooses an individual to lead, he will empower him with the necessary resources to lead successfully. Moses took the task to lead the children of Israel; therefore, this big task was imminent and should be inherited by Moses at all cost. Moses should be prepared to face the unknown as he leads the children of Israel out of captivity. Moses admonished the people to have faith in God despite of being pursued by enemy forces on every side (Exodus 14:13–15). In leadership, the leader should show strong faith in God. Faith was not sufficient and it required the people to move onward instead of being static potentially speaking. God told Moses to tell the people to move and not being afraid of the Egyptians. The Egyptians were armed with weapons to annihilate; therefore, there was a tendency to not move on as the result of being afraid to be killed. Leaders can be afraid of failures when it comes to ministry’s endeavor. This can hamper leaders’ ability to move on in doing ministry. Leaders must have faith in God. Strong faith in God followed by action is a quality of an effective leadership. Leader should lead by being to the front. Every leader should take the lead in every aspect of ministry’s works. It can be a time of physical work, giving, representation and many more. During the event of being pursued, God eventually delivered the children of Israel from their enemies through the miraculous power of God in demonstration (Exodus 14:31). When leaders stand and trust God in the face of provocation and deliverance is assured, the followers will believe in the leader at all cost. Effective outcomes of leadership allow the followers to have confidence in their leader. Every leader should know that he is the conduit that God is going to use to deliver, to heal, and to deliver other services that advocate the growth of humanity. Where are the deliverance and healing ministries? Why miracles rarely happen in our time? Has God changed? God has not changed. If leaders can believe in God and do the right things, they will eventually communicate wondrous power of God in this generation. It takes commitment and dedication to doing what God wants done. After this incidence, Moses and the people of Israel travelled through the desert for three days without finding any water. They arrived at the Oasis; unfortunately, they could not drink the water because it was bitter; eventually, the people complained and turned against Moses. “What are we going to drink,”? The people asked Moses. They demanded of him to provide them water. Moses cried out to the Lord for help. The Lord told Moses to throw a piece of wood into the water which he did. After the piece of wood was thrown into the water, the water became fit for drinking. In leadership, people will always look up to the leader for help; therefore, the leader should make provision even if he is not the creation of the existing problems. Leaders should be willing to take the blame and accept complaints from the masses. He must be self-sacrificing leader to solve the uncommon existing problems at all times (Exodus 15:22–25). After the Israelites had had a drink, Moses went out to meet the father-in-law, Jethro. He bowed down and kissed him. He narrated to Jethro how the Lord had helped and delivered Israel from Egypt. Jethro praised the Lord along with Moses. In leadership, it is necessary for a leader to have a close relationship with someone who gives commendation and wise counsel to the leader for encouragement and guidance (Exodus 18:7–10). No man is an island; therefore, every successful leader has a mentor. There is a leader’s leader. Moses having inherited the task to deliver the children of Israel had an enormous task before him to deliver administrative services to the Israelites. He had the responsibility to settle disputes among million of people that have been delivered from Egypt. It was stressful and impossible to do this assignment alone; therefore, Jethro having seen and discerned this great task before Moses, advised him to dedicate responsibilities to others so that they could discharge those duties. In his response to the counsel, Moses appointed leaders over one thousand, hundred, fifty, and ten to judge minor cases among the people as instructed by Jethro. Only difficult cases were brought to Moses. Moses did not interrupt his father-in-law when he was advised or instructed. He patiently and respectfully paid attention to Jethro’s wise counsel. Good servant leader honors, respects, listens, and takes good counsel from others. In short, servant leader should be humble (Exodus 18:17–24). Leaders who do well are teachable. Being teachable is the tendency of willingness to learn new ways of doing things and that the individual follows what he learns. Moses knew that he could not succeed in his leadership if he had not taught the people the law of God; therefore, he admonished the Israelites to obey God’s law (Deut. 4:1–3, 5–6). Godly or servant leaders have the responsibility to urge people to live obediently and faithfully before God. Godly leaders should place emphasis on holy living. Leaders will not succeed in leading the people if the attributes of God are ignored in their sermons or messages that demand Christian living as Christ like individual. How many Christian leaders in our generation that place emphasis on holy living? It is recorded in scriptures that Moses wrote the entire body of instructions in a book and gave it to the priests, who carried the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant and to the elders of Israel (Deut. 31:9). It is the responsibility of the Christian leader to take every step to make sure that people are faithful and obedient to God’s doctrine. It compels the spiritual leader to put the teaching in various forms. Video, audio, and written media are recommended so that people can retrieve them anywhere and at any time. Leaders who communicate through these media can help people increase their knowledge about God and stand doctrinally prepared to move to another level of knowledge and spirituality.
In summation, good servant leader is guided by principles that guide the leader’s behavior in shaping his character for the betterment of the leader, his followers, the organization, and the community he serves.

Text: Phil 4:6–7

Subject: The Effects of Prayer on Anxiety

I. The Effects:

A. Prayer invokes the peace of God (verses 6 &7).

II. Definition of the peace of God:

A. The peace of God is the state of national tranquility in time of war or havoc.

1. Rev. 6:4

2. Acts 24:2

3. Luke 14:32

4. Acts 12:20

B. The peace of God is the peace between individuals.Matt. 10:34

1.Luke 12:51

2. Romans 14:17

3. 1 Cor 7:15

C. The peace of God is the peace of security, safety, prosperity, and felicity.

1.Luke 19:42

2. Heb 7:2

3. 1 Thes 5:3

D. The peace of God is the peace that comes from the Messiah.

1.Luke 2:14

2. Luke 1:79

3. Luke 19:38

3. Acts 10:36

E. The peace of God is the peace experienced when one receives salvation through Christ.

1.Romans 8:6

2. 2 Pet 3:14

3. Romans 15:3

F. The peace of God is the peace of devout and upright men after death.

1.Romans 2:10

III. The Effect of the Peace of God:

A. The peace of God guards the heart (Kardia): the inner self, will, intention, center, sense of physical life, and central or inmost part of everything).

1.Psalm 101:5; 103:15

2. Matt. 12:40

3. Jonah 2:14

4. Exodus 15:8

B. The peace of God guards the minds (Noema): the thought, purpose, feeling, soul, mind, or design).

1.2 Cor 10:5

2. 2 Cor 2:11

3. 2 Cor 3:14

4. 2 Cor 4:4

Main Idea: When Christians depend on God in the time of troubles and turn to him through prayers, the prayer offered will invoke the peace of God and will deliver them from their troubles.

APPLICATION:

Whenever you face problems in life, go to God in prayers and present your petitions to him; no matter what the problems are, he will eventually deliver you as you trust him. How often do you pray to God when you are confronted with situations?

OBSERVATION AND INTERPRETATION

As Christians, as we are faced with challenges, to get support, we must turn to the Bible. Among the challenges we face and the chief among them is anxiety. According to data released by Amazon on the most highlighted passage in Kindle ebook, the most popular passage from the Bible is one on reducing anxiety and finding trust in God is Philippians 4:6–7.[1]

Most biblical writers concord on similar ground that Apostle Paul composed Philippians while he was in prison, Greg Carey, a professor of New Testament at Lancaster Theological Seminary told HuffPost.[2] Carey said that Philippians passage is encouraging because Paul was able to reject anxiety even during his imprisonment.[3] Rev. Winnie Varghese said that although it might seem novel to see Biblical writers addressing modern worries, this lesson is timeless and can affect anyone.[4] It is obvious that people could understand the circumstances of being out their controls; nevertheless, the passage of Philippians offers hope to its audience with reference to anxiety and its solution. Christians can acknowledge their anxiety and even plead in their despair; however, they should know that they are not alone.

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[1]Antonia Blumberg, What Philippians 4:6-7 Bible Passage Can Teach Us About Managing Anxiety Today, n.p.[Cited 6 November 2019]: Online: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/bible-anxiety_n_6171272.

[2]Ibid., n.p.

[3]Ibid., n.p.

[4]Ibid., n.p.