A. DON’T EXPECT EVERYONE TO LIKE YOU

John 16.33
2 Timothy 3.12
1 Peter 4.12
Revelation 7.14

1. There will be those who persecute us [14]

2. There will be those who do us evil [17]

3. There will be those who are enemies [20]

B. DON’T FORGET ABOUT OTHERS WHO ARE NOT LIKED

“with-ness”

1. Sympathize with them [15]

2. Identify with them [16]

C. DON’T GIVE IN TO SINFUL TEMPTATIONS

1. Don’t curse [14]

2. Don’t play “pay back” [17]

3. Don’t take revenge [19]

D. OVERCOME THE OTHER PERSON’S EVIL
WITH GOD’S GOODNESS

1. Be a blessing [14]

2. Be respectful [17]

3. Be a peacemaker [18]

4. Be patient [19]

5. Be gracious [20]

John Olson

Focus: New Life Ministries, Jackson MS (Don & Debi Ethredge & Family)

Key Note Speaker: Dr. L. Anthony Curto, Greenville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, Professor of Missions and Apologetics

Fri 3/12 6:30PM - Youth & Young Adults Fellowship
Dinner, devotion, fellowship at the Channell’s house

Sat 3/13 6:30-8:30PM - Main Conference Session & Finger Food Fellowship
The Ethredges will share details about their ministry and testimony - at the church
Nursery provided. Food fellowship after for all.

Sun 3/14
Sunday School
Grades 1-6th - with Ethredge daughters
Grades 7 - Adults - Don to speak on Evangelism

AM & PM Worship - Dr Curto to preach

PM Worship - Ethredges share more about New Life - fruit, needs, goals

Analysis and argument must give way to adoration [John Stott]

A. GOD KNOWS WHAT HE’S DOING [33a]

1. God’s knowledge

2. God’s wisdom

B. GOD HAS IT ALL PLANNED OUT [33b]

1. God’s judgments: God’s decision and plan

2. God’s ways: God’s providence

C. GOD NEEDS NO HELP FROM ANYONE [34-35]

1. Who is able to know all that God is thinking?

2. Who is in a position to give God advice?

3. Who has given to God so that God is obligated to give back?

D. GOD IS GOD [36]

1. Creator of all things

2. Sustainer of all things

3. Goal of all things

John Olson

A. REAL CHRISTANS LOVE

1. Christians know something of God’s love

Rom 5.5, 8; 8.28; 8.38-39

2. Christians are defined by God’s love

a. “in” [1 Cor 16.14; Col 3.17]

b. “put on” [Rom 13.14; Col 3.14]

c. “walk in” [Col 2.6; 5.2]

d. “rooted in” [Col 2.7; Eph 3.17]

e. “abide in” [John 15]

B. REAL CHRISTIANS REALLY LOVE

1. Real love abhors what is evil

2. Real love clings to what is good

C. REAL CHRISTIANS REALLY LOVE IN ALL OF LIFE

1. Love one another in the church [10]

a. brotherly affection
b. outdo one another in showing honor

2. Love even when you are tired [11]

a. don’t allow slackness to spoil your work
b. keep the fires burning

3. Love your loved ones who give you trouble [12]

a. joy, patience, hope
b. constant in prayer

4. Love those who are in need [14]

a. the saints within the church
b. the stranger outside of the church

John Olson

A. WE ALL HAVE GIFTS

1. We have gifts

2. We have God-given gifts

a. grace
b. grace-gifts
c. given

3. We ALL have gifts

There is no such thing as spiritual unemployment
or spiritual retirement in the Kingdom of God.

[Donald Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines For the Christian Life]

B. WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT GIFTS

1. God doesn’t call anyone to do everything

2. God calls us all to do different things

a. Prophecy: gifts of communication

1. Teaching

2. Exhortation/Encouragement

3. Writing gifts

b. Service

1. Giving

2. Leading

3. Showing mercy

c. Elders and Deacons

C. USE YOUR GIFT!

John Olson

Rom 12.1 Give all that you are to God in all of life
Rom 12.2 Be transformed into a new person through the Word
Rom 12.3 See yourself through the eyes of faith
Rom 12.4-8 See yourself as a part of the whole Church

Rom 12.4 Illustration: the Church is like the human body
Rom 12.5-6a Application: be the Church!

1. We are a BODY

2. We are ONE body

a. One holy catholic church

b. Our unity in God [Eph 4.4-6]

c. The one loaf of bread [1 Cor 10.16-17]

3. We are one body IN CHRIST

Eph 1.22-23; 4.15-16; 5.22-23

4. WE are one body in Christ

5. We BELONG to one another

All saints, that are united to Jesus Christ their Head, by His Spirit, and by faith, have fellowship
with Him in His graces, sufferings, death, resurrection, and glory: and, being united to one another in
love, they have communion in each other’s gifts and graces, and are obliged to the performance of
such duties, public and private, as do conduce to their mutual good, both in the inward and outward
man.
WCF 26.1

6. We are DIFFERENT

7. We all have something essential to offer [6a]

John Olson

The Bible tells us to know God.
What does the Bible tell us about knowing ourselves?

A. DON’T THINK MORE OF YOURSELF THAN YOU OUGHT

1. Pride has to do with the way we THINK

2. Pride has to do with the way we think of OURSELVES

3. Pride has to do with how we ALL think

4. Pride has to do with being conformed to this world

5. Pride is something that we are to put off

B. DON’T THINK LESS OF YOURSELF THAN YOU OUGHT

1. We are to think of ourselves

2. Paul thinks of himself

a. Humility: by the grace given to me…
b. Authority: …I say to everyone among you

C. THINK OF YOURSELF WITH FAITH

1. We’re to live by faith

God tells us in the Bible what is true.

2. We’re to live by the faith God gives us

We are to be obedient to the faith God has given us.

3. We’re to believe all that God says is true about us

a. Free from God’s wrath [Romans 5]
b. Free from sin’s tyranny [Romans 6]
c. Free from the law [Romans 7]
d. Free from death [Romans 8]

John Olson

A. KNOW GOD

O LORD, there is none like you to help, between the mighty and the weak.

1. Spend time each day in God’s Word

2. Be faithful in your attendance at God’s House

3. Read good Christian literature

B. TRUST GOD

Help us, O LORD our God, for we rely on you…

1. Make sure the promises are really for you

2. Look for God’s promises as you read and hear His Word

3. Watch for any condition that might be attached to a promise

4. Embrace the promises by exercising your faith

C. GO WITH GOD

…and in your name we have come against this multitude.

Do something!
You are making a difference in the world!

John Olson

Luke wants us to know for certain [1.4] what God has done for us in sending Jesus Christ into this world.

A. GOD PREPARED THE WAY FOR JESUS CHRIST TO COME

1. God sends John the Baptist to turn people back to God [1.57-66]

2. God gives a prophetic picture of the kind of things that He will give to us in Christ [1.67-79]

a. Knowledge
b. Salvation
c. Forgiveness
d. Mercy
e. Light
f. Peace

B. JESUS CHRIST HAS COME [2.1-7]

C. WHAT JESUS CHRIST HAS COME TO DO [2.10-11]

1. To help all people: …good news of great joy…for all the people

2. To help you: For unto you is born this day…

3. To save you: …a Savior…

4. To lead and defend you: …who is Christ the Lord.

John Olson

The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost [19.10]

A. THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST CHANGES EVERYTHING

B. THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST DEMANDS A PERSONAL RESPONSE

1. Embrace Christ

2. Embrace Christ with your whole being

3. Embrace all that God is for you in Christ

a. God’s power: He who is mighty [49a]

b. God’s holiness: Holy is His Name [49b]

c. God’s mercy: And His mercy is for those who fear Him [50]

C. THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST IS FOR ALL WHO NEED HELP

1. The humble [51-52]

2. The hungry [53]

3. The helpless [54-55]

John Olson