The Fall of the House of Jeroboam: Nadab and Baasha

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Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: 1 Kings 15:25-16:7
March 24, 2024

Sermon Outline

1. Nadab’s evil reign

• His sins

• His assassination

2. Baasha’s usurpation

• Background

• God’s summary of Baasha’s reign

• Same idolatry, same judgment

3. A doctrine we are familiar with

4. A doctrine we may be unfamiliar with... and find puzzling

• God predicts Baasha will destroy Jeroboam’s dynasty

• God will punish Baasha for doing this

• God’s sovereignty over sin.

  • God is too holy to sin (Habakkuk 1:13)

  • God is too holy to cause anyone else to sin (James 1:13-14)

  • God controls every sin to ultimately further his own righteous purposes

  • God will bring sinners into judgment

5. God’s sovereignty in Christ’s crucifixion

Jeroboam's Dying Son and Dying Kingdom

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Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: 1 Kings 14:1-20
March 17, 2024

Sermon Outline

1. Sorrow in Tirzah

• Jeroboam’s son is gravely ill

• Jeroboam sends his wife to inquire of Ahijah the prophet

• Jeroboam’s message travels ahead of his wife

• Ahijah’s message looks backward

• Ahijah’s message looks forward

2. God wants us to feel the loss that comes from rejecting him

• We learn Abijah’s name

• The story grows gradually darker

• Tragedy is told through the sad experience of the mother

• A short summary of Jeroboam’s life

• The point

3. This tragedy exposes the horrible nature of sin

• Sin = ingratitude for mercies God has shown

• Sin = attempting to manipulate God

• Sin = Thrusting God behind one’s back

• Result

4. God’s mercy in a message of judgment

• Mercy to David

• Mercy to Abijah

• Mercy to readers of 1 Kings

Young Prophet, Old Prophet

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Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: 1 Kings 13:1-34
March 10, 2024

Sermon Outline

1. The young prophet denounces Jeroboam

• The grand opening for Jeroboam’s religion

• A voice from the crowd

• A supernatural sign

• Jeroboam’s response

• Jeroboam’s chastening

2. The young prophet meets the old prophet

• The sons’ report

• The old prophet’s deception

• The young prophet’s punishment

3. Questions the writer deems unimportant

4. Theme of the passage

• What does matter to the writer?

• Jeroboam and the Word of the Lord

• The young prophet and the Word of the Lord

• The old prophet and the Word of the Lord

Learning to Distrust Ourselves

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Speaker: Rich Goswiller
Scripture: Luke 22:28-34
March 3, 2024

Luke 22:28-34: “You are those who have stayed with me in my trials, and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you like wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.” Peter said to him, “Lord, I am willing to go with you both to prison and to death.” Jesus said, “I tell you, Peter, the rooster will not crow this day, until you deny three times that you know me.”

Sermon Outline

1. The setting for the evening

2. The first declaration of Jesus

• “Satan has demanded”

• “To have you”

• “To sift you like wheat”

3. The second declaration of Jesus

• “I have prayed for you”

• “When you have turned again...”

4. Peter’s declaration and Jesus’ prediction

• Peter’s misplaced confidence

• Our misplaced confidence

5. What shall we say to these things?

• There is potential for serious lapse and/or declension

• We have an all-sufficient savior

• Always be wary of deadly self-deception

Benediction

Jude 24: Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time, and now and forever. Amen.

Baptized in Fire and Spirit

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Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: Luke 3:16-18
February 25, 2024

Luke 3:16-18: The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John might possibly be the Christ. John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” And with many other words John exhorted the people and preached the good news to them.

Sermon Outline

1. The voice in the desert

2. Why people came

• Many felt spiritual need

• Fear of death

• Others came for lesser reasons

3. “I baptize you with water”

• A Ritual cleansing

• An illustration of a greater person than John

4. “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit”

• What John means by “baptize”

• Holy Spirit at creation

• Holy Spirit helps people over what threatens them

• Holy Spirit purifies people’s very souls

• John proclaims people will gain the Holy Spirit through the Messiah

5. “He will baptize you with fire”

• Terrible judgment/consequences for sins

• John exhorts, “Repent!”

• To those who repent, the fire of judgment was endured by Jesus Christ

• Thus, Messiah’s offer of baptism is good news

6. Final applications

True Spirituality and Spiritual Fruit

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Speaker: Dave Royes
Scripture: Mark 11:11-25
February 18, 2024

Sermon Outline

1. A parable of empty religion

• A lens for what Jesus is about to do

• How false religion works

2. An explanation of authentic spirituality

• Genuine belief in God’s power

• Dependence on God in prayer

• The forgiveness of your Father in heaven

3. Hope for true change

• Christ was sacrificed for our sins

King Jeroboam's Rival Religion

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Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: 1 Kings 12:25-33
February 11, 2024

Sermon Outline

1. How Jeroboam strengthened his new country

• He strengthened two key cities

• He revamped worship in Israel

2. How Jeroboam founded a new religion

• How they would worship

• Where they would worship

• Who would lead them in worship

• When they would worship

• Why do these things matter?

3. Today’s false religion

• “Spiritual but not religious”

• Progressive Christianity

• All the above is self-invented religion

Israel is Split (Jeroboam's Revolt)

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Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: 1 Kings 11:26-40, 12:1-24
February 4, 2024

Sermon Outline

1. Jeroboam of the tribe of Ephraim

• Ephraim’s early promise

• Tensions with other tribes

• Crown given to David of the tribe of Judah

• Jeroboam put over labor force of Ephraim and Manasseh

2. Ahijah’s Prophecy to Jeroboam

3. Result of the Prophecy

• Jeroboam revolts, fails, and flees

• The prophecy is fulfilled

4. Lessons

• Your spiritual condition affects those around you and those who come after you

• God is sovereign over national calamities

• God’s determination to save his people can never be stopped

Our Unity is His Priority

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Speaker: Matt Carter
Scripture: John 17:20-23
January 28, 2024

John 17:20-23: “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.”

Sermon Outline

1. Who is Jesus praying for?

• Jesus is praying for those who will believe

• What did Jesus want for us?

2. In what sense is Jesus in the Father, and vice versa?

• The Word was with God and the Word was God

• The Father was pleased to have all His fullness dwell in Christ

3. Why does Jesus pray so fervently about our unity in him?

• Unity in such a diverse group of people testifies that Jesus is in our midst

• Unity in the midst of diversity is messy and costly

Benediction

May you be found hidden in Christ and in God the Father by the power of the Holy Spirit living in you. And may the unity that comes from having been hidden there well up in expressions of love for God and for the diverse body of believers around you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. — paraphrased from Colossians 3:3 & John 17:20-23

God Builds David a House

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Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: 1 Kings 11:9-13 & 2 Samuel 7:1-17
January 21, 2024

Sermon Outline

1. Human reason can lead godly leaders down the wrong path

2. God is surprisingly humble

• God has gladly gone without a temple for a long time

• In this sense, God is not like other “gods”

3. God is kind and full of grace

• He reminds David of his past grace and kindness

• He promises David future grace and kindness

• He promises David a dynasty

• Why is God kind to David and his dynasty?

4. God promises that David’s dynasty will be unending

• Death will not annul this promise

• Sin cannot destroy the promise

• Time will not exhaust the promise

Solomon’s Fall, God’s Verdict

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Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: 1 Kings 11:1-43
January 14, 2024

Sermon Outline

1. Introducing Solomon’s sin

• His drift into idolatry

• Young Solomon wouldn’t have dreamed of following other gods

• How he started with other gods

2. God became angry with Solomon

3. God’s discipline of Solomon

• Discipline via Hadad of Edom

• Discipline via Rezon of Aram

• Discipline via Jeroboam

4. Lessons

• Drifting is deceitful because it happens gradually

• Drifting has a domino effect

• It matters who we are close to

• Where there is repentance, mercy trumps sin and discipline

Benediction

Jude 24-25: To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy — to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.

Solomon's Golden Reign

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Speaker: Steve Estes
Scripture: 1 Kings 3-10 & Revelation 5:12
January 7, 2024

Sermon Outline

1. Solomon as a ruler of power and strength

2. Solomon as a ruler of wisdom

• God appears to him at Gibeon

• The two prostitutes

• Wisdom in literature and natural sciences

3. Solomon as a ruler of wealth

• Refinery at the Gulf of Aqaba

• Overland trade routes

• Sea-going trade

• Result

4. Solomon as worthy

5. Solomon as a ruler of honor, glory, and praise