2/12/2023 Worship Service, Sermon, and Lord's Supper: Living by Dying - Matthew 16:24-27

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2/12/2023 Worship Service, Sermon & Lord's Supper from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA.

Worship Leader: Tyler Estes
Sermon: Steve Estes
Lord's Supper: Rich Goswiller

Order of Worship:

- Call to Worship
- Congregational Song: "O Splendor of God's Glory Bright" #58
- Prayer of Confession
- Congregational Song "Lord, Have Mercy"
- Assurance of Pardon
- Congregational Song: "Before the Throne of God Above"
- Prayer of Thanksgiving
- Scripture
- Congregational Song: "A Mighty Fortress is our God"
- Prayer of Supplication
- Sermon
- The Lord's Supper: "Lord, Have Mercy"; "Rejoice, the Lord is King" #310

Scripture: Matthew 16:24-27
Title: Living By Dying
Speaker: Steve Estes

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it. What good will it be for a man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done."

Notes:

1. Christ invites people to follow him by suffering with him
A. An unusual sales job
B. "Deny himself"
C. Take up one's cross

2. What taking up our cross looks like
A. Lesser deaths
B. Greater deaths

3. By embracing Christ's cross, I will find my life
A. "Will find his life" in this world
B. Transition: But horrific things happen here on earth
C. "Will find his life" in the world to come

4. By refusing Christ's cross, I will lose my life
A. Great temptation to "save" it
B. "Will lose one's life" in this world
C. "Will lose one's life" in the world to come

2/5/2023 Worship Service and Sermon: The “Must” of Jesus’ Cross - Matthew 16:21-28

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2/5/2023 Worship Service and Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA.

Scripture: Matthew 16:21-28 NIV
Title: The "Must" of Jesus' Cross
Worship Leader: Dawson Estes
Speaker: Steve Estes

Notes:

1. The most important thing about Jesus Christ is his atoning death and resurrection
A. Jesus explained that he must die
B. How much of his statement did his disciples understand?

2. The most important thing to Satan is to frustrate/oppose the atonement of Christ
A. That day, Satan used the leader of the apostles to oppose Christ's atonement
B. Today, Satan uses a popular strand of supposed "Christianity" to oppose Christ's atonement

3. Jesus opposes those who oppose his atoning death

4. Applications
A. Even our believing friends can unwittingly harm us spiritually
B. Under their own understanding, humans are offended by the cross
C. The cross of Christ goes against our self-righteousness
D. Mourn for your sins, repent of your sins, confess your sins, but stop trying to pay for your sins

1/29/23 Worship Service and Sermon: Sanctity of Human Life - Various Passages

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1/29/2023 Worship Service and Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA

Scripture: Romans 1:20a, Genesis 2:7, Psalm 139:13-16, Jeremiah 1:5, Ecclesiastes 11:5, and Ephesians 1:4.
Title: Sanctity of Human Life
Worship Leader: John Sletta
Speaker: Mike Rudolf

Romans 1:20a: For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made.

Genesis 2:7: then the LORD God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

Psalm 139:13-16: For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

Jeremiah 1:5: Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you, and before you were born, I consecrated you; I appointed you a prophet to the nations.

Ecclesiastes 11:5: As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother's womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.

Ephesians 1:4: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing the the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world.

Notes:

1. Human life is sacred because it is God-created

2. Human life is sacred because it is made in God's image
A. Male and female
B. Eternal souls
C. More valuable than many sparrows

3a. Human life is sacred because God loves life
A. The right to life takes precedence over every other human right
B. God takes special care to craft each human life
C. Woe to those who call evil good and good evil.

3b. Human life is sacred because God sent His Son to die on a cross to redeem it
A. Jesus, the Lamb of God, willingly went to Calvary
B. All of heaven celebrates when a sinner repents
C. Human life is made for God's glory
D. God lives human life beyond measure, born and unborn

4. Applications
A. Wake up if you've been napping on this issue
B. Imitate Jesus in humility and service
C. Keep on!

Summary:

1. Life is sacred because it is God created.
2. Life is sacred because life is in the image of the creator God.
3. Life is sacred because God loves life and sent his son to redeem it.

1/22/23 Worship Service and Sermon

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Worship Leader: Dave Stoltzfus

Sermon: Steve Estes

Order of Worship:

  • Call to Worship: Luke 15: 11-14, 17, 20-24; Luke 18:35-43

  • Prayer

  • Hymn #460 "Amazing Grace"

  • Call to Confession: Isaiah 43; Prayer

  • The Gospel: Isaiah 43; Song "His Mercy is More"; Hymn #82 "Great God of Wonders"; Prayer

  • Our Gospel Response: Hymn #345 "Glorious Things of Thee are Spoken"; Song "Christ Our Hope in Life and Death"; Song "Amazing Grace"

  • Sermon Grace Upon Grace: John 1:16-18

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth...From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.

Notes:

1. We can love Jesus because we've all received "grace upon grace" (Jn 1:16)
A. Literally "grace instead of grace"
B. Two ideas of grace
C. Think of your life

2. We can love Jesus because we've received grace from His fullness
A. Illustration: Engine trouble on the road
B. Jesus has infinite fullness

3. We can love Jesus because what He brought us far exceeds what former believers experienced
A. Nothing wrong with the Law given through Moses
B. What Jesus taught and did is vastly superior
C. "Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ"

4. We should love Jesus because He alone can make the Father known to us
A. Jesus is "at the Father's side" (Jn 1:18)
B. Jesus is called "The only GOD who is at the Father's side"
C. Jesus is called "the only God

Benediction:

Now to Him who loved us and washed us with His blood be eternal praise, and to you who believe be eternal grace and joy. Amen.

1/15/23 Worship Service and Sermon: Children Born of God - John 1:12-13

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1/15/2023 Worship Service and Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA.

Scripture: John 1:12-13
Title: Children Born of God
Worship Leader: Mike Culbert
Speaker: Steve Estes

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

Notes:

1. People became children of God by believing in his Son

2. Believing is more than a feeling
A. To describe becoming a child of God, John uses an action word
B. (With fellow apostles) John coins a new expression to describe the activeness of faith in Christ
C. J.C. Ryle on the need to believe

3. Believing means trusting in a person, not just acknowledging a set of doctrines
A. John shows the personal nature of believing by the phrase "believed in his name"
B. John shows the personal nature of believing by adding a parallel word
C. Illustration: Steve the summer youth director

4. How people do not become children of God
A. Natural descent
B. Human decision
C. Husband's will

5. How people do become children of God

Benediction: "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)

May the saving grace of the Lord Jesus be with you.

#John #believing #childrenofGod

1/8/2023 Worship Service and Sermon: The World Did Not Know Him - John 1:10-11

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1/8/2023 Worship Service and Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA.

Scripture: John 1:10-11
Title: The World Did Not Know Him
Worship Leader: Matt Lambert
Speaker: Steve Estes

He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.

Notes:

1. The fact that the world did not know him
A. Before public ministry
B. During public ministry

2. Why the world should have known him
A. World should have known him because it was made through him
B. World should have known him because he was in the world
C. World should have known him because he came to those in the best position to know him

3. Why did the world not know him?
A. World was spiritually blind
B. World was resistant

4. Applications
A. For the believer
B. For the resistant

#John #theWord #theworld

1/1/2023 New Years Day Worship Service & Sermon: Not in the Flesh, But in the Spirit - Romans 8:9-11

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1/1/2023 New Years Day Worship Service & Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA.

Scripture: Romans 8:9-11
Title: Not in the Flesh, But in the Spirit
Worship Leader: Andrew Hageman
Speaker: Matt Carter

You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the [s]pirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Notes:

1. Summary of Rev. Carter's last sermon (Romans 7:14-25)

2. If we are in the Spirit, we are not in the flesh
A. Our location identifies us
B. Being in Christ frees us from the need for self-importance
C. Whoever does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him

3. If we are in Christ, our bodies are dead, but our spirits are alive because of righteousness
A. Our bodies are dead because of sin
B. Our spirits are alive because of righteousness

4. The Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal body if He dwells in you
A. How much power does it take to raise the dead and why should the answer matter to us?
i. The exact same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us who live in Christ

5. Applications
A. We need to accept that our bodies (as discussed today) are dead
B. We need to believe that surrendering to the work of the Holy Spirit will turn out for our good

Benediction And now, may the love of God the Father who sent Jesus Christ to the cross because he knew that the cross would turn out for both Jesus' vindication and ours; may the faith of Jesus Christ who surrendered himself to the cross because he believed that the Father was faithful and that the Spirit was powerful; and may the power and goodness of the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead and who will raise us also, be with every true believer in this room. Amen

12/25/2022 Christmas Day Worship Service and Sermon: And the Word Became Flesh - John 1:1-3, 14

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12/25/2022 Christmas Day Worship Service and Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA.

Scripture: John 1:1-3, 14
Title: And the Word Became Flesh
Speaker: Steve Estes

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made...And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Notes:

1. Background
A. In the beginning was the Word (logos)
i. pagan understanding of the Word
ii. Jewish understanding of the Word

B. John personalizes the Word

2. Surprisingly, the Word came to earth in a lowly, humble fashion
A. The Word became "flesh"
B. How John describes the Word living among us

3. The Word came to earth with splendor & magnificence

A. We see this from the idea of "tent"
B. "We have seen his glory"
C. How was glory seen in the Word?

#John #theWord #Godwithus

12/18/22 Worship Service and Sermon: John the Baptist Takes the Witness Stand - John 1:6-8, 15 (ESV)

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12/18/22 Worship Service and Sermon from Brick Lane Community Church in Elverson, PA.

Scripture: John 1:6-8, 15 (ESV)
Title: John the Baptist Takes the Witness Stand
Speaker: Steve Estes

There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John.  He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.  He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light...(John bore witness about him, and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.'")

Notes:

1. The idea of a "witness"

2. John the Baptist's witness
       A. Manner
       B. Role
       C. Message

3. Lesson #1: Don't OVER-value God's witnesses

       A. John the Apostle disabuses the notion that John the Baptist was the pinnacle
       B. Application

4. Lesson #2: Don't UNDER-value God's witnesses

       A. Don't under-value God's witnesses in general
       B. In particular, don't under-value witness of the two Johns

5. Lesson #3: It's not enough to merely hear the Gospel; you must do something with it

#John #witness #lightoftheworld