SERIES: FAITH FOR ALL SEASONS (1 OF 3)

NOTE: This sermon is part 1 and 2 of a 6 part sermon series. Two sermons outlines are included in this download.

PREVIEWS:

Part 1: Be Filled with the Spirit
Series: Faith For All Seasons
Stuart Briscoe
Ephesians 5:18

The command to "be filled with the Spirit" has caused some confusion in the Church through the years. When the command is seen in contrast to "be not drunk with wine" it becomes much clearer. Wine "captivates, motivates and activates" the drunken person. The Spirit-filled person has a similar relationship.

I. Captivated by the Spirit.

A. Appreciating Him.
1. Who He is. 2:22
2. Where He is. 1:13
3. Why He is where He is. 3:16

B. Acknowledging him.
1. Grieve not. 4:30
E.g. the cuckoo nest

II. Motivated by the Spirit.

A. A desire for unity with believers. 4:3
B. A commitment to reality in the life. 5:9

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Part 2: No More Gloom
Series: Faith For All Seasons
Stuart Briscoe
Isaiah 9:1-7

In the days of Isaiah the prophet, deep gloom had descended on Israel and Judah, but the Lord told him to predict an end to the gloom and to announce the entrance of a great light. He was referring of course to the incarnation of Messiah.

I. Dwelling in the Darkness.

A. The causes of darkness. Isaiah 1
1. Rebellion against the Lord. v. 2
2. Rejection of the truth. vv. 10 17
3. Refusal to be reasonable. vv. 18 20

B. The characteristics of darkness. Isaiah 5
1. Callousness in the economic world. vv. 8 10
2. Carelessness in the entertainment world. vv. 11 17
3. Cynicism in the ecclesiastical world. vv. 18 19
4. Confusion in the ethical world. v. 20
5. Cleverness in the educational world. v. 21
6. Corruption in the edictal world.

C. The consequences of darkness.
1. Individual consequences.
2. Interpersonal conflicts.
3. International calamities.

II. Living in the Light. Matthew 4

A. The coming of the light.
1. The child is born.
2. The son is given.
3. The kingdom is announced.

B. The credentials of the light.