Author: Don McGarvey

Normal

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Sermon Notes for Sunday, May 24, 2020

Psalm 1:1-3

Bible Reading: Ephesians 1:15-23

Normal

God has defined normal—

Anything that is not normal is abnormal. Too often we mistake abnormal for normal. Normal is not something that changes with the seasons nor does it change from one generation to another. God’s Word, which defines normal, is timeless.

Psalm 1:1-3—

Blessed—happy, privileged. It refers to someone who is “right with God and experiencing God’s peace and God’s joy in their life.

Three normal things in Psalm 1:1

1–Does not walk in the counsel or take the advice of sinners

2—Does not stand in the way of sinner

          2 Corinthians 6:17

3—Does not sit in the seat of mockers

          2 Corinthians 6:14

Further Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:17; Philippians 4:8

When You Don’t Know What to Do

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2 Chronicles 20:1-30

Sunday, May 17, 2020

          Bible Reading: Psalm 9:1-10

We have an enemy. John 10:10; 1 Peter 5:8 His intent is to destroy us. To cause us to doubt God; to cause us to put our trust in someone or something other than God.

One of the “schemes of the enemy” is to make us think we must always know what to do. All of us encounter this, pastors, parents, teachers, doctors, and all leaders. Truth is, we do not always know what to do. And that is fine with God. It is why He promised to never leave us or to forsake us. He will always be available to us with a plan for our lives no matter what we may face, even pandemics.

I would encourage you to read through 2 Chronicles 20:1-30. You will be challenged by how King Jehoshaphat handled the life or death situation he was facing. God was faithful; King Jehoshaphat was faithful; and God brought about a great victory.

Text: 2 Chronicles 20:6-12

We all encounter times when we do not know what to do. We all have an enemy who wants to destroy us

God has a plan—Jeremiah 29:11

God has our steps ordered–Psalm 37:23

God will never leave us—Deuteronomy 31:6

God is always at work on our behalf to bring about good—Romans 8:28

What is it that you need God’s help with today? Take a moment, as King Jehoshaphat did, admit you do not know what to do, ask God to tell you what to do, then do what God told you to do.

A View From Inside the Bear

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I had a great friend who frequently used some “pithy” sayings. He passed away a few years ago but periodically, one of those “pithy” sayings will pop into my mind. One of them was, “Lord, if you don’t help me, please don’t help that bear.”

My favorite was, “some days you eat the bear and some days the bear eats you.”

Ever had a day when the bear ate you? I know it does not sound very spiritual but most of us have had our share of those days and the view from inside the bear really is not something to write home about. But……it happens. And when it happens, we need to know how to handle it.

During this time of quarantine and a virtual shut down of life as we knew it a few weeks ago, stress levels have gone through the roof, fear lurks around every corner and the politics gets even nastier than it was before. Some days, the bear eats you.

I have always heard how the most successful people in the world are the ones who pick themselves up off the floor more than anyone else. Maybe, another way of putting is that they find a way to crawl out of the bear.

Pick yourself up; dust yourself off; learn from whatever caused you to be on the inside of that bear and make a commitment that this turn of events is not going to be permanent. At best, it is temporary. It does not define you. It is not a life sentence. It will pass. The sun will come up tomorrow and you will have another opportunity to be the one who eats the next bear that comes along.

Always in Pursuit!

Don

Queen Mother Sermon Notes

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Sunday, May 10, 20202

Text: Proverbs 31:28-31

New Facebook Live Prayer Time for TMCC—Thursdays, 6 PM

Bible Reading: Psalm 33:12-22

Queen Mother—

In the history of Judah, the southern kingdom, whenever we are introduced to a new king, we are also introduced to his mother. As Queen Mother, an official title, she would have had her own throne (1 Kings 2:19) plus she would have been the king’s closest adviser.

Queen Mother in Scripture: 1 Kings 15:13; 2 Kings 10:13; 2 Chronicles 15:16; Jeremiah 13:18; Jeremiah 29:2; Daniel 5:10

1 Peter 3:15-16

Proverbs 13:20

Duties of the Queen Mother—Gebirah (gheb—ee-raw)

#1—Assist in the choice of the next king

#2—Provide counsel for the king

#3—Intercede on behalf of the king’s subjects

Proverbs 13:20—Be cautious about the influences in your life. Take note of Philippians 4:8

1 Peter 3:15-16—When Christ rules and reigns in your heart, what is on the inside will come out.

Soar Like an Eagle

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Isaiah 40:28-31

Today’s Bible Reading: Psalm 91:1-8

Isaiah 40–Circumstances

Verses 1-11—The Circumstances of our past

Verses 12-26—The circumstances of today

Verses 27-31—The circumstances in us

Renew—a picture of taking off the old and putting on the new

Wait—not just sitting around doing nothing

#1—Look for Him—Luke 11:9-10

#2—Long for Him–Psalm 42:1

Additional Scriptures: Psalm 73:25; Psalm 63:1; John 4:13-14; John 6:35

#3—Listen for Him—Jeremiah 33:3

Additional Scriptures: Matthew 7:24; John 10:27

#4—Live for Him—Colossians 1:10

Colossians 3:5-13; Romans 6:4; 1 Corinthians 3:16

Glorified!

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The fifth and final word in the “sequence of salvation” is glorified. It is found in Romans 8:30. It is a fascinating word. It has both a “now” and “future” or “not yet” meaning.

For now, we are glorified because we have been adopted, or chosen. God chose us. He has called us by name and has given us a portion of His glory. Earlier in Romans 8, we read that it is part of God’s plan for us to be “conformed into the image of Christ.” (Romans 8:29) Being transformed into the image of Christ is a process called “sanctification.” This is an “on-going” work of God’s Spirit within us. It is a transforming work of the Holy Spirit as we give ourselves over to Him.

In 2 Corinthians 3:18, Paul refers to this process as going from “glory to glory.”

From “glory to glory” is a great description of what our lives should look like here on the earth.  From glory to glory describes the on-going process of spiritual growth and becoming conformed into the image of Christ. Then as we go from “glory to glory” there will come a God-appointed time where we will experience the ultimate glorification.

Ultimate glorification is when we take our final breath here on the earth followed by our first breath in the presence of God. This is the ultimate and final glory we will experience. It just will not get any better than that.

Salvation, which is described in these five words (foreknew, predestined, called, justified and glorified) found in Romans 8:29-30, is followed by Sanctification (glory to glory) which is followed by our glorification or eternity with God.

Glorification is our destiny here on earth as well as our destiny for eternity.

Always in Pursuit!

Don

Set Free!

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The fourth word that Paul used to describe what happens when we accept Christ as our Savior is the word “justified.”

For the sake of review, the first word found in Romans 8:29 was “foreknew” referring to the fact that even before the beginning of time, our omniscient God knew all about us.

The next word found in Romans 8:29 is “predestined.” Not only did God foreknow us, but He determined a wonderful plan for our lives. He determined that He wanted us to be His child and that we would accept His invitation to become our Heavenly Father, Savior and coming King.

The third word in this sequence is found in Romans 8:30. It was the word “called.” God has called us to follow Him; He has called us out of a sinful life and opened the way for us to live life abundantly.

Our word for today, justified, is a wonderful word. It is a legal term that was used in the court of law, back in the day. It means that all charges against us, due to our sin, have been dropped. We have been acquitted. It means that more than being forgiven happened. Now it is as if we had never even sinned. There is no record of our sin.

As a result, we have been reconciled with God. Now, we can walk with Him, talk with Him, listen to Him, follow the plan He prepared in advance for us, and we can have he assurance that He will never leave us, nor will He forsake us. He will always be our helper, our healer and our hope.

This also eliminates guilt, shame and condemnation. Paul wrote in the first verse of Romans 8, “…. there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.” We are free to serve Him unencumbered by our past.

By the way, being justified is a gift. It is not something we can earn. The price for our sin was paid by Christ when He gave Himself as the once, for all, sacrifice. Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

My prayer for you is that you “live free” and live the abundant life that God has planned for you today!

Always in Pursuit!

Don

God Is Calling You!

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The next word we discover in the sequence of salvation, as explained by the Apostle Paul in Romans 28:29-30 is the word “called.”

First, we are told that God “foreknew” us from before the beginning of time. Then we are told that God “predestined” us to be in right relationship with Him. Now we are told that we are “called.”

This is a great word. Everyone of us is called. Unless people are involved in full-time vocational ministry, most do not think of themselves as being called. But that is a fallacy. We are all called. It does not matter if you are a pastor, janitor, stay-at-home mom, carpenter, doctor, nurse or schoolteacher, you are called.

This call was created at the same time as when God foreknew you and when God predestined you. He called you before the beginning of time.

God wants you to be His own. He created you to be in fellowship with Him. Sin got in the way. This is why God sent Jesus to die and be resurrected so you and I could be reconciled to Him. This would fulfill the call on your life.

Another aspect of being “called” is that of authority or ownership. In Genesis 2:19-20 we read how God put Adam to work and gave him the responsibility of naming the animals. In effect, this gave Adam authority over the animals. He named them. He called them.

In some ways, it is like naming a pet. You try to pick a name that fits. A name that will make that pet uniquely yours. God has done the same with you. He created you, then He called you to be His.

God has done the same with us. He called us. We are His. We are His unique possession. There is not another human like you. One translation of Scripture uses the word “peculiar.” We are peculiar to God. We are His one of a kind. Paul described us in Ephesians 2:10 as God’s masterpiece, His workmanship.

In Romans 11:29 informs us that this call is irrevocable. In other words, you will not be able to make God stop loving you. Nor can you make Him love you more. You are His. He called you. He desires relationship with you. He is patiently waiting for you to accept His invitation.

Always in Pursuit!

Don

(Pre)Destined for Greatness!

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The second word we encounter in Paul’s explanation of what happens when we come to Christ as our Savior is the word “predestine.”

Many evangelical Christians do not like this word. When they hear it, they feel as if someone is taking away their God given privilege to make up their own mind. In some theological circles, the word is used to describe how some have been predestined to be saved while some have been predestined not to be saved.

The problem with the idea of some not being saved because they were predestined to be lost is that it contradicts the teaching of God’s Word. Take a moment and read through John 3:16; Matthew 18:14; and 2 Peter 3:9. It is not God’s will for any to perish. It is His will for all to be saved.

Just as God foreknew you from before the beginning of time, He predestined you to be saved at the same time. At the same time, He predestined a wonderful plan for your life that included healing, freedom and victory over sin.

Of course, you have the privilege of rejecting His plan. Many do so because it does not fit their pre-conceived idea of what God should do for them or the type of life, they think they want to live.

If you go back to the text, Romans 8:29, you will discover that God predestined you to be “conformed into the image of His Son.” This means to be God’s son or daughter following the pattern that Jesus lived. This does not mean we have to be perfect. But we are forgiven, free from sin and marching to the drumbeat of the Holy Spirit just as Christ did. (Read Acts 10:38)

This is His plan for you. It was predestined. You cannot earn it. It is a gift. It is yours. Just receive it.

Always in Pursuit!

Don

God Knew Me When!

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Ever felt like you were a mistake? Perhaps you were a surprise to your parents? These things happen along with many other scenarios that sometimes can make us feel as if we were mistake or even worse, not wanted.

Truth is that while you may have been a surprise to your parents, God knew all about you before you were conceived. Even better, He promised to bring good things out of those circumstances. (Romans 8:28)

In Romans 8:29-30 we are introduced to five terms that describe why and how God can bring good out of the good, bad and ugly circumstances of life. (Please understand the word “good” is defined by the “goodness” of God. This does not always include what we think might be good for us. We need to lean on God, not our own understanding about what might or might not be good. Ask yourself the question, how does this measure up against what God’s desires are for my life. Do not forget what Solomon wrote for us in Proverbs 3:5 and Proverbs 14:12; and Proverbs 16:25.)

The first of these five terms is found in verse 29. There we read that God “foreknew” us. The action attached to these five words took place prior to creation or prior to the beginning of time.

He knew you. In addition, there is also an underlying sense that God not only knew you but understands you. He knows all about you. He knows your strengths and your weaknesses. He knows how circumstances effect you. He knows when you are angry, frustrated, disappointed, and even offended. He created you and knows every single detail of who you are.

He loves you. He sent His One and only Son, Jesus, to die for you (John 3:16) and to be resurrected for you. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) God also has a wonderful plan for your life. (Jeremiah 29:11)

One final thought regarding this topic is that God is crazy about you, He sings over you, He has your name written (engraved or tattooed) on the palm of His hand and He will not forget you. (Zephaniah 3:17; Psalm 147:11; Isaiah 49:16)

The promise of Romans 8:28 is that no matter what happens or no matter what the source is of these things, God is more than able to bring about good. Sometimes the good is immediate, sometimes the good is delayed. Sometimes we find there is both an immediate and a long-term good that God brings about through the circumstances of our life.

Do not ever forget that God knew you “when.” And when you confess Him as your Savior, He will not allow anything to separate you from His love. And that is good!

Always in Pursuit!

Don