The Time Is Now!

Verde Valley Christian Church

May 23, 2021

Title: "The Time Is Now!"

Series:  His Presence

Speaker: Jim Hammond

...we face a dark time in the history of God's people. In spite of some encouraging signs, the forces of evil seem to be gathering for a colossal assault on the work of God in the world. Satan has unleashed his power in a way perhaps unparalleled in the history of the Christian Church.  If ever there was a time we needed renewal, it is now.

In the midst of the vast problems which face our world, Christians are strangely silent and powerless, almost overwhelmed by the tides of secularism.

Billy Graham, p. 316, “The Holy Spirit”, 1978. 

I.     DIAGNOSIS

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:13‬‬

“You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

II.     REMEDY

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭5:14‬‬

“You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden.

‭‭John‬ ‭1:18‬‬

No one has ever seen God. The one and only Son, who is himself God and is at the Father’s side  — he has revealed him.

‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭4:6‬‬

For God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ.

If you want to know God personally, look into the face of Jesus!

‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭16:11‬‬

Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!

‭‭Romans‬ ‭13:11-12‬‬

Besides this, since you know the time, it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep, because now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is nearly over, and the day is near; so let us discard the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

III.     RESULTS

‭‭John‬ ‭15:11‬‬

“I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete.

IV.     IMAGINE

‭‭Ephesians‬ ‭3:20-21‬‬

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

‭‭1 Chronicles‬ ‭16:11‬‬

Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!

Keeping Your House Clean

Welcome to Verde Valley Christian Church

May 16, 2021   / / /   "Keeping Your House Clean"

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Series:  His Presence

Speaker: Doug Bridge

1 Corinthians 6:19 (Phillips) 

Have you forgotten that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you, and that you are not the owner of your own body? You have been bought, and at what a price!

CLASSROOM RULES:  

1: LISTEN

2: FOLLOW DIRECTIONS

1 John 1:4

We are writing these things so that you may fully share our joy.

1 John 1:4

We write this to you so that we may be full of joy.

1.     THAT YOU MAY FULLY SHARE OUR JOY

Matthew 22:37-39

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’

2.     JESUS - OTHERS - YOU

1 John 1:9

But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.

3.     ALWAYS COME BACK TO JOY

1 John 2:1-2

My dear children, I write this letter to you so you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have a helper in the presence of the Father—Jesus Christ, the One who does what is right. He died in our place to take away our sins, and not only our sins but the sins of all people.

What It Means to Be Filled With The Spirit

Series:  His Presence

Speaker: Jim Hammond

I.     A Promised GIFT

John 4:10

Jesus answered, “If you knew the gift of God, and who is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would ask him, and he would give you living water.”

John 4:13-14

Jesus said, “Everyone who drinks from this water will get thirsty again. But whoever drinks from the water that I will give him will never get thirsty again. In fact, the water I will give him will become a well of water springing up in him for eternal life.”

John 7:38

The one who believes in me, as the Scripture has said, will have streams of living water flow from deep within him.”

II.     A Commanded RESPONSIBILITY

Ephesians 5:18

And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit:

When you are filled with the Spirit, you are filled with an overflowing supply of grace, everything you need for a good and beautiful life that pleases God.

Ephesians 4:30 (CSB)  

And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit…

Ephesians 5:18 (CSB)  

...but be filled by (Keep On Being) the Spirit:

III.     Receive ONCE and Be Filled REPEATED John 14:16-17

And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be in you.

Believers in Jesus have two “counselors” working together on their behalf.

1 John 2:1-2

My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father — Jesus Christ the righteous one. He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.

Jesus is our advocate in Heaven.  

The Holy Spirit is Jesus’ advocate in us.

Questions to ask yourself:

Have I given Jesus the master key to every room of my life? 

Is he my guest, or my master?

Ephesians 5:18

And don’t get drunk with wine, which leads to reckless living, but be filled by the Spirit:

The Spirit bids us cease from trying to get peace by our efforts, and to come to Jesus as a sinner and rest in what He has done. As we do so, the burden of striving and self-reproach slips away from our hearts, and the Comforter whispers peace to our hearts....      We are not merely on the winning side, but on the side that has already won; we do not fight for victory but from it.

Roy Hession,  Be Filled Now