Emmanuel Baptist Church Sermon 4 18 20 Brother Benny Keck

Emmanuel Baptist Church Podcast

Let's Talk About Love

November 25, 2018 The Searchers Psalm 132:1-5 Synopsis: Let me begin by saying I am not trying to rush into Christmas although I truly do love this time of the year. My sermons over the next few weeks will be drawn from Matthew’s telling of the Wise Men. I know we usually wait until after telling about the shepherds coming to the stable to see the baby Jesus, but this year I want to invite you to image with me the story of their search and ponder what wisdom we might discover for our own journey. What are you searching for? Where are you searching for truth and meaning or purpose in life? What comes next beyond life as we know it? Text (NLT): Psalm 132:1-5, Scripture Reading: Matthew 2:1-2 Children’s Lesson: Barbara Brown Taylor; illustrated by Melanie Cataldo, Home by Another Way, Louisville, KY, Flyaway Books, 2018.

The Searchers

October 21, 2018 Ignorant and Wayward People Hebrews 5:2 Synopsis: “Ignorant and Wayward People,” (Hebrews 5:2) surely that’s not us, right? OK, so at times we do fit the bill, maybe even a lot of the time. How do we fit the bill? We live uninformed lives demonstrated in our daily activities or in the lack of activities. Our “ignorant and wayward” lives demonstrate our need of a priest to intercede for us. At times, the priest we need is as close as our brother or sister in Christ Jesus. Believers are empowered to serve one another as a priest of the Most High God. The priesthood of all believers basically calls on us to do what we can for one another. There are times when there is not one among us who can do what we need. These are the times in our lives when only Jesus can deliver us and be our interceding High Priest in the presence of God the Father. Text (NLT): Hebrews 5:1-10; Genesis 14:17-24; Psalm 110:4 Scripture Reading: Psalm 104:1

Wayward and Ignorant People

Guest speaker Rev. Rick Bennett from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship.

God's Mission and You

Help! I've Fallen! Can I Get Up?

September 9, 2018 Raising the Dead James 2:17 Synopsis: I love the resurrection hope of the Gospel and I love affirming the faith of those who believe, but I also know that too many people are way too dependent on affirmation. Disciples of Jesus Christ are believers who have moved beyond their need for “affirmation” of their faith to seek the “confirmation” of their faith in what they do. That is what James is saying. If believers want to live in the hope of the resurrection then they need raised from dead faith to living faith (James 2:17). Raising the Dead has always been the work of God. It has been demonstrated a few times in Scripture, but it is not an everyday experience. What can believers do to move from affirmation to confirmation to live in the hope of the resurrection? Ask! That is what the woman did when she moved beyond affirmation to confirmation and discover healing for her daughter in the experience the hope of the resurrection in Christ Jesus (Mark 7:24-30). Where is your faith? Are you living in the assurance of the resurrection? When your faith is tested, and it will be tested, will it produce the evidence of your transformation? If not, then your faith needs to be resurrected. [ Listen for the use of these words: Affirmation; Confirmation; Demonstration; Resurrection; Transformation] Text (NLT): James 2:14-17, 1-9

Raising the Dead

September 2, 2018 Labor Day Weekend Do What It Says! James 1:22 Synopsis: “Do what it says” sounds so much like Jesus that I sometimes think James was quoting Jesus. It is a problem that we all have especially as we hear the word of the Lord on a very personal level. We put on a good show, but only wind up fooling ourselves. The salvation of God begins in the heart of men and women, boys and girls and works its way out in every aspect of life or it is not the salvation of God at all. We may be putting on a good show but the reality is we are just fooling ourselves. God knows. Text (NLT): James 1:19-27: 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Mark 7:1-8; Isaiah 29:11-14; Mark 7:14-15, 21-23.

Do What It Says!

August 19, 2018 What’s Ya Need? 1 Kings 3:5 Synopsis: Have you ever been in one of those situations where you were caught not knowing what to ask for? Maybe it happened when you were getting ready to order something at a new restaurant or searching for something online. There are times when you really do have to be careful about what you ask for because you might get it. That is not always a good thing. Solomon had what might be classified as a very enchanting “dream” one night (1 Kings 3:3-14). He dreamed that the Lord told him to ask for anything he wanted. WOW! You would like to have had that dream? What would you have asked for? More wishes? What Solomon asked for was not so much a wish for what he wanted as much as it was a prayer for what he needed in order to do what God had positioned him to do. Believers today need to learn the lesson of Solomon and ask God for wisdom (James 1:2-8) to make the right decisions in their lives (Ephesians 5:15-20). Did you say you had more experience in doing the “don’t” than in doing the “dos?” God has a cure for that if you will trust Him (Psalm 111:10). Text: 1 Kings 3:3-14, NIV; James 1:2-8; Ephesians 5:15-20, NLT Ephesians 5:15-20, NLT; Psalm 111:10, NLT Scripture Reading: Psalm 111:1-4

What's Ya Need?

The Three Be's

July 29, 2018 For This Reason Ephesians 3:14-21 Synopsis: The first half of the letter to the church in Ephesus tells the story of God’s work in Christ Jesus and the Apostle’s prayer for the growth and development of the church. “For this reason” is the phrase that Paul used to emphasize that work. It is found in the beginning of the letter and later on in chapter 3, my text for today. It is because of what God has done in Christ and will do in the church that he prays for their “strength”, “love”, “knowledge” and “fullness”. With these the church may know God’s love and share God’s love with others. Text (NIV): Ephesians 3:14-21, 1:3, 15-23 Scripture Reading: Psalm 14:1-2

For This Reason

July 8, 2018 Passportkids Reporting All Caught Up 2 Corinthians 12:1-10 Synopsis: It is easy to get “All Caught Up” in many different things in life. Many of those things are just down right fun and remain that way for varying lengths of time. Short term things often are called FADS. We fill closets and storage buildings with the stuff that once captured our attention. The stuff that is just waiting for a second go-round. Other things happen to us in life that holds our attention for longer periods of time. I am referring to things that are not defined by “stuff” as much as relationships. And finally, there are experiences that we have in life that catch us and capture our attention so that we are never the same afterwards. There is little question in my mind that the Apostle Paul was “All Caught Up” in Jesus Christ. Paul had many experiences of the resurrected Lord but he was never the same after the first one. In this passage (2 Corinthians 12:1) Paul refers to being “caught up into the third heaven.” Not everybody gets to go there. Not everybody gets to have that experience, but everybody can experience the life changing presence of Jesus Christ through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. A line from a Kirk Talley’s song simply says “He is here, you can touch Him. You will never be the same.” (He Is Here, © 2011 Kirk Talley Music) Text (NIV): 2 Corinthians 12:1-10; Scripture Reading: Psalm 48:1, NIV

All Caught Up

July 1, 2018 The Remembrance Freedom Isn’t Free It’s Transformative 2 Corinthians 8:9 Synopsis: I’m sure you have heard many times that “Freedom Isn’t Free” and that is true in many different ways. The price for freedom from the wages of sin and death is far beyond our human ability to pay. The good news, as Paul points out, is that freedom is possible in Christ Jesus simply because Jesus paid the price. But that is not all of the story. True “Freedom” in Christ Jesus “Isn’t Free It’s Transformative.” Freedom that isn’t transformative may best be described as anarchy. I would argue that the framers of The Declaration of Independence insisted that free people are not to be anarchist but patriots. Think with me for just a moment. Do you remember the stories of the struggles the Children of Israel had as they broke away from Egypt? They were free from Egyptian bondage, but they were not yet transformed. Anarchy seemed to rule the day. Moses was often frustrated trying to deal with the People of anarch. It took a long time but step by step they were transformed into the People of God. Eventually they were able to enter the Promised Land. Today, as we come to the Lord’s Table we are celebrating our freedom in Christ Jesus while taking transformative steps in our daily life that will truly let freedom ring. Jesus transformed the meaning of the bread and wine of Passover to living signs of His brokenness for our wholeness and the establishment of a new covenant relationship that is for our transformation. Text (NIV): 2 Corinthians 8:7-15 Scripture Reading: Psalm 130:1-4, NIV

The Remembrance: Freedom Isn't Free, It's Transformative.

June 24, 2018 Commissioning High School Youth Mission Team Calming the Troubled Waters Mark 4:35-41 Synopsis: Many people have no problem affirming that Jesus Calmed the Troubled Waters. They know the Gospel stories (Mark 4:35-41), but that doesn’t mean they know how to get Jesus to calm the troubled waters of their lives. Listen to the story carefully and you will see that the Disciples didn’t have faith to calm the troubled waters for themselves. They needed Jesus. You and I are no different. We need Jesus too not just to save our soul but to guide and protect us on our journey of life. God help us to learn the lesson of trust and prayer. Text: Mark 4:35-41, CEV; Philippians 4:6, NLT Scripture Reading: Psalm 9:9-11

Calming the Troubled Waters

June 10, 2018 Misunderstood vs. Misrepresented Mark 3:20-22 Synopsis: With all that was going on in those days (Mark 3:20-35) it is easy to see how Jesus’ family and friends could have “misunderstood” what was happening. Maybe they were acting out of love when they tried to step in and “rescue Him” from himself. That is not what was happening with the Pharisees. Text (NLT): Mark 3:20-22, 23-27, 28-30, 31-35; 2 Corinthians 5:16-17 Scripture Reading: Psalm 138:6-8

Misunderstood vs Misrepresented

June 6, 2018 Appalachian Outreach Week Stretch Out Your Hand! Mark 3:5 Synopsis: Jesus was frustrated. Jesus was angry with the opposition, but He never let that stop him from doing what someone needed. Neither should we. Jesus told a man whose hand was shriveled to “Stretch Out Your Hand!” It was on the Sabbath and they were standing in a synagogue surrounded by witnesses. And when the man responded he found he was healed. Those who opposed Jesus rushed out to meet with other in another effort to get Jesus killed. Don’t be like them. Instead, “Stretch Out You Hand” and be healed and go offer healing to others in Jesus’ Name. Text (NIV): Psalm 139:1-6; Mark 3:1-6; 2 Corinthians 4:5-12

Stretch Out Your Hand

This is the podcast for Emmanuel Baptist Church in Jefferson City Tennessee. These sermons are given by Dr. Sonny Strange and various guest speakers.