The Word from Mountain View

Pay it Forward -August 15, 2021

by Pastor Chuck Ryan

Pay it Forward
Text: Ephesians 4:20-28
Thesis: The principle to “pay it forward” has its origins in scripture. Jesus, the disciples,
and the Apostle Paul modeled this principle.
I. The Apostle Paul promotes healthy ambition. (vs 28a)
A. The Apostle Paul described laziness as a form of stealing.
1. Scripture teaches not to be slothful, lazy or a sluggard.
• “Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.” (Proverbs 10:4)
• “Diligent hands will rule, but laziness ends in forced labor.” (Proverbs 12:24)
• “Sluggards do not plow in season; so at harvest time they look but find nothing.” (Proverbs 20:4)
• “I went past the field of a sluggard, past the vineyard of someone who has no sense; thorns had come up
everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. I applied my heart to
what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw: A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the
hands to rest—and poverty will come on you like a thief and scarcity like an armed man.” (Proverbs
24:30-34)
2. Paul is acknowledging that if you are capable of working, and do not work, others will have to support
you.
3. Paul also warns the Church in Thessalonica against being idle. (See 2 Thessalonians 3:6-10)
• “For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not
eat.” (vs10)
a. In the formation of America this principle was taught.
II. The Apostle Paul Instructs the young Christians “to do something useful…, that they may have
something to share with those in need.” (vs28b)
A. The principle to “pay it forward” has its origins in scripture. Jesus, the disciples, and the Apostle Paul
modeled this principle.
1. Jesus taught his disciples to serve others.
• “Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and
whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to
serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20: 26-28)
B. Paul in his writings strongly believes in providing for your families.
• “Anyone who does not provide for his relatives, and especially for their own household, has denied the
faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” (1 Timothy 5:8)
1. May the caring for your families be measured, less you make them dependents for life. Do not promote
laziness but meet their needs.
C. Paul not only encourages them to be ambitious and work, but to earn enough to be able to “share with
others in need.”
1. We are called to “Pay it Forward”!
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who
comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from
God.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

Worship Service Video Podcast - August 8, 2021

WORSHIP SERVICE

video and audio recorded live at Mountain View Church.

Sermon by Pastor Jayson Martindale

Find Sermon Notes and the Bulletin here.

Work it Out! - August 8, 2021

by Pastor Jayson Martindale

Work it out!

 

Text: Philippians 2:12-16

Thesis: “for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose (Philippians 2:13).”

 

1. Work out your Salvation.

 

1. Paul challenges the Philippians to follow the example of Christ’s

obedience. 

 

1. We have to be vigilant to be spiritually fit.

• “Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever (1 Corinthians 9:25).” 

 

1. We must work without grumbling.

• “without mutterings, as men who in cowardice dare not speak plainly what they think. We must consider the warning as against God on account of what He imposed on them both to do and to suffer (Preacher’s Homiletic Commentary).” 

 

III. We must work to shine.

• “Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain (Philippians 2:15-16).”

 

• “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven (Matthew 5:16).”

 

1. We have a high calling to be a great light. 

 

1. Far too often we are a black hole instead of a star. 

 

1. When we shine as a star we take the focus off of ourselves and turn it towards Christ. 

 

• “Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me (Luke 9:23).” 

 

• “If anyone wants to come after me, let him say ‘No’ to himself, take up his execution-stake daily and keep following me (Luke 9:23 CJB).”

 

 

1. He who has called us to follow Him is faithful to see us through. 

 

• “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it (1 Thessalonians 5:23-25).”

Worship Service Video Podcast - August 1, 2021

WORSHIP SERVICE

video and audio recorded live at Mountain View Church.

Sermon by Pastor Jayson Martindale

Find Sermon Notes and the Bulletin here.

Is Anything too Hard for Me? - August 1, 2021

by Pastor Jayson Martindale

Is anything too hard for me?

 

Text: Jeremiah 32:1-2, 6-9, 13-15, 24-27

Thesis: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. (Hebrews 11:1)”

 

Main Theme: God is faithful! How might we be faithful to him?

 

 

1. God may ask us to make a leap of faith.

• “Now Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him there, saying, “Why do you prophesy as you do? (Jereiah 32:3)”
• “So in the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army. He encamped outside the city and built siege works all around it. The city was kept under siege until the eleventh year of King Zedekiah (2 Kings 25:1-2).”

 

1. In the midst of the crisis, God asks Jeremiah to buy a field.

• “Jeremiah is painfully aware that the field he purchased in Anathoth, a few miles north of Jerusalem, was even then in the hands of the Babylonians.”- Beacon Bible Commentary. 

 

1. God is continually faithful to us today, even when we are unfaithful to him.

 

1. God wants us to keep the faith. 

 

1. It is difficult to go against the tide. 
2. Jeremiah had confidence in God that allowed him to buy that field.

 

III. God will be with us as we reap in faith.

• “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart (Hebrews 12:1-3).”

 

1. Jeremiah spoke the word of the Lord despite the risk of reprisal. 

• “Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape the Babylonians but will certainly be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face and see him with his own eyes. He will take Zedekiah to Babylon, where he will remain until I deal with him, declares the Lord. If you fight against the Babylonians, you will not succeed (Jeremiah 32:4-5).” 
• “The prince among them will put his things on his shoulder at dusk and leave, and a hole will be dug in the wall for him to go through. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land. I will spread my net for him, and he will be caught in my snare; I will bring him to Babylonia, the land of the Chaldeans, but he will not see it, and there he will die (Ezekiel 2:12-13).” 
• “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing (1 Thessalonians 5:11).” 

 

“I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me? (Jeremiah 32:27)” 

 

Worship Service Video Podcast - July 25, 2021

WORSHIP SERVICE

video and audio recorded live at Mountain View Church.

Sermon by Pastor Chuck Ryan

Find Sermon Notes and the Bulletin here.

In Your Anger do not Sin - July 25, 2021

by Pastor Chuck Ryan

“In Your Anger do not Sin”

Text: Ephesians: 4:17-27; (vs26-27)

Thesis: God created us with certain emotions and instructs us on how to manage our emotions.

1. The Apostle Paul recognizes that anger is a normal human emotion. (vs26)
2. He states, “In your Anger…do not Sin.”
3. God gave us the ability to feel anger when there is injustice.
4. God the Father expressed anger in the Old Testament when His people were unfaithful.

• “Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow down to them. Then the LORD's anger will burn against you, and he will shut up the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the LORD is giving you.” (Deuteronomy 11:16-17)

1. The Hebrew word for “wrath” literally means “Flared nostril”
2. Jesus experienced anger when the religious leaders had “turn the house of prayer into a den of thieves” (Mathew 21:12-13, Mark 11:15-18, John 2: 12-17)
3. However, Jesus in his anger did not sin.

• “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.” (Hebrews 4:15)

2. The opposite of anger is apathy, which is lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.
3. The Apostle Paul also acknowledges that anger, if not controlled, can turn to sin. (vs26b)
4. Anger is a powerful emotion capable of doing great harm.
5. The first murder recorded in scripture was due to uncontrolled anger.

• “but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. Then the LORD said to Cain, “Why are you angry? Why is your face downcast? If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him.” (Genesis 4: 5-8)

1. Cain’s uncontrolled anger turned into blind rage.
2. God warned Cain that “sin was crouching at your door; it desires to have you,”

• “When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” (James 1:13-17)

3. God instructed Cain, “but you must master it”.
4. Be aware, uncontrolled anger will “give the devil a foothold” in your life. (Vs 27)
5. The method of controlling your anger or being able to NOT yield to any sinful temptation is relying on the power of Holy Spirit.
6. Ask God to teach you what or who makes you angry.
7. Ask God if your anger is valid.
8. Ask God for the ability to control your anger.
9. Ask God to fill you with His Holy Spirit.

Worship Service Video Podcast - July 18, 2021

WORSHIP SERVICE

video and audio recorded live at Mountain View Church.

Sermon by Pastor Chuck Ryan

Find Sermon Notes and the Bulletin here.

From Babes in Christ to Mature Christians - July 18, 2021

by Pastor Chuck Ryan

From Babes in Christ to Mature Christians

 

Text: Ephesians 4:25-27; Philippians 1:6, “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

 

Thesis: All Christians are in the school of Christ. Jesus will make us stronger and more effective in building the Kingdom of God.

 

1. “Therefore, each of you must put off all falsehood. (vs25)
2. The “Absolutes of God” are for all people; past, present and future.
3. God is Omniscient(all-knowing)

-God is totally aware of His creation! God is totally aware of everything that takes place. “Jesus said, are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your father.”

 

2. God is Omnipotent (all-powerful)

-God can do all things but fail! God’s power is great than our problems or needs. God’s power is far greater than the “forces of evil in the heavenly realms…”, so we are instructed to “be strong in the Lord and his mighty power.” (Ephesians 6:10-20)

-Job proclaims, “I know that you can do all things; no plans of yours can be thwarted.” (Job 42:2)

3. God is Omnipresent (present-everywhere)

-God has the ability to be everywhere at once! God is not limited by time of space. “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.” “Psalms 139:7-10)

 

1. God’s will, His ways and His thoughts are the opposite of “falsehood.” “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9)
2. “Secular Humanism” became a prominent teaching in the 60’s.

• “Secular Humanism is a belief that humanity is capable of morality and self-fulfillment without belief in God.”

2. Truth became subjective to every person’s definition.
3. This has brought utter chaos to society.

 

1. “Speak truthfully to your neighbor” (vs 25b)

 

1. Truth is powerful.

• “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes.” (Hebrews 4:12)

1. Speak the Truth in Love.

• “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” (Ephesians 4:25)

1. The primary goal of Truth is to heal and not injure.

• “Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace and security.” (Jeremiah 33:6)

1. Truth will bring clarity to a confused world.

• “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.” (Mathew 11:5)

 

Worship Service Video Podcast - July 11, 2021

WORSHIP SERVICE

video and audio recorded live at Mountain View Church.

Sermon by Pastor Chuck Ryan, "The Church is Our Stronghold"

Find Sermon Notes and the Bulletin here.