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We hope these readings, prayers, songs, sermon notes + quotes are beneficial to you this week. See you next Sunday at 9 or 11 am, 10 am on TVC Online or anytime!
Sermon Notes for March 23, 2025
Luke 11:14-32
The Stronger One
Pastor Tommy Bailey
Responses to Jesus:
- Some were marveling (v. 14)
- Some were cynical (v. 15)
- Some were skeptical (v. 16)
The Miracles of Jesus:
- Reveal His compassion
- Display His authority
- Mark His Kingdom
- Affirm His identity
- Inspire faith, wonder and worship
1. The Reality of Spiritual Warfare:
Opposing, Yet Unequal Kingdoms
“There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence, the other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors…Readers are advised to remember that the devil is a liar.”
C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters
“Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.”
1 Peter 5:8
The Evil One: 1 Peter 5:8
- Identity: He’s your adversary
- Method: He prowls around
- Intentions: Seeks to devour
2. The Clarity of The Kingdom:
No Neutral Ground
“Unbelief is the cause of all our troubles and failures. This is the strategic point where Satan concentrates his forces against us, and therefore it is here above all that we need divine help.”
A.W. Pink, The Believer’s Paradox
3. The Mercy of Spiritual Warning:
Hope for the Cynical, Skeptical, and Sinner
“We don’t always struggle with Jesus as Shepherd. We have a problem with Jesus as Lord. He wants to get up in our business.”
Robert Smith Jr.
“The enemy will attack. Temptation will come. But left to yourself, you are like a tumbleweed in a tornado, a handkerchief in a hurricane. The lion will roar, the viper will strike, the flaming arrows of temptation will fly, and you will fall — apart from grace. That is why you need God. Beware of self-confidence.”
Brian G. Hedges, Watchfulness
Jesus Christ is victorious over:
- The guilt of sin (The Fruit)
- The power of sin (The Root)
- The influence of Satan (The Brute)
“Satan is a lion (1 Pet. 5:8). Jesus is a lion (Rev. 5:5). One is on a leash. The other is on the throne.”
Matt Smethurst
“David used Goliath’s own sword to decapitate him. The very means of Goliath’s potential victory is what David used to destroy him. So it is with Jesus. Through death, Satan made us slaves. Through death, Christ made us alive.”
Jackie Hill Perry
Songs, Readings & Prayer for March 23, 2025
Songs
“Holy Holy Holy“
“On Christ The Solid Rock“ by William Batchelder Bradbury, Edward Mote
“How Great Thou Art“ by Stuart Wesley Keene Hine
“A Mighty Fortress“ by Martin Luther, arr. Tommy Bailey; orch. Nathan Mickle
“Doxology” by Thomas Ken and Louis Bourgeois
All songs are used by Permission. CCLI License #2003690
Call To Worship: Psalm 100
Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before Him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the LORD is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.
Confession: “The only Son our Lord”, The Apostle Creed
Leader: Why is Jesus called the Father’s “only Son”?
People: Jesus alone is God the Son, coequal and coeternal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. He alone is the image of the invisible Father, the one who makes the Father known. He is now and forever will be incarnate as a human, bearing his God-given human Name. The Father created and now rules all things in heaven and earth through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Leader: What do you mean when you call Jesus Christ “Lord”?
People: I acknowledge Jesus’ divine authority over the Church and all creation, over all societies and their leaders, and over every aspect of my life, both public and private. I surrender my entire life to him and seek to live in a way that pleases him.
Source: ACNA, Q. 51-52
Classic Prayer: John Chrysostom, 347-407 AD
Lord God, of might inconceivable, of glory incomprehensible, of mercy immeasurable, of benignity ineffable; do Thou, O Master, look down upon us in Thy tender love, and show forth, towards us and those who pray with us, Thy rich mercies and compassions. Amen.
Discussion Questions for March 23, 2025
- Read the passage together: Before today’s sermon, what did you already know or believe about this passage? Did anything in your understanding shift after hearing the message?
- Challenge and Reflection: Was there a part of today’s message that was particularly challenging or surprising for you? Why?
- Unpacking the Message: Pick a quote from today’s sermon notes. Discuss what it means to you.
- Personal Impact: What’s one specific way you feel called to change or grow after hearing this message?
- Practical Application: What’s one step you can take this week to put today’s message into practice?
- Connecting Scripture: Are there other Bible passages or stories this message reminds you of? How do they expand or confirm this teaching?
- Gratitude: What aspect of God’s character stood out to you in today’s message? How does it inspire praise or gratitude?
- Pray the Scripture: After hearing the message, is there a specific area where you feel led to pray? How can we pray for one another in light of today’s teaching?
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