The Gospel in the Old Testament: The High Priest

In the Old Testament we clearly find the warning to never attempt to approach God alone... that is deadly. But when the ultimate High Priest is present you are called to approach boldly and full of assurance!!!

Exodus 29:1-28,28:1-38
Hebrews 9:23-24,5:1,9:22,9:11-12,8:1-2,2:17-18,4:15-16,7:22-28,10:19-22
John 5:39
Luke 24:44-45

Sermon discussion topics for parents to use with their children:

• How was Aaron prepared to be the High Priest in terms of his clothes and sacrifices?
• Why was this significant, and how did it point to Christ?
• How is Jesus the ultimate and great High Priest in terms of: His person as God and Man, His sinlessness, His eternality, His sympathy, and the fact that He is both Priest and Sacrifice?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

Acts: Dying Grace

In Acts we will be studying the amazing account of Stephen... his life, his ministry, death, and his triumph. There is so much to learn from this man about living for Christ in a hostile environment, about being brave, about being loving to ones enemies, about dying grace.

Acts 7

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

The Gospel in the Old Testament: Law and Spirit (Old Covenant and New Covenant)

The Old Testament law is hard to keep, actually impossible... but the New Covenant blessing of the Holy Spirit working a new heart enables us to fulfill the requirements of the law.

Jeremiah 31:31-34
Galatians 5:13-26
John 1:17
Hebrews 8:13
Romans 7:12,7:14,8:3-4,6:14
Ezekiel 26:25-27
2 Corinthians 3:3,3:5

Sermon discussion topics for parents to use with their children:

• What is the difference between the Old and New Covenants?
• What place does the Holy Spirit have in our lives, in light of the law of God?
• What does it mean to be led by the Spirit?
• What practically does it mean to walk in the Spirit?
• Why should we be all in?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

The Gospel in the Old Testament: Loving Others

As we continue to explore evidence of the gospel in the Old Testament, we find the second tablet of the Ten Commandments gives our duty to our fellow humans. Jesus deepens our understanding and summarizes it by loving your neighbor as yourself. This is hard to do and it shows us our need for Christ and He helps us make real progress!!

Deuteronomy 5:1-21
Romans 13:8-10,12:17-21
Matthew 5:17-22,5:27-28,5:38-45

The Purpose of the Law:
1. To reveal God’s holiness: special, pure, supreme
2. To reveal what it means to have a relationship with the holy God:
   1. What a holy life looks like
   2. As a pathway to life: human flourishing and blessing
3. To reveal how sinful we are
4. To reveal our need for Christ:
1. For the forgiveness of sins
2. For a new heart to overcome sins

Sermon discussion topics for parents to use with their children:

• What are the commandments on the second tablet?
• How did Jesus summarize these laws?
• How did He help us to understand their true meaning?
• What does it mean to love our neighbor?
• What are some practical ways we can do this better?
• How do these commandments show us our need for Christ?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA

The Gospel in the Old Testament: Loving God

In the Old Testament, God gave the first tablet of the Ten Commandments outlining our duties to Him. Jesus summarized this as loving God with everything we have!! What does it mean to love God supremely and how do we do that?

Exodus 20:1-17
Mark 12:28-34
Matthew 5:17-20
Ephesians 5:5

The Purpose of the Law:
1. To reveal God’s holiness: special, pure, supreme
2. To reveal what it means to have a relationship with the holy God:
   1. What a holy life looks like
   2. As a pathway to life: human flourishing and blessing
3. To reveal how sinful we are
4. To reveal our need for Christ:
1. For the forgiveness of sins
2. For a new heart to overcome sins

What a privilege to have God as our God! What a happy condition when nothing can hurt you! If one loses his name, it is written in the Lamb’s book of Life. If he loses his liberty, his conscience is free. If he loses his estate, he owns the pearl of great price. If he meets a storm, he has a harbor; God is his God, and heaven is his heaven. If God is our God, our soul is safe. It is hidden in the promises, in the wounds of Christ, and in the decrees of God. If God is our God, then all that is in God is ours. How happy is who not only inherits the gifts of God, but inherits God Himself! If God is our God, then all that is in God is ours. How happy is he who does not only inherits the gifts of God, but inherits God himself! In his wisdom, he is ours to teach us, his power shall support us, and his mercy shall save us. God is an infinite ocean of blessedness, and there is enough in him to fill us. He gives us peace in trouble, and when there is a storm without, he will make music within. The world gives trouble in peace, but God gives peace in trouble. He loves us, and we are the 'beloved of his soul' (Jeremiah 12:7). Thomas Watson Voices from the Past – Puritan Devotional Readings/Banner of Truth

Everybody worships. The only choice we get is what to worship. And an outstanding reason for choosing some sort of God or spiritual-type thing to worship… is that pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive. If you worship money and things — if they are where you tap real meaning in life — then you will never have enough. Never feel you have enough... Worship your own body and beauty and sexual allure and you will always feel ugly, and when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally plant you... Worship power — you will feel weak and afraid, and you will need ever more power over others to keep the fear at bay. Worship your intellect, being seen as smart — you will end up feeling stupid, a fraud, always on the verge of being found out... Look, the insidious thing about these forms of worship is... they are unconscious. They are default-settings. David Foster Wallace This Is Water: Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion, about Living a Compassionate Life

Sermon discussion topics for parents to use with their children:

• How did Jesus summarize the Law?
• What is an idol?
• What are the idols we have to resist?
• What will an idol do to you?
• What does it mean to love God with all we have?
• What should we do when we fail?
• How can we get to where Jesus calls us to be in all this?

Pastor Todd Jaussen
Crossroads Christian Fellowship Church
Greenville, PA