Be Rich in God

As Christians we may, or may not, be blessed with an abundance of material blessings.  We will have, however, blessings that this world may not comprehend.

I.  The Blessing of the Lord:  Numbers 6:22-26

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: ²³ “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel. Say to them:

²⁴ “The Lord bless you and keep you;
²⁵ The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
²⁶ The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.” ’

There are three components to this blessing.  God blesses us by providing for our material needs.  He gives us abilities and opportunities and helps our labor to be fruitful.  God also keeps us from harm.   Some times we are acutely aware of His protection, but there are doubtless many times that we are blissfully unaware of the dangers that we avoid because of the protection of God.

The third part of this blessing is the most important.  The first two are represented by the simple words ‘bless’ and ‘keep’.  The last portion is given in verses 25 & 26.  It has to do with the presence of God is our lives.

There is nothing greater than having an awareness of God’s presence.  He is with us not only in church gatherings, or in times in the beauty of nature.  God is with us always.  He is with us in traffic, while shopping, during the workday, indeed all throughout every day.  But are we aware of His presence?  Do we turn our eyes towards Him?  Can we hear His voice, sense His presence?

The fledgling nation of Israel had been brought out of Egypt by the power of God.  They had a visible symbol of His presence with them in the column of smoke by day, and the pillar of fire by night.  They saw miraculous provision and protection over and over.

Yet they did not appreciate what they had been given.

II.  Not Enough:  Numbers 11:1

Now when the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused. So the fire of the Lord burned among them, and consumed some in the outskirts of the camp.

They had been complaining because the manna that God provided each day became tiresome.  They missed the food that they had in Egypt, never mind that they had been slaves.  God had promised them a land ‘flowing with milk and honey’.  They were unhappy with what God had provided for them while on the journey.

III.  Consequences:  Psalms 106:15

And He gave them their request,
But sent leanness into their soul.

This is a sad commentary on the consequences of that day.  God provided huge flocks of birds for them to have to eat, but sent ‘leanness into their soul’.  They did not appreciate the special relationship that they had been given by God.

They did not appreciate what God had done for them.

IV.  The Moral of the Story:

Now godliness with contentment is great gain. ⁷ For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. ⁸ And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content.

We too, are on a journey to a promised land.  Our promised land is heaven.  We have been given the promise that Jesus will never leave us nor forsake us, but that He will be with us always.  God provides for us and protects us and has given us of His Holy Spirit.

Yet sometimes we do not appreciate what we have been given.

We want more.

We want something different.

We fail to realize that the greatest gift that God has given to us is the ability that we have to live in relationship with Him.

May appreciate what we have been given.

May we seek more….of God in our lives.

May we always place God first in our lives.

 

These are the sermon notes from 7/29/18.  All quotations are from the New King James version of the Bible.  Any advertisements that might appear are placed by WordPress.  I have no control over them, nor do I receive any money from them. 

 

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A Call To Holiness

I do not hear many people today talking about holiness, not even in the church.  I believe that this is in reaction to some groups that have tied holiness to intolerance, or even hatred.  Holiness is important, and it should not lead to intolerance and certainly not to hatred.

I.  The Call to Holiness:  Leviticus 19:1-2

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ² “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.

Of course, your reaction to this verse might be to declare that it is part of the Mosaic Law and that we have been set free from the law.  You would be partly correct.  We are free from the Law, but that does not mean that we are not called to holiness.

A.  A New Testament Call:  I Peter 1:13-16

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; ¹⁴ as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; ¹⁵ but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, ¹⁶ because it is written, “Be holy, for I am holy.”

Here Peter repeats the call that we read first in Leviticus.  Jesus Christ is holy.  We are called Christians.  We are called to be holy.  It is important.

B. The Importance of Holiness:  Hebrews 12:14

  Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:

So we are to pursue holiness.  We are saved by grace, through faith but if we are saved our lives should change.

C.  Guided to Holiness

It is not my intent in this message to give to you a list of do’s and don’t.  Rather I would point you to the means by which you can discover for yourself the details of holiness.

1.  The Word:  II Timothy 3:16-17

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, ¹⁷ that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

As Christians we do not look to the world for our standards of right and wrong, rather we should look to the Word of God.

2.  The Spirit:  John 16:13

However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

If we depend solely on human wisdom we will not discover the truths that God has for us.  We need the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

II.  The Dangers of Holiness

If I am going to encourage you to pursue holiness, it is appropriate for me also to warn you of some dangers associated with holiness.

1.  We may start to think that we have earned our salvation or God’s favor.  Salvation is a gift.  We do not earn it.  Nor does God owe us anything for doing what we ought to do.
2. We may become divided.  As we pray and search the scriptures we may come to different conclusions about exactly what constitutes holiness.  We may think that people who do not agree with our standards are not ‘true’ Christians.
3. We may think that we are better than others.  As God helps us to change and overcome various sins in our lives we may look at others who are still struggling and think that we are better than them.  We may see some of their faults and not see our own.  Or we may think less of them, and more highly of ourselves.
4. We may think that we are worthless.  If we become conscious of our sins and we seem to unable to overcome them we may think that we are worthless.  We may forget that “while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”  That alone makes us of great worth.  God loved us so much that He sent His Son to die for us.
5. We may give up.  If we seem unable to live up to the standards we, or others, have set up we may just leave the faith as too hard.  We may fail to recognize that God loves us as we are and He will continue to work on us throughout our lives, molding us into the image of His Son.

III. The Key to Holiness

A.  Crucify the Flesh:  Galatians 5: 24

And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Obviously, this is not to be taken literally.  It does mean that as we learn to recognize the difference between holy living and unholy living our old nature will sometimes desire to do things that are unholy.  We should not just give in to those desires and say that ‘we are only human’.  Rather, we recognize that as Christians we now have the Spirit of God.  We are not ‘only human’ we are the children of God.  Do not give in to the temptations of the old nature, but rather live as the people God has called us to be.

B.  Be Filled with the Spirit:  Ephesians 3:17-19

that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— ¹⁹ to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

We do not change through the strength of our own will but by the strength of the Spirit that God gives to us.  It is an ongoing battle between the flesh and the Spirit.

Let us pursue holiness in all of our conduct, not so that we can be saved, but because we are saved.

Let us seek to be holy because our God is holy

 

These are the sermon notes from 7/22/18.  All quotations are from the New King James Version of the Bible.  Any advertisements that might appear are placed by WordPress.  I have not control over them, nor do I receive any money from them.

The Spirit Poured Out

As a Pentecostal church the primary issue that distinguishes us from other churches is not our music or order of service, but rather our understanding of the nature, work and role of the Holy Spirit in the church today.

Joel 2: 28-32

“And it shall come to pass afterward
That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your old men shall dream dreams,
Your young men shall see visions.
²⁹ And also on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days.

³⁰ “And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth:
Blood and fire and pillars of smoke.
³¹ The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
³² And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be saved.
For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance,
As the Lord has said,
Among the remnant whom the Lord calls.

I.  Outpouring of the Spirit

A.  Seek the Spirit:  It is appropriate for us to continue to ask God to pour out His Spirit.  We desire to see God at work through His Holy Spirit.  God is at work, but there is even more that could be happening.  God responds to the heartfelt, earnest prayer of His people.

B.  The Gifts of the Spirit:  I Corinthians 12:7-11

 But the manifestation of the Spirit is given to each one for the profit of all: ⁸ for to one is given the word of wisdom through the Spirit, to another the word of knowledge through the same Spirit, ⁹ to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healings by the same Spirit, ¹⁰ to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another discerning of spirits, to another different kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues. ¹¹ But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually as He wills.

These gifts are available to all believers.  It is appropriate for us to ask God to pour out His Spirit, with the manifestation of these gifts.  We do need to recognize that we do not have control over these gifts, they are given ‘as He wills’.

C.  The Fruit of the Spirit:  Galatians 5: 22-23

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

All believers have the Spirit to some degree.  The fruit of the Spirit should be developing in all of our lives.  The gifts of the Spirit are given to specific people at specific times, but the fruit of the Spirit is for all believers and for all times.   The fruit of the Spirit in our lives is one of the very best testimonies of the transformational power of God.

II.  Day of the Lord

A.  Signs and Wonders:  The various signs that are described could have already been fulfilled.  The smoke of Mt. St. Helen’s volcano, the eclipse of the sun, the blood moons.  Although each of these things are rooted in natural phenomena, they still could be fulfillment of the prophecy in Joel.    Actually, many generations of Christians have interpreted the signs of their times and concluded that the end is at hand.  Of course, the end has not come yet so earlier generations were wrong, and we might be wrong as well.  What is important is that we be ready when the day comes.

B.  The Day of the Lord: To those who ‘call upon the name of the Lord’  it will be a great day.  Of course, we know that the name of the Lord is Jesus.  “There is no other name under heaven, given among men by which we must be saved.”  Acts 4:12  He alone is ‘the Way, the Truth and the Life, no one comes to the Father except through Him”  John 14:6

Sadly, for those who have rejected the Son, the Day of the Lord will be a terrible day of judgement.  For them it will be a day of darkness and mourning.

III.  Seek Good:  Amos 5:14-15

Seek good and not evil,
That you may live;
So the Lord God of hosts will be with you,
As you have spoken.
¹⁵ Hate evil, love good;
Establish justice in the gate.
It may be that the Lord God of hosts
Will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph.

We recognize that we are saved by grace, through faith.  (See Ephesians 2:8-10)  However, if we are saved, then our lives should be changed.  We should seek to do what is right.  We should work for justice in the land.   What kind of justice?  All kinds. We do not do this in our own strength, but by the power of the Spirit that God has given to us.

May the Spirit of God be poured out in our world, our churches and our lives.

 

These are the sermon notes from 4/8/18.  All Bible quotes are from the New King James Version of the Bible.  Any advertisements that might appear are placed by WordPress.  I have no control over them, nor do I receive any money from them. 

 

Advice for the New Year

2017 is over.  It is a new year.  A new opportunity to do things the right way.  Of course, as Christians, we believe that God forgives the past, gives us wisdom and strength for today, and hope for tomorrow.  We do not need a new year.  Each day is a new day.  Each moment is a fresh start.  Let us learn to do things right.

I.  Live for God:  I Peter 4:1-2

Therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind, for he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin, ² that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh for the lusts of men, but for the will of God.

As we start the new year I want to encourage you to seek to do the will of God in your lives.  This is easy to say, not always so easy to do.  First, we have to know what the will of God is for us.  We can start with the Bible.  We are to learn to apply it to our lives.  Biblical study is a life long pursuit.  We should be growing in our understanding of the scriptures and our ability to apply biblical teaching to our lives.  Of course, knowing what is right is one thing.  Actually doing what is right is an entirely different thing.  God can and will help us in both areas.

There are also many issues in life for which the Bible does not give us direct guidance.  We need to learn to be sensitive to the voice of the Spirit.  If we ask God to guide us, especially in the important decisions of our lives.  He will.   We need to be able to say, and mean, not my will, but thine be done.

II.  Established  5:6-11

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, ⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

⁸ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. ⁹ Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world. ¹⁰ But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you. ¹¹ To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

A.  Humble Yourselves:  First, we need to recognize that we need God’s help.  We cannot be the people that He wants us to be on our own strength.  We are completely dependent on Him.

B.  Cast Your Cares:  It is a wonderful thing to be able to bring our cares and concerns to the God of the universe.  He hears us.  He loves us.  He is able to help us.  If our situation is bad and gets worse, we know that we do not face it on our own, but God is with us.  He will give us the wisdom to know what to do, the strength to do what we should, and the grace to deal with whatever happens.  We can trust Him completely.

C.  Be Vigilant:  Satan would like to destroy us, or at least make us ineffective.  We need to watch our for his traps and snares.  He would like to trip us up and drag us down.  Be careful!  Do not think of yourselves  as beyond temptation.  History has shown us that even great leaders can fall.  God will help us, but we must constantly be on our guard against the various attacks of the enemy.

D.  Be Established:  As we continue our walk with God we can know that we are building on a firm foundation.  Jesus Christ is the Cornerstone of our lives.  We can have a life that is solid and secure as we trust in the rock of our salvation.  The storms of life will not tear us down because our God is able to hold us up.

As we enter the new year let us seek to live for God with all of our heart and all of our strength.  That is the best resolution to make for this year and every year.

 

These are the sermon notes from 12/30/17.  All scripture quotes are from the New King James Version of the Bible.  Any advertisements that might appear are placed by WordPress.  I have no control over them, nor do I receive any money from them. 

Life and Death

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.”  This saying was commonly accepted as true when I was a child.  Sadly, it wasn’t true then, and it isn’t true now.  Sticks and stones may leave physical hurts that last for days but words can damage a person for an entire lifetime.

I.  Life and Death:  Proverbs 18:21

Death and life are in the power of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruit.

A.  Words of Death

Our words may bring death in a variety of ways.  Lying is widely practiced today.  The thought that a ‘little white lie doesn’t  harm anyone’ is common.  Many others will lie to protect themselves from harm or to gain some form of advantage.  Sadly, we cannot simply take people that we do not know at their word.  In fact, there are people whom we do know that we cannot trust to tell the truth.  The world would be a different place if more people spoke the truth in love.

Gossip about other people is another common problem.  Years ago, I struggled with what it meant to gossip.  Can we not share any news about other people?  Then it came to me that we can share good news.  Nobody seems to mind looking good.  If what we are going to share makes a person look bad, then we do not need to say it.

Swearing also has increased in popularity today.  As Christians we should be different from the world around us.  “Do not take the name of the Lord in vain.” is in the top ten. (commandments)  We should be careful to use the name of God in prayer, praise and the proclamation of truth, not in simply venting anger or frustration.

We can also use our words to create strife and discord.  We can stir up all kinds of trouble by provoking discord by our words.  This is not good.  Not in our families, not in our places of work, and certainly not in our churches.  In addition, in our current political climate, we as Christians should recognize that there  are good Christian people in both major political parties.  We believers should demonstrate by our actions how one should conduct themselves in public discourse with people with whom we disagree.

Today bullying is getting a lot more attention, and rightly so.  Again, Christians should be leading the way in how to speak both in public and in private.

B.  Words of Life

Christians should be people who are known to speak the truth.  That does not mean that we have to share every thought that goes through our minds.  We should learn to speak the truth in love.  The right words at the right time in the right manner.  It takes a lifetime of practice.

We should share good news.  We should give words of encouragement and hope.

We should only use the name of God in the right manner.

We should be peacemakers, not causers of strife.  We should seek to bring people together for the common good, not drive people apart.

We should encourage and build up people.

We should speak words of life.

II.  Guard Your Tongue:  Proverbs 21:23

Whoever guards his mouth and tongue
Keeps his soul from troubles.

It is to our benefit to be careful of what we say.  We can get ourselves and others into all kinds of trouble with our mouths.  We should think carefully before we speak.  Actually, we should pray that God will lead us by His Spirit rather than simply speaking from our own hearts.  Of course, if we focus on being filled with, and directed by, the Spirit of God, then our flesh will not get us in as much trouble.

III.  A Beautiful Thing:  Proverbs 25:11

A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold
In settings of silver.

Don’t get hung up on the imagery of mixing gold and silver.  Don’t worry about whether you like apples or not.  The point is that the right words at the right time are a thing of beauty.  We should seek to add to the beauty of the world around us by the words that we share with others.  This does not have to be complex forms of poetry, sometimes very simple words or phrases can be very powerful.  May our words be a power for good.

IV.  Pleasant Words:  Proverbs 16:24

Pleasant words are like a honeycomb,
Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones.

Our words can bring life to those around us.  Our words can have a favorable impact.  Our words can be a beautiful thing.

May God help us to speak in a way that is pleasing to Him and helpful to those around us.

 

These are the sermon notes from 12/10/17.  All scripture quotes are from the New King James Version of the Bible.  Any advertisements that might appear are placed by WordPress.  I have no control over them, nor do I receive any money from them. 

Maturing in Christ

The message today starts with Philemon verses 4-7.

 I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers, ⁵ hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints, ⁶ that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus. ⁷ For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.

I.  Love

Apparently Philemon had a good reputation.  He was known to love Jesus and other believers.  This is very important.  Jesus addressed this practice in Matthew 22:36-40.

 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”

³⁷ Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and great commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

How do we express love for God?  Is it merely words or emotions?  We are told what it means to love God in I John 5:3.

For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

It is not burdensome, because it is not done on our own strength, but by the help of the Holy Spirit.  The more we love God, the closer we will draw to Him, the more the Holy Spirit will direct our lives.  Love God and the rest will come into line.

If we are disciples of Jesus we will love one another.  John 13:34-35 confirms this.

⁴ A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. ³⁵ By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

II.  Faith:  Hebrews 11:6

But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Believing that God exists is the first step.  Believing that what God has spoken in His Word is another big step.   We are not always able to see how things are going to work out for us in this life, but we can continue to trust that God is all that He has revealed in His Word.  II Corinthians 5:7 encourages us.

 For we walk by faith, not by sight.

In this life we may not always understand, but the day is coming when we will know clearly.  Our faith in God enables us to live our the lives that he has called us  to live.  Hebrew 11:1 tells us.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Our faith in God changes the way that we live our lives.  Indeed, our lives are changed by faith.

III.  Effective Sharing

A.  I Peter 3:15

 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear;

We all should be watching for the opportunity to share our faith.  We are all called to speak to others about our faith in Jesus.

B.  Matthew 28:19-20

 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

We do not stop at mere conversion.  Saying the sinner’s prayer is only the beginning of a lifelong commitment to being a disciple of Jesus.

IV.  Every Good Thing

A.  Galatians 5:22-23

 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

As a disciple of Jesus that loves God and loves people our lives are changed.  The fruit of the Spirit should be present and increasing in our life.  We can use this list for occasional self evaluation.  We should ask God to continue to develop this fruit in our lives.

B.  II Peter 1:5-8

But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, ⁶ to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, ⁷ to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. ⁸ For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As we mature in Christ we should see God working both in our lives and through our lives.  Our lives are changed.  People see that change.  We can share the reason for the change.  God can use this process over and over.  We need to love God, love people, mature in the faith and share our faith with those around us.

 

These are the sermon notes from 11/29/17.  All scripture quotes are from the New King James Version of the Bible.  Any advertisements that might appear are placed by WordPress.  I have no control over them, nor do I receive any money from them. 

 

I was Glad

Other than my time in the military, when I was stationed at a place where church attendance was not an option, I have attended church almost every Sunday.  I am pretty sure that I could count on my fingers the times that I have missed.  I have always considered attending church to be worth my time.

I.  I Was Glad:  Psalms 122:1

I was glad when they said to me,
“Let us go into the house of the Lord.”

This verse includes two parts; our attitude and our actions.  We should have a good attitude when we go to church.  When we attend church we will most likely spend time in praise, time in prayer, time with God’s people and time in the Word.  The attitude with which we do each of these things will make a significant difference.  Have a good attitude!  God can use poor music and a stumbling message if our hearts are open.  (Of course, good music and an anointed message is even better!)

It is necessary to actually go.  Some of us have gym memberships that we never use.  We may have good intentions, but it is necessary to follow through.

II.  Exhort One Another!   Hebrews 10:24-25

 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, ²⁵ not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

It is not just about us.

Our attendance at church is good for us, but that is not all there is to it.  We can be an encouragement to each other to “stir up love and good works”.    You may think that your presence goes unnoticed, but each and every person contributes something to the overall experience.  Church is diminished without you.  Like a scarecrow in a field, sometimes just being there is enough.  Of course, for most of us we can contribute more, a friendly smile, a warm greeting, listening to someone’s story, there is much that we can contribute if we are open to being led by, and used by, God.

III.  Give Thanks:  I Thessalonians 5:18

in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

There are two basic categories for the experiences that we will have in life.  They are either good or bad, with all kinds of variations and levels.  It is easy to thank God for the good things, they are, after all, good.  Yet we can thank God for the things that are bad as well.  We are promised in Romans 8:28 that “ ^…all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. ”  We don’t always understand, and some things are very painful in the moment, but God can ultimately use all things for good.  Furthermore, we can be thankful that God has promised to be with us always.  We do not face difficult times alone.  God is with us.  We can be very thankful for that assurance. 

It is God’s will that we give thanks.  Sometimes things happen that are not according to the will of God.  Both angels and humans have free will and they can do things contrary to the will of God.  Now, God is able to ultimately orchestrate all things for our good and for His glory.  There is a difference between the will of God and the plan of God.  God is all knowing and can weave things together in a way that we cannot understand with our human faculties, but we can trust Him and give Him thanks.

 

These are the sermon notes from 11/19/17.  All quotes are from the New King James Version of the Bible.  Any advertisements that might appear are placed by WordPress.  I have no control over them, nor do I receive any money from them. 

This Into That

When I first began this message it seemed to focus on joy and gladness which seemed an odd message to accompany a presentation about rescuing girls from sex trafficking.  Then I realized that it was about the transformation that takes place when a person comes out of the darkness and into the light.

I.  Weeping into Joy:  Psalms 30:5b

Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning.

As believers in Christ we are not promised a life without sorrow.  There will be times when weeping is appropriate.  The good news for us is that those times will come to an end.  Some nights are long.  I cannot imagine what these girls have endured.  What I do know is that God has something better for them.  I do not know what your sorrows have been.  I do know that God can bring comfort, peace and joy.

II.  The Path of Life:  Psalms 16:11

You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

When these girls are rescued from the brothels they need to be taught a new way of life.  For many of us, when we have left our old lives behind, we need to learn how to live as the children of God.

It is a new life.

The greatest joy that we can experience is the joy of being in the presence of God.  The things of this earth may fade, but the joy that comes from the presence of the Lord never loses it’s luster.

III.  Peace:  Psalms 4:6-8

There are many who say,
“Who will show us any good?”
Lord, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.
⁷ You have put gladness in my heart,
More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.
⁸ I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

Some may have given up in despair of this life.  God is able to show us a new way.  If we will live our lives for Him, He will bless us with peace, joy and gladness.  These qualities do not arise from the things of this world, but from the Spirit, hence they are not dependent on external factors but rather on our internal relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

IV.  A New Life:  Psalms 5:11-12

But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
¹² For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.

For those who chose to place their faith in God, God will watch over them.  The new life that we have will be a life that is watched over by God.  We can have confidence in the Lord of lords and the King of kings.

V.  Mourning into Dancing:  Psalms 30:11-12

You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,
¹² To the end that my glory may sing praise to You and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to You forever.

For those who have come out of the darkness into the light these verses are particularly powerful.  This does not mean that we should seek to fall far so that we can fly high.  It is a powerful testimony of the power of God for a person to walk with God throughout their life. We do not wish for any to fall away from God so that they can experience a greater sense of redemption.  Rather, we are to thank God for His mercy and grace in watching over us and sparing us from the ravages of sin.

Either way it is appropriate for us to sing praise to God and give Him thanks.

He has turned our mourning into dancing.

He has turned hopeless into hopeful.

He has turned death into life.

May He be praised forever and ever.

 

These are the sermon notes from 10/22/17.  All quotes are from the New King James Version of the Bible.  Any advertisements that might appear are placed by WordPress.  I have no control over them, nor do I receive any money from them. 

My Redeemer Lives

In my devotions this past week I was reading in Job and was impressed with this particular portion of scripture.  It seems as though it could be three messages, but it is only one portion of scripture so I will make it the three points of one message.

Job 19:23-29

“Oh, that my words were written!
Oh, that they were inscribed in a book!
²⁴ That they were engraved on a rock
With an iron pen and lead, forever!
²⁵ For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
²⁶ And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
²⁷ Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!
²⁸ If you should say, ‘How shall we persecute him?’—
Since the root of the matter is found in me,
²⁹ Be afraid of the sword for yourselves;
For wrath brings the punishment of the sword,
That you may know there is a judgment.”

I.  The Word (vv23-24)

Each time that I read this passage I am reminded that these words have been inscribed in a book.   They are now, and have been for a long time, recognized as a part of God’s Word.    The words of Isaiah 40:8 come to mind  “The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.”

At North Central University, where I went to school there is a large granite stone with verse 24 engraved on it sitting outside of the chapel.    It is a powerful visual reminder f the truth and permanency of God’s Word.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:18 “ For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”

The Word of God is powerful and permanent.

II.  My Redeemer (vv25-27)

It is believed that Job lived in the time of the patriarchs, about 1800 BC.  When we read these verses in Job we know that he is talking about Jesus who would not appear on the earth for a long time.  Not only is Jesus our redeemer, but he is the full expression of God.  John 1:1 and 14 says ” In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. … And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.”    Jesus revealed to us the nature of God.

Romans 5:1 “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ”

We recognize that it is only through faith in Jesus, who died for us, that we can be saved.  He is our one and only redeemer. There is other.  There is no other way.   John 14:6 “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”

III.  Judgement (vv28-29)

There will come a day of judgement for all on the earth.  That will be a great day of reward and a terrible day of punishment depending on your relationship with God.

Revelations 20:11-15

Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. ¹⁴ Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. ¹⁵ And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

All have sinned.  Those who have placed their faith in Jesus will be forgiven.

Romans 6:23

 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Those who have rejected Christ will be cast into the lake of fire.  Those who have placed their faith in Jesus will give an account of their lives.

I Corinthians 5:910

Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him. ¹⁰ For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

What have we done with the new life and the new opportunity that God has given us?

In this short passage in Job we see the comfort of the solid foundation that the Word of God gives us, the hope that we have in our redeemer Jesus Christ and the reality of the coming judgement.  It is a brief but powerful reminder of the hope that is within us.

 

These are the sermon notes from 10/15/17.  All quotes are from the New King James Version of the Bible.  Any advertisements that might appear are placed by WordPress.  I have no control over them, nor do I receive any money from them. 

A Big Project

Sometimes we have a big project to undertake.  We should research, prepare, plan and recruit workers with the necessary skills.  Nehemiah desired to see the wall rebuilt around Jerusalem.  The Jewish people had been allowed to return to rebuild, but progress had stalled.  Nehemiah traveled to Jerusalem to encourage the workers.

I.  A Mind to Work:  Nehemiah 4:6

 So we built the wall, and the entire wall was joined together up to half its height, for the people had a mind to work.

Initially, the project went well.  The people had been motivated to work and they contributed enthusiastically and good progress was made initially.

So often we start a new project with a fast start.  It is new, exciting, even fun, in the beginning.

This is true with the Christian life as well.  People who are new converts  are excited.  They attend church regularly.  They read their Bibles.  They see God at work all around them.

A good start is important.

II.  Failing Strength:  Nehemiah 4:10

Then Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is failing, and there is so much rubbish that we are not able to build the wall.”

After the newness wears off, the test of our wills begins in earnest.  It is hard work to build a wall.  There is a lot of physical labor.  Sometimes it can be overwhelming.

This is true in many other projects as well.  We become tired.  The obstacles seem to be larger and more numerous.  We may be tempted to stop.

In our Christian lives as well, there are times when we grow weary.  We are faced with the tests and trials of life and we can become discouraged.

III.  Frightened by Opposition:  Nehemiah 6:9

For they all were trying to make us afraid, saying, “Their hands will be weakened in the work, and it will not be done.”

Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands.

There were people around Jerusalem who did not want to see the walls rebuilt.  They threatened Nehemiah and made plans to attack.

Nehemiah responded by asking God for help and by taking appropriate action.

Sometimes people will actively try to stop us from doing the work of God.  We  should take this threats seriously, pray for guidance and strength, and take appropriate action.

The devil would love to destroy our relationship with God. He will try many different tactics to end our relationship with God and to render us ineffective.  We should watch out for his tricks and trust that God will guide and protect us.

IV.  Finished:  Nehemiah 6:15-16

So the wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of Elul, in fifty-two days. ¹⁶ And it happened, when all our enemies heard of it, and all the nations around us saw these things, that they were very disheartened in their own eyes; for they perceived that this work was done by our God.

Nehemiah was able to complete the project despite the obstacles.  God helped him.  The success was not due to Nehemiah, but to God who worked through him.

It is a wonderful feeling to accomplish major projects.  We should always give God the glory for enabling us to complete the work He has set before us.

God continues his work in us.  (Philippians 1:6)  As long as we are on this earth, there is work to be done in us and through us.  To God be the glory!

V.  Our Strength:  Nehemiah 8:8-12

 

So they read distinctly from the book, in the Law of God; and they gave the sense, and helped them to understand the reading.

⁹ And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law.

¹⁰ Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”

¹¹ So the Levites quieted all the people, saying, “Be still, for the day is holy; do not be grieved.” ¹² And all the people went their way to eat and drink, to send portions and rejoice greatly, because they understood the words that were declared to them.

As a part of their celebration of the completion of the wall, the Word of God was read to the people.  As they heard the words of the law, they realized just how far they had fallen from where God had called them to live.  They knew that they were not living according to the law and they were sorrowful.

The leaders encouraged them.  The day was meant to be a day of celebration.  They were  not supposed to look at how far they still had to go, but to rejoice in how far they had come.

God loves us.  He is working in us.  We are becoming more like Him.  The process will continue throughout our lives.  We can rejoice that we are saved ‘by grace, through faith’.  (Ephesians 2:8)

It is the joy of the Lord that is our strength.  We find that joy primarily by spending time in the presence of God.  (Psalms 16:11) We also develop joy in our lives as a product of the Holy Spirit that dwells in us.  (Galatians 5:22-23)

The life of a Christian should not be filled with anger and sorrow, but rather with the love and joy and peace that comes from God Himself.  That is our source of strength with which we will finish the projects that God gives to us, most importantly the project of a lifetime of serving God.

 

These are the sermon notes from 10/1/17.  All scripture quotes are from the New King James Version of the Bible.  Any advertisements that might appear are placed by WordPress.  I have no control over them, nor do I receive any money from them.