An Introduction to The Person and Work of Christ

Temple Baptist Church - 11-30-2022

John 5:17-29

 

A.  In our context, we find the religionists questioning the Lord Jesus Christ concerning one of His miracles.  He came to the Pool of Bethesda and healed an impotent man who was lame and could not walk.

 

B.  Because of the human impossibility of this man’s situation, he remained in the same impotent state while living in the public’s eye for 38 years.

 

C.  That a miracle had been performed could not be questioned.  This lame man was walking and publicly talking of his healing.  Not able to perform such a miracle themselves, the accusers of Christ did what most would do.  They found fault!  Not with the man who was healed, but with the One who healed him.

 

D.  Verse 16.  The first thing that the world tried to do was to persecute and or kill the Son of God!

 

E.  Verse 17.  “But Jesus answered them.”  Our Lord neither knew nor showed fear as he addresses these religious zealots.  The Lord took this opportunity to introduce Himself and the work that He came to accomplish.  His work was a spiritual healing, not just a physical one.

 

F.  The Lord could have destroyed those for whom He would die but did not.  The Lord could have been just to scold those who did not know Him, but He did not.  He would have been just in both cases.

 

G.  The Lord chose this opportunity to introduce Himself to them.  In His discourse, H told them who He was and told them what He was about.  In doing so, the Lord told them of 3 appointments that were essential to life eternal that was to follow.

 

H.  Our Lord explained three appointments.  Two that they would not escape and one that would make the other two an eternal joy:

 

1.  The Appointment of Salvation.  Verses 24-25.

 

a.  The Unhearing Ear.  But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?  (These hear but they do not listen!)

 

Ezekiel 12:2  Son of man, thou dwellest in the midst of a rebellious house, which have eyes to see, and see not; they have ears to hear, and hear not: for they are a rebellious house.

 

Zechariah 7:11  But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.

 

Acts 7:57  Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

 

b.  The Hearing Ear.  Romans 10:17  So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

 

Matthew 11:15  He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

 

2 Corinthians 6:2  (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

 

John 6:44  No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

 

2.  The Appointment of Death.  Verse 28.  “All that are in the graves”

 

Job 7:1  Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?

 

Job 14:5  Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass;

 

Job 30:23  For I know that thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living.

 

Ecclesiastes 3:1-2  To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:  (2)  A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

 

Hebrews 9:27  And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

 

3.  The Appointment of Judgment.  Verse 28-29.  “All … hear His voice … come forth”

 

(Here we find one of the “gaps” found in the Bible.  These two resurrections are 1000 years apart.  The Judgment of the Just [those who have done good – heard the gospel and accepted it] will take place at the Rapture of the Church just prior to the Tribulation Period also called Jacob’s Trouble.  The Judgment of the Unjust [those who have rejected] will take place in Revelation 20:11-15 at the end of the 1000 year Millennial Reign of Christ.)

 

a.  The Judgment of the Just – The Judgment Seat of Christ. 

 

2 Corinthians 5:10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

 

1 Corinthians 3:10-11  According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.  (11)  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

 

b.  The Judgment of the Unjust – The Great White Throne Judgment. 

 

Romans 2:4-6  Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?  (5)  But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;  (6)  Who will render to every man according to his deeds:

 

Revelation 20:11-15  And I saw a great white throne, and him that 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, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.  (13)  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.  (14)  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.  (15)  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

How Excellent Is Thy Name

 Temple Baptist Church - 11-27-2022

Psalm 8:1-9

 

Introduction:

 

A. This is another of the Davidic Psalms.  David was a great king in Israel but also a man after God’s own heart.  David was a man of great worship!

 

B.  From his youth, David had a wonderful relationship with his LORD.  The 23^rd Psalm, which we will look at later, is a short story of the life of this great man of God. 

 

C.  From “The Lord is my shepherd” to “surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever”, we find the LORD’s guidance, provision, and protection.

 

D.  In his worship, Psalm 8 shows his personal perception of the LORD.  It is the spiritual perception of the true worshipper of God. 

 

E.  The Psalm begins and ends with the same wording: “O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!”  Within these two statements we find a proper biblical perspective of the LORD.

 

1.  Verse 1.  The Glory of God.  Here we find God’s glory placed above the works of His hands.  How glorious are the heavens?  A few statistics that we get from the geniuses.  They are glorious in both their:

 

a.  Magnitude; the enormity of the heavens.  Unfathomable to the human mind but spanned by His hand.  According to some astronomers (so you can take it or leave it), our galaxy, the Milky Way Galaxy, probably contains 100 to 400 billion stars, and is about 100,000 light-years across. That the observable Universe is 150 billion light-years in diameter and, humanly speaking, limitless beyond with at least 5,500 galaxies.

 

b.  It would take 450 million years for our modern spacecraft to just reach the center of the Milky Way.

 

c.  There are more stars in the universe than there are grains of sand on all the beaches on earth.  (I am sure that they took the time to count both and compare?)  God compared these two long before the first telescope was invented.

 

Genesis 22:17  That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;

 

b.  God’s glory exceeds the glory above that of the heavens!

 

2.  Verse 2.  The Gentleness of God.  The Bible speaks of us as “babes and sucklings”.

 

Psalms 103:13-14  Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.  (14)  For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

 

3.  Verse 3.  The Great Power of God.  “And God said” says it all.  God spoke and it was done and done perfectly.  He has never had to correct His creation.  The omniscience and omnipotence of God!

 

Psalms 19:1-3  The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.  (2)  Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.  (3)  There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.

 

4.  Verse 4.  The Grace of God.  That God should love a sinner such as I, how wonderful is love like this!

 

Job 7:17  What is man, that thou shouldest magnify him? and that thou shouldest set thine heart upon him?

 

5.  Verse 5.  The Gift of God.  This verse is Messianic in its prophecy and speaks of the coming of Israel’s Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Philippians 2:9-11  Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name:  (10)  That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;  (11)  And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

 

6.  Verses 6-8.  The Governing of God.  God owns it, God guides it, God sustains it.  The heavens and the earth and all things within belong to Him.

 

Colossians 1:15-17  Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature:  (16)  For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him:  (17)  And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.

 

7.  Verse 9.  The Great Name of God

 

a. Our powerful God. " O' Lord"

b. Our personal God. "Our, Lord"

c. Our praise to God. " Excellent is thy name"

Three Sevens in the Christian Life - Part 3 - Seven Results of Lack of Spiritual Growth

Temple Baptist Church - 11-27-2022

2 Peter 1:8-15

 

Introduction: 

 

A.  We saw:

 

1.  Seven things that God left the Saints.  The Lord has given to us all things pertaining to both life and godliness.  Verse 3.

 

2. Seven things that we need to Add to our Faith.  These are spiritual building blocks that lead to spiritual maturity.

 

3.  This morning, I want to look at the 3^rd set of sevens: Seven Results of Lack of Spiritual Growth.

 

B.  Spiritual growth is both a responsibility and a blessing.

 

1.  Verse 8.  The blessing.  If we add these things that God gives us the ability to all, we will abound in Christ.

 

2.  Verse 9.  The lack of blessing.  If we fail to add these things, we are blind to spiritual things and the rewards that go along with spiritual growth.  Therefore, we live in the days of 2 Timothy 3 where the professing “believers” have:

 

(a)  Verse 13.  Complacency where they are comfortable and having no desire for change.

 

2 Timothy 3:5-9  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.  (6)  For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts,  (7)  Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.  (8)  Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith.  (9)  But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.

 

(b)  Verse 15.  Instability where they cannot seem to become faithful or useful.

 

Proverbs 20:6  Most men will proclaim every one his own goodness: but a faithful man who can find?

 

C.  The Results of Lack of Spiritual Growth:

 

1.  A Lack of Spiritual Growth Produces Barrenness.  Verse 8.  “barren”  John 15:1-2  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.  (2)  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

 

God wants us to produce spiritual fruit.  John 15:5  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.  (God wants us to be productive.)

 

2.  A Lack of Spiritual Growth Produces Ignorance.  Verse 8.  “unfruitful of the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ”  2 Timothy 3:7  Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

 

1 Timothy 2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.  (God wants us to grow in knowledge.)

 

2 Timothy 2:15  Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

 

Hebrews 6:1  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,

 

3.  A Lack of Spiritual Growth Produces Blindness.  Verse 9.  “blind”  Revelation 3:17  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:

 

2 Corinthians 4:17-18  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;  (18)  While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.  (God wants us to see afar off.  Short sightedness vs. Long sightedness.)

 

4.  A Lack of Spiritual Growth Produces Fearfulness.  Verse 9.  “and cannot see afar off”  Psalms 53:5a  There were they in great fear, where no fear was:

 

1 John 4:18  There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.  (God wants us to rest in Him.)

 

5.  A Lack of Spiritual Growth Produces Lack of Assurance.  Verse 9.  “hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins”  1 John 5:13  These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

 

2 Timothy 1:12  For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.  (God wants us to know that we are saved and saved forever.)

 

1 John 5:13  These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

 

Isaiah 32:17  And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance for ever.

 

6.  A Lack of Spiritual Growth Produces Spiritual Failure.  Verse 10.  “shall … fall”  2 Peter 3:17-18  Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness.  (18)  But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

 

Ephesians 6:13  Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.  (God wants us to stand.)

 

7.  A Lack of Spiritual Growth Produces Loss of Reward.  Verse 11.  “entrance … abundantly”  Matthew 25:21  His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.

 

2 John 8  Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward.  (God wants us to receive a full reward.)

What Happened to Thanksgiving?

 Temple Baptist Church - 11-23-2022

Psalm 103:1-5

 

Introduction:

 

A.  Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day so I thought it good to one more time reflect upon the goodness of God to His children. 

 

1.  Psalm 103 is one of the more notable Psalms dealing with thanksgiving.  It begins with the blessed blessing God. 

 

Acts 20:35  … remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. 

 

2.  Verse 1 is a reflection upon what the Lord has done for those who know Him and the “blessing” returned to the Creator and Saviour!

 

B.  We live in an ever-changing world. 

 

1.  As Barbara and I were walking into Walmart Monday, the door greeter looked at me and said, “Have a ‘Happy Turkey Day’”!   I was not out of the way with her, but I replied, “Happy Thanksgiving”.  People do not want Thanksgiving Day to a God that they neither know nor are thankful to. 

 

2.  The last time that I thought about it, Thanksgiving Day was next.  On Walmart’s agenda this year the change was evident.  Halloween turned into Christmas!

 

3.  Christmas decorations have been for for weeks at Walmart as they emptied the shelves in the outdoor section and filled it with them.

 

4.  Christmas, the commercial one, was next. Thanksgiving Day is now just a family day with little profit for Walmart.

 

5.  “Black Friday” is set up and ready to go on Thanksgiving Day which will begin in many stores right after Thanksgiving Dinner.  Somewhere, Thanksgiving got lost in the shuffle as stores and people prepare for the normal commercialism of the Christmas Season.

 

6.  I understand that Walmart is a commercial store, not a spiritual one and their main goal is profit generated by the wants of their customers.  So I am not being hard on the Walmart stores because they are just being Walmart.

 

7.  Stores in general will now be saying “Happy Holidays” instead of the traditional “Merry Christmas,” because so many people do not want the worship of the Lord to interfere with their Santa Clause! 

 

8.  Driving around, we see Halloween lights up along with Christmas lights in front of homes along with other decorations.

 

C.  I know that this may seem trivial to many, but Thanksgiving Day, in the traditional sense, had its beginning as a day of thanksgiving to our wonderful Creator for His many blessing upon us.

 

D.  But the world in general no longer wants God!  Well I do and so do you.

 

E.  Across our country there is a spirit of ingratitude. 

 

1.  Today, we hear the word “entitlement” instead of the words “Thank you.”  We are becoming a nation of “free loaders” instead of personal integrity and pride in both our willingness to work and our pride in the work that we do.

 

2.  So many people believe that the government, society, or someone else owes them a living and what they receive is never enough.  Their only concern is for self!  Socialism has replaced work.  Greed has replaced contentment.  Atheism has replaced God.

 

3.  This general attitude breeds a lack of thankfulness. 

 

Romans 1:21  Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

 

2 Timothy 3:1-5  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.  (2)  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,  (3)  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,  (4)  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;  (5)  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

 

F.  As we approach everyday (not just Thanksgiving Day), as the children of God, let each of us remember to give thanks to the One who has given us all things pertaining to life and godliness.  The Bible says much about thanksgiving:

    

Ephesians 5:20  Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; 

 

1 Thessalonians 5:18  In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.  

 

Philippians 4:6  Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

 

Psalms 100:4  Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

Psalms 95:1-3  O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to           the rock of our salvation.  Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.  For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.

 

Hebrews 13:15  By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.

 

G.  We need to thank God publicly.  We are here to do so this tonight.  Psalms 35:18  I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.

 

H.   But, more importantly, we need to thank god privately.  Our personal devotion is who and what we are!  Psalms 119:62  At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.

 

J.  David is the author of the Psalm through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost as all Scripture is given by inspiration of God. 

 

1.  Holy men of old spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.  David’s life was characterized by ups and downs.  His life was full to good times and bad times. 

 

2.  David’s life was noted for its successes and failures but also for his worship in thankfulness.

 

K.  Here, we find the “blessed” blessing the One who blesses!  Through all of the trials and tribulations that David experienced in his life, he knew that he was blessed and thanked the Lord for it.  Several things stick out to me in the first two verses.

 

1.  The Resolve of Thanksgiving.  “Bless the LORD” is a command given to self.  Gratitude is not a natural thing in the flesh. 

 

a.  Sometimes we take the blessings of the LORD for granted. 

 

b.  Sometimes we believe that we deserve the blessings of the LORD. 

 

c.  Sometimes we credit fate or luck for the things that the LORD has provided for us.

 

2.  The Desire of Thanksgiving.  “O my soul” 

 

a.  When in the hard times of life, it is easy to fail to see the good things of life because we are shrouded with the evil things.  All of us have had or are having hard times and, though it is in the valleys that we grow, it is easy allow our disappointments, discouragements, etc. to take our eyes off of the LORD. 

 

b.  God was good to David in his youth.  David spent his youth in obscurity watching over his father’s sheep. 

 

b.  God was good to David in his manhood.  In his young manhood, he was anointed King of Israel but never got to sit on a throne.  In the meantime, he spent most of his time hiding from King Saul.  His life was one of battles and, yet, he knew that he was blessed of God. 

 

c.  God was good to David in his failures as well as his victories.

 

3.  The Depth of Thanksgiving.  “all that is within me” 

 

a.  What a blessing it is to praise the LORD with all our hearts for His goodness and mercy.  So many times we say thanks without actually being thankful.  A good example of this is blessing our food.  We go through the right ritual and say the right words but often pay little attention to the wonderful food that God has provided for us while multitudes are starving. 

 

b.  We mention being blessed of God but move through life in a thankless manner without taking time to look around and “smell the roses.”  In the midst of problems, we have so much to be thankful for.

 

4.  The Reminder of Thanksgiving.  “bless his holy name” 

 

a.  Our thanksgiving is to the Giver of life.  The Bible says that He has given us everything pertaining to life and godliness.  He is our Creator who loves us and thinks upon us. 

 

b.  We live in the greatest nation on earth; we eat more than we need; we share the comforts of good homes, the conveniences of transportation, and the ease of royalty.  I love to hear the song “God bless America!”

 

5.  The Possibility of Thanksgiving.  “forget not all his benefits” 

 

a.  Being saved is so much more than just going to heaven.  It is a blessing filled life here on earth and then heaven.  It is easy in this rat-race world to get caught up in the busyness of things and not taking time to simply say, “Thank you, LORD, for your blessings upon one as underserving as me.” 

 

b.  We have good health in the midst of so much sickness and suffering around us.

 

c.  We have our church family!  What a blessing and privilege it is to come and just see our brothers and sisters in Christ.  To come out of the world for a few minutes and experience the peace that only God can give.

 

d.  We have the Holy Spirit living within; we have the Word of God in our hand; we have the church when we are down and out.  We are blessed!  Let us bless the LORD for He has certainly blessed us.