Temple Baptist Church - 11-11-2009
Galatians 5:16-21
Introduction:
A. The Apostle Paul (through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost) now brings this matter of Law vs. Liberty to a conclusion.
1. The “Letter of the Law” brings forth death, not life. We that are saved are still sinful and our flesh has not yet been redeemed.
2. The “Looseness of Liberty” also destroys! Liberty is never liberty to sin so our fleshly desires must be controlled by our walk in the Spirit.
3. The “Love of Longsuffering” brings unity. If we cannot set aside these differences (I am not speaking of issues of doctrine but of personal liberty), then we cannot get done the work that God has left us here to do.
B. The war of the child of God with his flesh will continue until we are delivered from “the body of this death” through either the grave or the rapture of the church.
1. Paul does not say that there will be an eradication of the flesh in this life. The flesh is still sinful and the heart of man “deceitful” and “desperately wicked.”
2. Paul does not say that there will not be lust in our flesh. James said that we are “drawn away of our own lust and enticed.” There will be enticement to commit sin!
C. The Holy Ghost says that we are not to “fulfill” the lusts of the flesh! To give in to the flesh!
1. We are not to Buckle into its Persuasion. The desires of the flesh are persuasive.
2. We are not to Bow to its Persistence. The desires of the flesh are perpetual.
2. We are not to be Brought under its Power. The desires of the flesh are powerful.
D. In these verses:
1. We find the War with the Flesh – vs. 17 – “contrary”
2. We find the Works of the Flesh – vs. 19-21 – “works of the flesh”
3. We find the Warning concerning the Flesh – vs. 21b - “shall not inherit”
E. Notice with me the promise of walking in the Spirit. “And ye shall not!” Yes, the possibility of sinfulness is still there. Yes, the pull of sinfulness is still there. But, the power of sinfulness is broken! How: through our walk in the Spirit.
1. Walking In The Spirit Involves Consciousness Of God – Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
a. Consciousness of God is not based upon Emotions. I do not necessarily feel God in me or with me. Emotions can leave one fearful and drained because we cannot see God’s presence.
b. Consciousness of God is not based upon Circumstances. There are times when I do not think that things are right nor do I like where I am in life. Circumstances can leave one confused and discouraged because we cannot see God working in the background.
c. Consciousness of God relies completely upon His Promises. He said that He would be there with me and for me. Never doubt in the dark what God said in the light!
d. Walking in the Spirit involves knowing that He is with me; He sees me; He protects me; and He cares for me. All of the time!
2. Walking In The Spirit Involves Consecration For God - Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
a. Consecration for God is Realization that I belong to God. We have been bought and paid for by the blood of Christ. We are not our own but we are His.
b. Consecration for God is Presentation of my body to God. Separation is simply giving to God what He has already paid for: our lives! We owe all that we have or ever will have to Him.
c. Consecration for God is Glorification of God – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
d. Consecration is dying to self and living for the glory of God - Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
3. Walking In The Spirit Involves Compliance To God - 1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
a. Compliance to the Holy Spirit’s Direction - John 16:13 Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
b. Compliance to the Holy Scripture’s Doctrine - John 8:31-32 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
Conclusion: Walk in the Spirit and deny the flesh. Walk in the flesh and deny the Spirit. Our Lord said that we are either for Him or against Him with no room for middle ground.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Not For Sale
Temple Baptist Church - 11-08-2009
Mark 8:34-38
Introduction:
A. Many people today are so sin hardened that they will not come to Christ and be saved. You cannot get them to come to church like you once could. They are too occupied with self, busy with work, or too religious to be reached.
B. Many people are leaving good churches today.
1. Many of these are Lost – tares among the wheat; they are the “ground” that was not good and therefore fruitless. 2 Timothy 3-4, 2 Thessalonians 2
2. Many of these are Laodicean – cold or indifferent to the things of God. Revelation 3
3. Many of these are Lustful – they give in to the desires of the flesh and the love of the world. 1 John 2
C. Many just plainly “sell out” for one price or another. There is an old saying, “Everybody has his price!” Unfortunately, most of the time, this saying is true. Even people of seemingly great integrity often sell out when the price is right.
D. My question this morning is: Do you have a price and, if so, what is your price? What is my price this morning?
E. You and I that are saved have been purchased at a horrendous price: Calvary! We have been bought with a price and are not our own this morning. We belong to the Lord Jesus Christ! We have not right to sell out that which is not ours to sell.
F. It is a terrible thing to sell out for a great price, much less to sell out cheaply. In these verses, our Lord is speaking to his disciples, not the unsaved! Read them again! What will a man; what will you; what will I give in exchange for my soul this morning?
G. I have known preachers who have sold out cheap! They had a good wife, great children, wonderful ministry (pastors, evangelists, missionaries) and gave them all up for nothing! Once they crossed that line, it was over! Things can never be the same again after selling out! What will you give in exchange for your soul this morning?
H. You should make up some “Not For Sale” signs and place them in strategic places. Place one on your computer monitor! Place one on your TV set! Place one on the sun visor of your car! Control what you see and where you go!
I. There are many people in the Bible who sold out cheap.
1. Adam and Eve, who had everything—the Garden of Eden with all of its beauty, wonderful food, perfect climate, not a bead of sweat, sweet fellowship with the Creator—traded it all for one solitary piece of fruit!
a) It cost them their lives - Genesis 2:15-17 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (They died spiritually! They died physically!)
b) It cost them their home - Genesis 3:23-24 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
c) It cost them physically: now there is pain and suffering - Genesis 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
d) It cost them their productivity - Genesis 3:17-19 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
e) Now there is sorrow, pain, suffering, disappointment, discouragement, sin, death, and separation! Was it worth it Adam? Was it worth it Eve? I think not! One piece of fruit; they sold out CHEAP! I am sure that the devil could have made a better offer than that! Was it worth it, Adam? Was it worth it, Eve?
2. Esau, Isaac’s firstborn, was the heir apparent! He was to be the reigning patriarch of the family. He was to be the priest of the family. He was to have the double portion! He was to receive the blessing of his father.
Genesis 25:30-34 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. 31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. 32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? 33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.
Hebrews 12:16-17 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. (Esau was a worldly man who traded his birthright for one “morsel of meat!” He regretted it for a lifetime. I am sure Jacob would have made a better offer than “one morsel of meat!” I am sure you could have waited for supper! You sold our cheap. Was it worth it Esau?)
3. Achan, one of God’s chosen people—Israel. He was to inherit his portion of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey. Hard to be that! But, he sold out cheap!
Joshua 7:1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.
Joshua 7:20-21 And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: 21 When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.
Joshua 7:24-26 And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. 26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day. (Achan saw, lusted, and took the “accursed thing.” It cost him his life! It cost him his family! It cost him his possessions! It cost him Canaan! Achan sold out CHEAP! He ended up dead with all of his family. Was it worth it, Achan?)
4. Samson, one of the most noted of all of the Judges of Israel. A man of great strength, anointed of the Holy Spirit.
Judges 16:4-5 And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. 5 And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.
Judges 16:18-21 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand. 19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. 20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him. 21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house. (I am sure that a man like Samson could have had his choice of the most beautiful women in Israel. Samson was a man of strength but not a man of character. Samson sold out CHEAP! He could have been blessed of God! He could have been used of God! He was interested in the lust of his flesh and lost it all for what he could have had in a godly manner. Was it worth your eyes, your position, and your power, Samson?)
5. Gehazi, the servant of Elisha. What a divine privilege to pour water upon the hands of God’s man.
2 Kings 5:23-27 And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him. 24 And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed. 25 But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither. 26 And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants? 27 The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow. (Position, power, prestige, and possibly to take the place of Elisha as Elisha took the place of Elijah! He sold out CHEAP! He died with the leprosy of Naaman! Was it worth it Gehazi!)
6. David, a man after God’s own heart! King of Israel; champion of the common people; the “sweet psalmist” of Israel! The name “David” means beloved! Beloved of both God and man.
2 Samuel 11:2-4 And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. 3 And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? 4 And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.
2 Samuel 12:10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
2 Samuel 12:15 And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. (David sold out CHEAP! Yes, Bathsheba was a beautiful woman but Jerusalem and Israel was full of beautiful women. He could have had his choice. A man of beautiful countenance, mighty in valor, decorated in war, talented in worship, and rich beyond measure. He sold out cheap! It cost him his child, Absalom, the purity of Tamar, his best friend—Ahithophel! Was it worth it, King David?)
7. Judas Iscariot, one of the chosen 12 disciples! What a privilege to be chosen of, called by, and be able to serve out Lord Jesus Christ! But, Judas Iscariot sold out CHEAP!
Matthew 26:23-25 And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. 24 The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. 25 Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.
Matthew 26:15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
Matthew 27:3-5 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. 5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. (Thirty pieces of silver, Judas! Couldn’t you have bargained for more? He sold out CHEAP! He hanged himself, died, and went to hell! Was the thirty pieces of silver worth it, Judas? Was it worth it, Judas?)
8. Ananias and Sapphira, members of the first church! What a blessing to have seen the Lord and the power of the Holy Ghost working in the early church. But, Ananias and Sapphira sold out CHEAP!
Acts 5:1-2 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
Acts 5:4-5 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
Acts 5:7-10 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. 8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. 9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. 10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. (It was theirs! They could have used or spent it as they wished! They chose to lie to God and keep back a part of what was sold. They sold out CHEAP! They lost both their possessions and their lives. They could have had both! Was it worth it, Ananias? Was it worth it, Sapphira?)
9. Demas, a fellow servant and fellow soldier with the great Apostle Paul! Would you not have liked to be associated with that man of God? What a privilege! But, Demas sold out CHEAP!
Acts 5:7-10 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. 8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. 9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. 10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. (There is nothing else said concerning this man who loved the Lord and the Apostle Paul. But, I would imagine that the price was great! Demas sold out CHEAP! Was it worth it, Demas? I think not!)
J. I could go on but I am sure that we all get the point. For a little money; for 5 minutes of pleasure; for an elevated position; for a little bit of fame; we can all sell out the blessings of God in our lives! Now, here is the message! When we sell out CHEAP:
1. We Sell Out Our Wonderful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He gave it all for us as we sell Him as cheaply as Judas sold Him! The most important thing in the world to the Christian is his wonderful Lord! I am his and He is mine! He loves me and I love Him!
2. We Sell Out Our Immaculate Testimony For The Lord. It takes a lifetime to build a godly testimony of salvation and only a moment’s time to bring it crashing down for the duration of our lives. When our testimony becomes tarnished, it is impossible to completely undo the damage done to it. Look at the list of names that I used in the introduction and you will see the remnants of sinfulness continue to tarnish their names thousands of years later. The good that they did forgotten!
3. We Sell Out Our Wife Or Husband. I owe my all to my wife. To betray her trust, love, and shame her before the church is unthinkable! I cannot imagine life without Barbara. To lose her in death would be a terrible thing but I could live with that knowing that she was in Heaven waiting for me. To lose her because of sin would be devastating! Outside of the Lord, the most wonderful thing that you and I have in this world is our family!
4. We Sell Out Our Beloved Children. God gave them to us to love, provide for, protect, and guide in the things of the Lord and life. To sell them out for such a small price in unthinkable. “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord!” God gave them to us to raise for him. “The fruit of the womb is his reward!” When we have children, we are accountable to both God and them. Our children deserve a godly heritage and Christian upbringing. They did not ask to be here, we brought them here and now they need to be saved, guided in a godly manner, and to sell them out is a travesty!
5. We Sell Out Our Church. How the church needs faithful, God loving people in these last perilous times. We sell out cheap and bring shame and reproach on the body of believers collectively! I owe you more than that! You owe me more than that! I love this church and I love you. So many men and women have sold out the church for things that were short lived and lived to regret it. Thank God for the ones who get right and get back but the majority never do that.
6. We Sell Out Our Friends. One of the most important things that we have in this life are true friends that stick closer than blood kin in some instances. A man should lay down his life for his friends and yet, sometimes, believers sell them out cheap. Our neighbors respect us for what we stand for. One of my neighbors was having problems with his children and their friends who partied while he was gone. He put a stop to it because of us. God forbid that we live worse than the heathen!
7. We Sell Out Our Ministry. Yes, we all have a ministry, We are to “faint not” in the work of the Lord. Pastors, evangelists, missionaries, deacons, soul winners, exhorters, givers, and the list goes on. You and I have a ministry. God help us not to sell it out. There is work to do and to sell out our usefulness for the Lord and good of souls is criminal! Our ranks are becoming depleted and there are gaps upon the walls! Fewer young people selling out to serve the Lord and more older people leaving the ministry!
8. We Sell Out Our Good Name. A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches! My mom and dad gave me my name. It is a good name. When I go home to Kentucky, I do not have to bow my head in shame because of the Johnston’s who live there. Barbara Lynn Simons Johnston got her name from her mom and dad. It is a good name. She does not have to be ashamed of Bill and Nadine Simons! She does not have to be ashamed of her family. To sell out CHEAP is to sell out our good names.
Conclusion: What is your price this today? What is it that you are interested in that will bring down all of these things? You and I had better be careful! Better men than I; better men than you; better women than you have gone down the road to shame and destruction because of a little money; for 5 minutes of pleasure; for an elevated position; or a little bit of fame! “What will a man give in exchange for his soul?”
Mark 8:34-38
Introduction:
A. Many people today are so sin hardened that they will not come to Christ and be saved. You cannot get them to come to church like you once could. They are too occupied with self, busy with work, or too religious to be reached.
B. Many people are leaving good churches today.
1. Many of these are Lost – tares among the wheat; they are the “ground” that was not good and therefore fruitless. 2 Timothy 3-4, 2 Thessalonians 2
2. Many of these are Laodicean – cold or indifferent to the things of God. Revelation 3
3. Many of these are Lustful – they give in to the desires of the flesh and the love of the world. 1 John 2
C. Many just plainly “sell out” for one price or another. There is an old saying, “Everybody has his price!” Unfortunately, most of the time, this saying is true. Even people of seemingly great integrity often sell out when the price is right.
D. My question this morning is: Do you have a price and, if so, what is your price? What is my price this morning?
E. You and I that are saved have been purchased at a horrendous price: Calvary! We have been bought with a price and are not our own this morning. We belong to the Lord Jesus Christ! We have not right to sell out that which is not ours to sell.
F. It is a terrible thing to sell out for a great price, much less to sell out cheaply. In these verses, our Lord is speaking to his disciples, not the unsaved! Read them again! What will a man; what will you; what will I give in exchange for my soul this morning?
G. I have known preachers who have sold out cheap! They had a good wife, great children, wonderful ministry (pastors, evangelists, missionaries) and gave them all up for nothing! Once they crossed that line, it was over! Things can never be the same again after selling out! What will you give in exchange for your soul this morning?
H. You should make up some “Not For Sale” signs and place them in strategic places. Place one on your computer monitor! Place one on your TV set! Place one on the sun visor of your car! Control what you see and where you go!
I. There are many people in the Bible who sold out cheap.
1. Adam and Eve, who had everything—the Garden of Eden with all of its beauty, wonderful food, perfect climate, not a bead of sweat, sweet fellowship with the Creator—traded it all for one solitary piece of fruit!
a) It cost them their lives - Genesis 2:15-17 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: 17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. (They died spiritually! They died physically!)
b) It cost them their home - Genesis 3:23-24 Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken. 24 So he drove out the man; and he placed at the east of the garden of Eden Cherubims, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way of the tree of life.
c) It cost them physically: now there is pain and suffering - Genesis 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
d) It cost them their productivity - Genesis 3:17-19 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life; 18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field; 19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.
e) Now there is sorrow, pain, suffering, disappointment, discouragement, sin, death, and separation! Was it worth it Adam? Was it worth it Eve? I think not! One piece of fruit; they sold out CHEAP! I am sure that the devil could have made a better offer than that! Was it worth it, Adam? Was it worth it, Eve?
2. Esau, Isaac’s firstborn, was the heir apparent! He was to be the reigning patriarch of the family. He was to be the priest of the family. He was to have the double portion! He was to receive the blessing of his father.
Genesis 25:30-34 And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom. 31 And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright. 32 And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me? 33 And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob. 34 Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright.
Hebrews 12:16-17 Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright. 17 For ye know how that afterward, when he would have inherited the blessing, he was rejected: for he found no place of repentance, though he sought it carefully with tears. (Esau was a worldly man who traded his birthright for one “morsel of meat!” He regretted it for a lifetime. I am sure Jacob would have made a better offer than “one morsel of meat!” I am sure you could have waited for supper! You sold our cheap. Was it worth it Esau?)
3. Achan, one of God’s chosen people—Israel. He was to inherit his portion of Canaan, a land flowing with milk and honey. Hard to be that! But, he sold out cheap!
Joshua 7:1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.
Joshua 7:20-21 And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done: 21 When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.
Joshua 7:24-26 And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor. 25 And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day. And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones. 26 And they raised over him a great heap of stones unto this day. So the LORD turned from the fierceness of his anger. Wherefore the name of that place was called, The valley of Achor, unto this day. (Achan saw, lusted, and took the “accursed thing.” It cost him his life! It cost him his family! It cost him his possessions! It cost him Canaan! Achan sold out CHEAP! He ended up dead with all of his family. Was it worth it, Achan?)
4. Samson, one of the most noted of all of the Judges of Israel. A man of great strength, anointed of the Holy Spirit.
Judges 16:4-5 And it came to pass afterward, that he loved a woman in the valley of Sorek, whose name was Delilah. 5 And the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and said unto her, Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth, and by what means we may prevail against him, that we may bind him to afflict him: and we will give thee every one of us eleven hundred pieces of silver.
Judges 16:18-21 And when Delilah saw that he had told her all his heart, she sent and called for the lords of the Philistines, saying, Come up this once, for he hath shewed me all his heart. Then the lords of the Philistines came up unto her, and brought money in their hand. 19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. 20 And she said, The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. And he awoke out of his sleep, and said, I will go out as at other times before, and shake myself. And he wist not that the LORD was departed from him. 21 But the Philistines took him, and put out his eyes, and brought him down to Gaza, and bound him with fetters of brass; and he did grind in the prison house. (I am sure that a man like Samson could have had his choice of the most beautiful women in Israel. Samson was a man of strength but not a man of character. Samson sold out CHEAP! He could have been blessed of God! He could have been used of God! He was interested in the lust of his flesh and lost it all for what he could have had in a godly manner. Was it worth your eyes, your position, and your power, Samson?)
5. Gehazi, the servant of Elisha. What a divine privilege to pour water upon the hands of God’s man.
2 Kings 5:23-27 And Naaman said, Be content, take two talents. And he urged him, and bound two talents of silver in two bags, with two changes of garments, and laid them upon two of his servants; and they bare them before him. 24 And when he came to the tower, he took them from their hand, and bestowed them in the house: and he let the men go, and they departed. 25 But he went in, and stood before his master. And Elisha said unto him, Whence comest thou, Gehazi? And he said, Thy servant went no whither. 26 And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants? 27 The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed for ever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow. (Position, power, prestige, and possibly to take the place of Elisha as Elisha took the place of Elijah! He sold out CHEAP! He died with the leprosy of Naaman! Was it worth it Gehazi!)
6. David, a man after God’s own heart! King of Israel; champion of the common people; the “sweet psalmist” of Israel! The name “David” means beloved! Beloved of both God and man.
2 Samuel 11:2-4 And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. 3 And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? 4 And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.
2 Samuel 12:10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
2 Samuel 12:15 And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. (David sold out CHEAP! Yes, Bathsheba was a beautiful woman but Jerusalem and Israel was full of beautiful women. He could have had his choice. A man of beautiful countenance, mighty in valor, decorated in war, talented in worship, and rich beyond measure. He sold out cheap! It cost him his child, Absalom, the purity of Tamar, his best friend—Ahithophel! Was it worth it, King David?)
7. Judas Iscariot, one of the chosen 12 disciples! What a privilege to be chosen of, called by, and be able to serve out Lord Jesus Christ! But, Judas Iscariot sold out CHEAP!
Matthew 26:23-25 And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me. 24 The Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born. 25 Then Judas, which betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said unto him, Thou hast said.
Matthew 26:15 And said unto them, What will ye give me, and I will deliver him unto you? And they covenanted with him for thirty pieces of silver.
Matthew 27:3-5 Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 4 Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see thou to that. 5 And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself. (Thirty pieces of silver, Judas! Couldn’t you have bargained for more? He sold out CHEAP! He hanged himself, died, and went to hell! Was the thirty pieces of silver worth it, Judas? Was it worth it, Judas?)
8. Ananias and Sapphira, members of the first church! What a blessing to have seen the Lord and the power of the Holy Ghost working in the early church. But, Ananias and Sapphira sold out CHEAP!
Acts 5:1-2 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
Acts 5:4-5 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
Acts 5:7-10 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. 8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. 9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. 10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. (It was theirs! They could have used or spent it as they wished! They chose to lie to God and keep back a part of what was sold. They sold out CHEAP! They lost both their possessions and their lives. They could have had both! Was it worth it, Ananias? Was it worth it, Sapphira?)
9. Demas, a fellow servant and fellow soldier with the great Apostle Paul! Would you not have liked to be associated with that man of God? What a privilege! But, Demas sold out CHEAP!
Acts 5:7-10 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. 8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. 9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. 10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. (There is nothing else said concerning this man who loved the Lord and the Apostle Paul. But, I would imagine that the price was great! Demas sold out CHEAP! Was it worth it, Demas? I think not!)
J. I could go on but I am sure that we all get the point. For a little money; for 5 minutes of pleasure; for an elevated position; for a little bit of fame; we can all sell out the blessings of God in our lives! Now, here is the message! When we sell out CHEAP:
1. We Sell Out Our Wonderful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He gave it all for us as we sell Him as cheaply as Judas sold Him! The most important thing in the world to the Christian is his wonderful Lord! I am his and He is mine! He loves me and I love Him!
2. We Sell Out Our Immaculate Testimony For The Lord. It takes a lifetime to build a godly testimony of salvation and only a moment’s time to bring it crashing down for the duration of our lives. When our testimony becomes tarnished, it is impossible to completely undo the damage done to it. Look at the list of names that I used in the introduction and you will see the remnants of sinfulness continue to tarnish their names thousands of years later. The good that they did forgotten!
3. We Sell Out Our Wife Or Husband. I owe my all to my wife. To betray her trust, love, and shame her before the church is unthinkable! I cannot imagine life without Barbara. To lose her in death would be a terrible thing but I could live with that knowing that she was in Heaven waiting for me. To lose her because of sin would be devastating! Outside of the Lord, the most wonderful thing that you and I have in this world is our family!
4. We Sell Out Our Beloved Children. God gave them to us to love, provide for, protect, and guide in the things of the Lord and life. To sell them out for such a small price in unthinkable. “Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord!” God gave them to us to raise for him. “The fruit of the womb is his reward!” When we have children, we are accountable to both God and them. Our children deserve a godly heritage and Christian upbringing. They did not ask to be here, we brought them here and now they need to be saved, guided in a godly manner, and to sell them out is a travesty!
5. We Sell Out Our Church. How the church needs faithful, God loving people in these last perilous times. We sell out cheap and bring shame and reproach on the body of believers collectively! I owe you more than that! You owe me more than that! I love this church and I love you. So many men and women have sold out the church for things that were short lived and lived to regret it. Thank God for the ones who get right and get back but the majority never do that.
6. We Sell Out Our Friends. One of the most important things that we have in this life are true friends that stick closer than blood kin in some instances. A man should lay down his life for his friends and yet, sometimes, believers sell them out cheap. Our neighbors respect us for what we stand for. One of my neighbors was having problems with his children and their friends who partied while he was gone. He put a stop to it because of us. God forbid that we live worse than the heathen!
7. We Sell Out Our Ministry. Yes, we all have a ministry, We are to “faint not” in the work of the Lord. Pastors, evangelists, missionaries, deacons, soul winners, exhorters, givers, and the list goes on. You and I have a ministry. God help us not to sell it out. There is work to do and to sell out our usefulness for the Lord and good of souls is criminal! Our ranks are becoming depleted and there are gaps upon the walls! Fewer young people selling out to serve the Lord and more older people leaving the ministry!
8. We Sell Out Our Good Name. A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches! My mom and dad gave me my name. It is a good name. When I go home to Kentucky, I do not have to bow my head in shame because of the Johnston’s who live there. Barbara Lynn Simons Johnston got her name from her mom and dad. It is a good name. She does not have to be ashamed of Bill and Nadine Simons! She does not have to be ashamed of her family. To sell out CHEAP is to sell out our good names.
Conclusion: What is your price this today? What is it that you are interested in that will bring down all of these things? You and I had better be careful! Better men than I; better men than you; better women than you have gone down the road to shame and destruction because of a little money; for 5 minutes of pleasure; for an elevated position; or a little bit of fame! “What will a man give in exchange for his soul?”
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Labourers Together With God
Temple Baptist Church - 11-01-2009
Romans 16:1-16
Introduction:
A. The work of a church is vast and diversified. Sometimes, we think that things just get done. In these verses, we find a list of people that the Apostle Paul said to “salute.” To “salute” is to pay respect to a distinguished person. Not because they are rich or talented but because they have done something worthy of recognition and praise.
B. Doing all that needs to be done around the church takes either a lot of people giving very little time or a few people giving all of their time. It would shock most people to know how much gets done by people who are never recognized during the week.
C. One of the greatest assets of the early church was the involvement of the people.
Acts 2:41-47 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added [unto them] about three thousand souls. 42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
D. In Acts 6, changes were already taking place within the church as murmuring was first mentioned in among the people.
Acts 6:1-4 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. (2) Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. (3) Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. (4) But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
E. One of the greatest blessings that I can remember back in the early years of the salvation of my wife and I was that of involvement. Our church, at that time, was going through some hard times and things needed to be done as people left their pews empty. We got busy in the church. It wasn’t “their church” or “your church,” it was “our church.” We took pride in it as young converts. We fell in love with the Lord, our pastor, church family, and the church building and grounds.
F. Our labor in the Lord may go unrecognized in this life but not unnoticed. People know that a church is clean and well cared for. I miss Virginia Dykas so much. She loved the church and when she cleaned, the church was clean. She spent so much time in the “Prophecy Chamber,” as she called the Prophet’s Chamber. I could always just imagine God’s men in there “prophesying” as in the days of Samuel. I miss Old Gordon. He loved his church, and when he was able, he took so much off of his pastor. I could just call and he would get something done. We have people now who work and do for the church. They are a blessing.
G. Our labor in the Lord does not go unrecognized by our Lord! He knows and sees our every effort.
Hebrews 6:10 For God [is] not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
1 Corinthians 3:8-9 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. 9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, [ye are] God’s building.
1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
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.
HOW CAN I HELP MY CHURCH?
1. I Can Help My Church By Being Faithful! I was there. I knew my friend the pastor would be there - so I was there! My presence helped. I was one more and that cheered the pastor mightily. I need him and he needs me, too. When I joined the church, I promised to be there; I didn't join the church to stay away from it. So I helped my church. I was there! When I was going to be away, I called my pastor so that he would not spend the Lord’s Day wondering if I was sick or offended. What a shame it is that in our day people are so fickle and offense is taken so often that it effects my pastor in a negative way when people are missing from their places.
2. I Can Help My Church By Tithing And Giving! I paid my way. I did not let others pay my way any more than I permit them to buy my hat or feed my children. I pay my bills - my taxes - my upkeep. But I pay my way at my church, too. A manly, ample, competent sum must be my investment in my church. I should not wish to know that I had not paid my way. God has blessed me and I want to bless Him with liberal gifts. I give so that there may be “meat” in the Lord’s house. I give so that the missionaries can be supported. I give so that the church can be properly maintained. I give so that treasures are being laid up in Heaven, reserved for me.
3. I Can Help My Church Be Praying For It! I prayed for my church. I never have wanted much for myself - except strength - but I want every blessing and grace and health and power for my church. "For her my prayers ascend." I pray for her as naturally, as normally as I do for my dearest ones. She is one of my dearest ones. To forget her would be to forget everything lovely. I helped my church by praying for her. I pray for my pastor. I pray for my brethren. I pray for our missionaries. I pray for powerful, bold, and “free course” preaching and teaching of God’s Word. I pray for souls to be saved, saints revived, our children protected, and spiritual sensitivity and growth. I pray regularly, pointedly, and boldly!
4. I Can Help My Church Through Encouragement! I was the hand and the voice of my church in the homes of those who had forgotten or neglected the most important thing on earth. I went to them, not with a brilliant sermon or convincing argument, but with love and compassion. I witnessed for my Lord. I went as a friend to friends and found the door already opened for me in the longing and loneliness of the people who had been left out until I came. I helped not only a home that needed God and the Church, but I helped myself. I wouldn't take anything for the joy I have found. I helped lift the fallen, restore the sinful, comfort the sorrowful, encouraged the discouraged, and shared the burdens of the burdened.
5. I Can Help My Church Through Doing What Needed To Be Done! I saw something that needed to be done and did it. A floor need to be swept. The song books needed to be straightened. A piece of trim needed to be fixed. I did not wait to be asked or appointed to the job. I did it because it is the house of God and I loved it. I wanted it to look nice if someone just passing by happened to “drop in.” A dirty, unkempt, run down and neglected church is a reproach to my Lord who loves it!
There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done
6. I Can Help My Church Through Personal Involvement! I got involved. I got up off the pew. I saw an empty place in the choir and filled it. I saw a family in need and helped them. I saw a brother discouraged and encouraged him. I decided to be a blessing each and every time I came to each and every member of it. I left my pew and shook hands with each one and visited and made welcome every visitor. I saw my pastor and family burdened and got under the burden with them. Today, people do not get involved anymore. They come, they sit, and they leave. I want to be a part of everything that involves the church family.
7. I Can Help My Church By Not Getting My Feelings Hurt! When I was displeased, feelings hurt, disagreed, or just plain old “out of sorts,” I never “ran down” my church, pastor, or brethren. I always want my church to be spotless in its testimony. I realized that, sometimes I do not understand why or what must be done. I accepted the fact that I may be the one who is wrong in the way I perceive something. I gave my brethren the benefit of the doubt.
Conclusion: Be a help to your church. You can be a hindrance; you can be a hurt; or you can be a help.
Romans 16:1-16
Introduction:
A. The work of a church is vast and diversified. Sometimes, we think that things just get done. In these verses, we find a list of people that the Apostle Paul said to “salute.” To “salute” is to pay respect to a distinguished person. Not because they are rich or talented but because they have done something worthy of recognition and praise.
B. Doing all that needs to be done around the church takes either a lot of people giving very little time or a few people giving all of their time. It would shock most people to know how much gets done by people who are never recognized during the week.
C. One of the greatest assets of the early church was the involvement of the people.
Acts 2:41-47 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added [unto them] about three thousand souls. 42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. 44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. 46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
D. In Acts 6, changes were already taking place within the church as murmuring was first mentioned in among the people.
Acts 6:1-4 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. (2) Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. (3) Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. (4) But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
E. One of the greatest blessings that I can remember back in the early years of the salvation of my wife and I was that of involvement. Our church, at that time, was going through some hard times and things needed to be done as people left their pews empty. We got busy in the church. It wasn’t “their church” or “your church,” it was “our church.” We took pride in it as young converts. We fell in love with the Lord, our pastor, church family, and the church building and grounds.
F. Our labor in the Lord may go unrecognized in this life but not unnoticed. People know that a church is clean and well cared for. I miss Virginia Dykas so much. She loved the church and when she cleaned, the church was clean. She spent so much time in the “Prophecy Chamber,” as she called the Prophet’s Chamber. I could always just imagine God’s men in there “prophesying” as in the days of Samuel. I miss Old Gordon. He loved his church, and when he was able, he took so much off of his pastor. I could just call and he would get something done. We have people now who work and do for the church. They are a blessing.
G. Our labor in the Lord does not go unrecognized by our Lord! He knows and sees our every effort.
Hebrews 6:10 For God [is] not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.
1 Corinthians 3:8-9 Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour. 9 For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, [ye are] God’s building.
1 Corinthians 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
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.
HOW CAN I HELP MY CHURCH?
1. I Can Help My Church By Being Faithful! I was there. I knew my friend the pastor would be there - so I was there! My presence helped. I was one more and that cheered the pastor mightily. I need him and he needs me, too. When I joined the church, I promised to be there; I didn't join the church to stay away from it. So I helped my church. I was there! When I was going to be away, I called my pastor so that he would not spend the Lord’s Day wondering if I was sick or offended. What a shame it is that in our day people are so fickle and offense is taken so often that it effects my pastor in a negative way when people are missing from their places.
2. I Can Help My Church By Tithing And Giving! I paid my way. I did not let others pay my way any more than I permit them to buy my hat or feed my children. I pay my bills - my taxes - my upkeep. But I pay my way at my church, too. A manly, ample, competent sum must be my investment in my church. I should not wish to know that I had not paid my way. God has blessed me and I want to bless Him with liberal gifts. I give so that there may be “meat” in the Lord’s house. I give so that the missionaries can be supported. I give so that the church can be properly maintained. I give so that treasures are being laid up in Heaven, reserved for me.
3. I Can Help My Church Be Praying For It! I prayed for my church. I never have wanted much for myself - except strength - but I want every blessing and grace and health and power for my church. "For her my prayers ascend." I pray for her as naturally, as normally as I do for my dearest ones. She is one of my dearest ones. To forget her would be to forget everything lovely. I helped my church by praying for her. I pray for my pastor. I pray for my brethren. I pray for our missionaries. I pray for powerful, bold, and “free course” preaching and teaching of God’s Word. I pray for souls to be saved, saints revived, our children protected, and spiritual sensitivity and growth. I pray regularly, pointedly, and boldly!
4. I Can Help My Church Through Encouragement! I was the hand and the voice of my church in the homes of those who had forgotten or neglected the most important thing on earth. I went to them, not with a brilliant sermon or convincing argument, but with love and compassion. I witnessed for my Lord. I went as a friend to friends and found the door already opened for me in the longing and loneliness of the people who had been left out until I came. I helped not only a home that needed God and the Church, but I helped myself. I wouldn't take anything for the joy I have found. I helped lift the fallen, restore the sinful, comfort the sorrowful, encouraged the discouraged, and shared the burdens of the burdened.
5. I Can Help My Church Through Doing What Needed To Be Done! I saw something that needed to be done and did it. A floor need to be swept. The song books needed to be straightened. A piece of trim needed to be fixed. I did not wait to be asked or appointed to the job. I did it because it is the house of God and I loved it. I wanted it to look nice if someone just passing by happened to “drop in.” A dirty, unkempt, run down and neglected church is a reproach to my Lord who loves it!
There was an important job to be done and Everybody was sure that Somebody would do it. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that because it was Everybody's job. Everybody thought that Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done
6. I Can Help My Church Through Personal Involvement! I got involved. I got up off the pew. I saw an empty place in the choir and filled it. I saw a family in need and helped them. I saw a brother discouraged and encouraged him. I decided to be a blessing each and every time I came to each and every member of it. I left my pew and shook hands with each one and visited and made welcome every visitor. I saw my pastor and family burdened and got under the burden with them. Today, people do not get involved anymore. They come, they sit, and they leave. I want to be a part of everything that involves the church family.
7. I Can Help My Church By Not Getting My Feelings Hurt! When I was displeased, feelings hurt, disagreed, or just plain old “out of sorts,” I never “ran down” my church, pastor, or brethren. I always want my church to be spotless in its testimony. I realized that, sometimes I do not understand why or what must be done. I accepted the fact that I may be the one who is wrong in the way I perceive something. I gave my brethren the benefit of the doubt.
Conclusion: Be a help to your church. You can be a hindrance; you can be a hurt; or you can be a help.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Let There Be Light
Temple Baptist Church - 10-25-2009
Genesis 1:1-5
Introduction:
A. The most wondrous verses of the Bible are found in the beginning of creation! I am in AWE! I stand overwhelmed when I allow my mind to drift back to the time of the beginning when God said, “In the beginning God!” Here we find a theological statement beyond our comprehension. “In the beginning God!” “From everlasting to everlasting, thou ART God!”
B. I stand amazed that God was, God is, and God will always be! He needs nothing! He needs no one! He is self-contained! He is self-reliant! He is self-existing! He is God!
C. Here in the beginning, we find several truths concerning light.
1. There was a “natural” absence of light. God created the heavens and the earth both in darkness. Light, as we understand it, always has a specific source. Fire, electricity, heavenly bodies, lightening, etc.
2. Light was brought forth out of darkness.
3. Light was divided from darkness.
4. Light was good.
D. Light is essential to life. This is scientific fact that cannot be denied. It is through photosynthesis that we have the oxygen that we breathe. As physical life is dependent upon light, so is spiritual life dependent upon light.
Psalms 36:9 For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. (It is through the light of God that we see spiritual light and, therefore spiritual life.)
E. I want to look at several on the multitude of mentions of light in the Bible.
1. The Light Of Creation - 2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
a. Light is essential to Illumination. We find in these verses that God, when creating the heavens and the earth, created them in darkness! In the first 5 verses on Genesis, we find that God’s second creative act brought forth light out of darkness! This is an amazing statement that is vital to the truth of light in the Bible.
b. There was no obvious source of light in the beginning. We get light from the heavenly bodies but they were not yet created. We get light from various sources today but they were not yet manufactured. God brought forth light out of darkness! An act that only God can do! We will find that God consistently brings forth light out of darkness.
c. Light is essential to life. Light came before life! Light came before animal, plant, or human life!
2. The Light Of Inspiration - 2 Peter 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
2 Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (Without the inspiration of Scripture, we would have neither revelation of God or prophecies concerning His Son, Jesus Christ.)
3. The Light Of Incarnation - John 1:4-5 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
John 12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (In Christ’s light, we see light and, therefore, walk in the light!)
4. The Light Of Illumination - John 1:6-9 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Psalms 19:1-4 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 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,
Romans 1:19-22 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 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. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, (It is of no wonder that God said, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God!)
5. The Light Of Transfiguration - Matthew 17:1-2 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, 2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
Psalms 104:1-2 Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. 2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: (Our Lord Jesus Christ is now glorified and we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is!)
6. The Light Of Denunciation - John 3:19-21 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. (Denunciation of the old man and a turning from the old life.)
7. The Light Of Identification - 1 John 1:5-7 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
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. (We that are saved are now indentified with our Lord! I am His and He is mine! I am not ashamed of either the Lord or the gospel of Christ!)
8. The Light Of Glorification
1 Corinthians 15:53-54 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
Revelation 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Revelation 22:5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
Genesis 1:1-5
Introduction:
A. The most wondrous verses of the Bible are found in the beginning of creation! I am in AWE! I stand overwhelmed when I allow my mind to drift back to the time of the beginning when God said, “In the beginning God!” Here we find a theological statement beyond our comprehension. “In the beginning God!” “From everlasting to everlasting, thou ART God!”
B. I stand amazed that God was, God is, and God will always be! He needs nothing! He needs no one! He is self-contained! He is self-reliant! He is self-existing! He is God!
C. Here in the beginning, we find several truths concerning light.
1. There was a “natural” absence of light. God created the heavens and the earth both in darkness. Light, as we understand it, always has a specific source. Fire, electricity, heavenly bodies, lightening, etc.
2. Light was brought forth out of darkness.
3. Light was divided from darkness.
4. Light was good.
D. Light is essential to life. This is scientific fact that cannot be denied. It is through photosynthesis that we have the oxygen that we breathe. As physical life is dependent upon light, so is spiritual life dependent upon light.
Psalms 36:9 For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. (It is through the light of God that we see spiritual light and, therefore spiritual life.)
E. I want to look at several on the multitude of mentions of light in the Bible.
1. The Light Of Creation - 2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
a. Light is essential to Illumination. We find in these verses that God, when creating the heavens and the earth, created them in darkness! In the first 5 verses on Genesis, we find that God’s second creative act brought forth light out of darkness! This is an amazing statement that is vital to the truth of light in the Bible.
b. There was no obvious source of light in the beginning. We get light from the heavenly bodies but they were not yet created. We get light from various sources today but they were not yet manufactured. God brought forth light out of darkness! An act that only God can do! We will find that God consistently brings forth light out of darkness.
c. Light is essential to life. Light came before life! Light came before animal, plant, or human life!
2. The Light Of Inspiration - 2 Peter 1:19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:
2 Peter 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. (Without the inspiration of Scripture, we would have neither revelation of God or prophecies concerning His Son, Jesus Christ.)
3. The Light Of Incarnation - John 1:4-5 In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
John 12:46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (In Christ’s light, we see light and, therefore, walk in the light!)
4. The Light Of Illumination - John 1:6-9 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. 8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light. 9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
2 Corinthians 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
Psalms 19:1-4 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 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun,
Romans 1:19-22 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 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. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, (It is of no wonder that God said, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God!)
5. The Light Of Transfiguration - Matthew 17:1-2 And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart, 2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
Psalms 104:1-2 Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty. 2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: (Our Lord Jesus Christ is now glorified and we shall be like Him for we shall see Him as He is!)
6. The Light Of Denunciation - John 3:19-21 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God. (Denunciation of the old man and a turning from the old life.)
7. The Light Of Identification - 1 John 1:5-7 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: 7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
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. (We that are saved are now indentified with our Lord! I am His and He is mine! I am not ashamed of either the Lord or the gospel of Christ!)
8. The Light Of Glorification
1 Corinthians 15:53-54 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
Revelation 21:23 And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof.
Revelation 22:5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Learning To Love
Temple Baptist Church - 10-21-2009
Galatians 5:13-15
Introduction:
A. Here, in these verses, we once again find liberty and love at odds! Saved people biting and devouring each other! We that are saved are of the same spiritual blood line; we have the same Father; we have the same Spirit; we have the same spiritual characteristics; and yet—in our spiritual liberty—there is potential, yea, even probability of problems arising. Most problems that arise in churches come from just this: not having the love that gives while having the liberty that takes. Just because we have liberty does not mean that we can enjoy it to the detriment of others.
1. Love is Giving
2. Liberty is Taking
1 Corinthians 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
B. It should be noticed in Scripture that man must be both commanded and learn to love! Throughout the Bible, command after command deals with the love relationship of:
1. Man To God - Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: 5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (“Thou shalt?” Why not “thou wilt!” After what He did for Israel? After what He did for us at Calvary? We must be COMMANDED? Why? Because of our human nature.)
2. Saint To Mankind - Galatians 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (This one is a little harder but is made much harder because of our selfish nature. Red, yellow, black, brown, and white; every race in every place! “And who is my neighbor?” All mankind for whom Christ died.)
3. Saint To Saint - John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (A new commandment given to family? You are my brothers and sisters in Christ and I love you better than butter pecan ice cream! But, there are times when we squabble and fight. We want what we want and want everyone else to see eye-to-eye with us on every point! I am not always right on every subject but am hard to convince sometimes. I have a selfish nature!)
4. Husband To Wife - Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (We, as men, have to be commanded to love you gorgeous creatures? Whoa! You mean it is not always easy to love you? Men are selfish by nature and must be instructed by God to give ourselves to our wives. A man was looking for a wife so he took out an ad in the local newspaper which read: “Wife wanted. Must have bass boat, motor, and trailer. Send a picture of the boat, motor, and trailer!”)
5. Wife To Husband - Titus 2:3-5 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; 4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. (You mean that the women have to be taught to love that “hunk” that she married? That good looking bundle of muscle and brawn? Most of us are still “hunks,” just a little more of a hunk now! You women are selfish too! You want the man to be in charge when it is convenient and obedient to you when it suits. Than is human nature. You are obedient to him when it suits and disobedient to him when it suits. You are human!)
6. Mother To Children – Titus 2:4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children. (Mothers have to be taught to love their children? Why? Those wonderful little darlings who keep you up all night, mess their diapers, tear up an anvil in a sand pile, lie every chance they get, tell everybody else what you do, etc. Those wonderful little children of yours [I know everyone else’s are brats, but not yours!]. We are selfish in nature and children require monumental amounts of time and effort.)
C. Though love for the above persons should seem natural to our thinking, man by nature is self-centered. It is of no wonder that humanism is so easily taught to children and adults alike. In nature, we are our own “gods!” Self-gratification is the rule of the day and people must be taught to get along.
D. Love goes far beyond just getting along though. Love is our motivation for getting along with each other. If we love God, then His commands are not grievous! If we love our fellow man, then being a good neighbor becomes no problem. If we love souls, then loving the sinner—even in his sin—becomes easy. If we give ourselves to each other, then loving becomes a natural and wonderful thing within the church. When a husband gives his life for his wife and children, then love comes easy. When a wife dedicates her love, life, and longings to her husband and children—then loving them is all that she knows.
E. Love must be taught! We sometimes use the terminology “old school” when referring to our beliefs and character. It means that we have been raised us or taught from our youth to hold certain things dear. We have “learned behavior” circumscribing our lives so that we act and react properly when issues of integrity arise. We are taught. It does not come natural in our human nature.
1 Thessalonians 4:9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
F. The Book of James shows forth a salvation that works. In chapter four, the Holy Ghost said, “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.” (James 4:1-2) (Wars and fightings? Those are strong terms describing the interaction of some believers. Where do they come from? “Your lusts that war in YOUR MEMBERS! Lust is defined in Easton’s as “sinful longing.” These wars and fights do not come from personality conflicts: they come from sinfulness within the believer.)
G. Back in chapter three, He said, “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” (James 3:13-16)
H. Liberty is not the right to do anything that we desire anymore than love is a natural, simple interaction one with another. Liberty must be tempered while love must be preeminent in our lives in order to have a loving relationship with each other. Love among God’s people is both natural and learned. We have love that comes through relationship in Christ but learned love comes from learning how to interact.
I. Vs. 13 proclaims our liberty but places the stipulation that misused liberty causes sinfulness in our flesh and, therefore, division and fighting.
HOW TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER:
1. Stay Close To The Lord - 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (I cannot emphasis this enough! Right with the Lord is right with each other. Sideways with the Lord is sideways with everyone else.)
2. Be Of The Same Mind - 1 Corinthians 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
Romans 12:16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. (Everyone has a different personality, different opinions, different desires, etc. I do not have to get my way! I do not have to be right! Our goal is Christ! Our goal is souls!)
3. Be Courteous - Peter 3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: same mind in the Lord. (Courtesy has gone “out the window” in our day. It is no longer “Yes, Ma’am; no, Ma’am; thank you, Ma’am; please.” People charge to get in front of you in the checkout lines, run through the doors ahead of you, no longer rise in the presence of women or elders, etc. Be courteous because courtesy is thoughtfulness and thoughtfulness is putting others ahead of self.)
4. Be Gentle - James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. (Gentleness is a wonderful attribute. When I worked in the coal mines, we had a reflector sticker that we sometimes wore on our hard hats that said, “Life is fragile, handle with care.” People are fragile! Their feelings often get hurt without us even knowing it so we must be kind and gentle when dealing with them. Believers are so abrupt with other believers sometimes.)
Proverbs 18:19 A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.
5. Be Loving - 1 Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: (Pure in heart is to love in a right manner. As a pastor, I love each of you—men and women. I love the men right. I love the women right, as sisters. Love is a four letter word: give. For God so loved…that He gave. Give your life to and for one another. Bind your heart together in Christian love. Work at it!)
6. Be Forgiving - Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. (People sometimes hurt your feelings either advertently or inadvertently. Some people are like a “bull in a china shop” around others. They say and do things so ignorantly. Most of the problems that I have as a pastor are not in the areas of sin, compromise, apostasy, etc. They concern brothers and sisters beating up on each other. If a brother or sister offends you, forgive them. Don’t run to someone else and involve them, just pray for them—do good to them—forgive them—and forget it! Hurt turns into anger and anger into bitterness if not handled right.)
7. Be Understanding - Psalms 119:165 Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. (People have bad days. People say wrong things. You do not know what they are facing in their private lives or what has happened to them today. When they are “out of sorts,” do not let them get you “out of sorts.” Love them in their hard times and be there for them. Just ask, “Is there anything that I can do to help or pray about because I care!”)
8. Be Thick Skinned! - Colossians 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Proverbs 18:19 A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle. (Don’t be the brother offended! You have told on yourself when you become offended. Be tough! Be adult! Be Forbearing! That means to bear a long time!)
9. Be Encouraging - Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (Be a God called exhorter! Don’t always have the “poochie lip,” walking around looking like a mule eating saw briers. Don’t always be complaining, discouraged, defeated, or murmuring. God is in control of your life and this is the day that the Lord hath made—rejoice and be glad in it.)
10. Be Christian! - Romans 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. (When around people, ask yourself what Christ would do or say.)
Galatians 5:13-15
Introduction:
A. Here, in these verses, we once again find liberty and love at odds! Saved people biting and devouring each other! We that are saved are of the same spiritual blood line; we have the same Father; we have the same Spirit; we have the same spiritual characteristics; and yet—in our spiritual liberty—there is potential, yea, even probability of problems arising. Most problems that arise in churches come from just this: not having the love that gives while having the liberty that takes. Just because we have liberty does not mean that we can enjoy it to the detriment of others.
1. Love is Giving
2. Liberty is Taking
1 Corinthians 10:23 All things are lawful for me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but all things edify not.
B. It should be noticed in Scripture that man must be both commanded and learn to love! Throughout the Bible, command after command deals with the love relationship of:
1. Man To God - Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: 5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (“Thou shalt?” Why not “thou wilt!” After what He did for Israel? After what He did for us at Calvary? We must be COMMANDED? Why? Because of our human nature.)
2. Saint To Mankind - Galatians 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. (This one is a little harder but is made much harder because of our selfish nature. Red, yellow, black, brown, and white; every race in every place! “And who is my neighbor?” All mankind for whom Christ died.)
3. Saint To Saint - John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (A new commandment given to family? You are my brothers and sisters in Christ and I love you better than butter pecan ice cream! But, there are times when we squabble and fight. We want what we want and want everyone else to see eye-to-eye with us on every point! I am not always right on every subject but am hard to convince sometimes. I have a selfish nature!)
4. Husband To Wife - Ephesians 5:25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; (We, as men, have to be commanded to love you gorgeous creatures? Whoa! You mean it is not always easy to love you? Men are selfish by nature and must be instructed by God to give ourselves to our wives. A man was looking for a wife so he took out an ad in the local newspaper which read: “Wife wanted. Must have bass boat, motor, and trailer. Send a picture of the boat, motor, and trailer!”)
5. Wife To Husband - Titus 2:3-5 The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; 4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. (You mean that the women have to be taught to love that “hunk” that she married? That good looking bundle of muscle and brawn? Most of us are still “hunks,” just a little more of a hunk now! You women are selfish too! You want the man to be in charge when it is convenient and obedient to you when it suits. Than is human nature. You are obedient to him when it suits and disobedient to him when it suits. You are human!)
6. Mother To Children – Titus 2:4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children. (Mothers have to be taught to love their children? Why? Those wonderful little darlings who keep you up all night, mess their diapers, tear up an anvil in a sand pile, lie every chance they get, tell everybody else what you do, etc. Those wonderful little children of yours [I know everyone else’s are brats, but not yours!]. We are selfish in nature and children require monumental amounts of time and effort.)
C. Though love for the above persons should seem natural to our thinking, man by nature is self-centered. It is of no wonder that humanism is so easily taught to children and adults alike. In nature, we are our own “gods!” Self-gratification is the rule of the day and people must be taught to get along.
D. Love goes far beyond just getting along though. Love is our motivation for getting along with each other. If we love God, then His commands are not grievous! If we love our fellow man, then being a good neighbor becomes no problem. If we love souls, then loving the sinner—even in his sin—becomes easy. If we give ourselves to each other, then loving becomes a natural and wonderful thing within the church. When a husband gives his life for his wife and children, then love comes easy. When a wife dedicates her love, life, and longings to her husband and children—then loving them is all that she knows.
E. Love must be taught! We sometimes use the terminology “old school” when referring to our beliefs and character. It means that we have been raised us or taught from our youth to hold certain things dear. We have “learned behavior” circumscribing our lives so that we act and react properly when issues of integrity arise. We are taught. It does not come natural in our human nature.
1 Thessalonians 4:9 But as touching brotherly love ye need not that I write unto you: for ye yourselves are taught of God to love one another.
F. The Book of James shows forth a salvation that works. In chapter four, the Holy Ghost said, “From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.” (James 4:1-2) (Wars and fightings? Those are strong terms describing the interaction of some believers. Where do they come from? “Your lusts that war in YOUR MEMBERS! Lust is defined in Easton’s as “sinful longing.” These wars and fights do not come from personality conflicts: they come from sinfulness within the believer.)
G. Back in chapter three, He said, “Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.” (James 3:13-16)
H. Liberty is not the right to do anything that we desire anymore than love is a natural, simple interaction one with another. Liberty must be tempered while love must be preeminent in our lives in order to have a loving relationship with each other. Love among God’s people is both natural and learned. We have love that comes through relationship in Christ but learned love comes from learning how to interact.
I. Vs. 13 proclaims our liberty but places the stipulation that misused liberty causes sinfulness in our flesh and, therefore, division and fighting.
HOW TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER:
1. Stay Close To The Lord - 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. (I cannot emphasis this enough! Right with the Lord is right with each other. Sideways with the Lord is sideways with everyone else.)
2. Be Of The Same Mind - 1 Corinthians 1:10 Now I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
Romans 12:16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. (Everyone has a different personality, different opinions, different desires, etc. I do not have to get my way! I do not have to be right! Our goal is Christ! Our goal is souls!)
3. Be Courteous - Peter 3:8 Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: same mind in the Lord. (Courtesy has gone “out the window” in our day. It is no longer “Yes, Ma’am; no, Ma’am; thank you, Ma’am; please.” People charge to get in front of you in the checkout lines, run through the doors ahead of you, no longer rise in the presence of women or elders, etc. Be courteous because courtesy is thoughtfulness and thoughtfulness is putting others ahead of self.)
4. Be Gentle - James 3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. (Gentleness is a wonderful attribute. When I worked in the coal mines, we had a reflector sticker that we sometimes wore on our hard hats that said, “Life is fragile, handle with care.” People are fragile! Their feelings often get hurt without us even knowing it so we must be kind and gentle when dealing with them. Believers are so abrupt with other believers sometimes.)
Proverbs 18:19 A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.
5. Be Loving - 1 Peter 1:22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: (Pure in heart is to love in a right manner. As a pastor, I love each of you—men and women. I love the men right. I love the women right, as sisters. Love is a four letter word: give. For God so loved…that He gave. Give your life to and for one another. Bind your heart together in Christian love. Work at it!)
6. Be Forgiving - Ephesians 4:32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. (People sometimes hurt your feelings either advertently or inadvertently. Some people are like a “bull in a china shop” around others. They say and do things so ignorantly. Most of the problems that I have as a pastor are not in the areas of sin, compromise, apostasy, etc. They concern brothers and sisters beating up on each other. If a brother or sister offends you, forgive them. Don’t run to someone else and involve them, just pray for them—do good to them—forgive them—and forget it! Hurt turns into anger and anger into bitterness if not handled right.)
7. Be Understanding - Psalms 119:165 Great peace have they which love thy law: and nothing shall offend them. (People have bad days. People say wrong things. You do not know what they are facing in their private lives or what has happened to them today. When they are “out of sorts,” do not let them get you “out of sorts.” Love them in their hard times and be there for them. Just ask, “Is there anything that I can do to help or pray about because I care!”)
8. Be Thick Skinned! - Colossians 3:13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.
Proverbs 18:19 A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle. (Don’t be the brother offended! You have told on yourself when you become offended. Be tough! Be adult! Be Forbearing! That means to bear a long time!)
9. Be Encouraging - Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching. (Be a God called exhorter! Don’t always have the “poochie lip,” walking around looking like a mule eating saw briers. Don’t always be complaining, discouraged, defeated, or murmuring. God is in control of your life and this is the day that the Lord hath made—rejoice and be glad in it.)
10. Be Christian! - Romans 13:14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. (When around people, ask yourself what Christ would do or say.)
Sunday, October 18, 2009
God’s Deliverance
Temple Baptist Church - 10-18-2009
2 Timothy 4:7-18
Introduction:
A. This past week was one long awaited. Once again, my son, my wife, and I have walked into court together and walked back out the same way. For 2 ½ years my son, grandchildren, wife, myself, family, and church have been “held hostage” by wicked people and a corrupt system. These long months and years have been the hardest of our lives. They have taken their toll on us physically, spiritually, and financially. They have been hard!
B. The battle is not over; it has just begun! Shortly, for the first time in all of these months and years, we will be able to attempt—with our Lord’s help—to bring these children home where they belong.
C. As a family, we do not seek vengeance. We do seek justice tempered with mercy. It is time for them to come home and for God to work in the hearts of all of those involved. My desire is to see the wrong righted and people on both sides to get some help from the Lord. I am not going to dwell on that though for that is not my message.
D. In these verses that I read, we find both some wonderful and terrible things. Paul is now at the end of his life. His course has been run, he has been faithful, and God has been his stay through it all. What a wonderful testimony
1. We Find The Brethren’s Involvement In Paul’s Life – vs. 10-15
a. Some Stayed With Him – vs. 10-13
1) Luke Stood With Him Physically – vs. 11 (I thank God for our church! You have stayed and prayed! You have been there for us; given us the benefit of the doubt and more! I have seen your tears, fears, and righteous anger! I appreciate it! My family appreciates it! I looked out over the court room and there is no pastor to sit with them because they know that the truth of what they have said and done will be exposed! We have encouraged our people to be there; hear the testimony of both sides; for we have nothing to be ashamed of or to fear. You have been there in force that could come and we love you for it. What a blessing to see loving, friendly faces in such a hostile environment! You were there; you were beautiful to my family; and we love you!)
2) Crescens, Titus, Tychicus, And Timothy Stood With Him In The Work – vs. 10-13
b. Some Left Him – vs. 10 (Some have eased out the doors quietly for whatever reasons. They chose to forsake us when we needed them. May the Lord help them when they need a friend.)
c. Some Came To Him – vs. 11 (Some have been added. I thank God for them. They came, heard, and stayed! It is a testament to their spirituality. They too gave us the benefit of the doubt and added their prayers to the prayers of others.)
d. Some Hurt Him – vs. 14-15 (Some have hurt my family, our church, and our grandchildren. They have stood steadfastly with the ones who have tried to destroy us. I pray that it will not be “laid to their charge.”)
2. We Find The Bible’s Involvement In Paul’s Life – vs. 13
a. Paul Needed The Necessities Of Life – vs. 13 “cloke” (He was getting old and cold!)
b. Paul Needed The Words Of Life – vs. 13 “books…parchments” (In these last 30 months, my family and I have appreciated our friends, necessities of life, but the Word of God has been our strength!)
c. We Have Drawn From It’s Strength (It has been sufficient!)
d. We Have Clung To It’s Promises (It has been right!)
3. We Find The Lord’s Involvement In Paul’s Life – vs. 17-18
a. The Lord Has Been Faithful (There have been times when we could not find Him like Job. But He was always there “working behind the boxes” on our behalf! He never left us nor did He forsake us when we needed Him most. I thank you, Lord!)
b. The Lord Delivered Us From The Mouth Of The Lion (The power of the government stood against us but our God was greater than government! He delivered my son from false imprisonment!)
c. The Lord Shall Deliver And Preserve Us (We still face the DSS and other obstacles but God is both faithful and able! Will the God of all the earth do right? He will!)
d. To God Be The Glory!
4. We Find Paul’s Faithfulness – vs. 7
a. Paul Fought A Good Fight (A right kind of fight! In the days to come, rest assured that my family will try to do that which is biblical; that which is ethical; that which is right! May God help us to do the right things.)
b. Paul Finished His Course (We do not always like where we are nor what we face but it is our course! Bob has never lost his resolve to stand in the face of 180 years of prison on these false charges. He has rejected every plea bargain because it is about the children, not his freedom or safety. My wife and I are proud of him! He is a man; he has been a soldier! We will finish as we started, by his side.)
c. Paul Kept The Faith (When Bob is exonerated, it will be God that does it! When the children come home, it will be God that does it! I believe God this morning! He has neither left nor forsaken us and I want to finish by saying, “To God be the glory, great things He hath done! We love you, Lord!”)
Conclusion: Stay with us! Pray with us! Pray for us! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
2 Timothy 4:7-18
Introduction:
A. This past week was one long awaited. Once again, my son, my wife, and I have walked into court together and walked back out the same way. For 2 ½ years my son, grandchildren, wife, myself, family, and church have been “held hostage” by wicked people and a corrupt system. These long months and years have been the hardest of our lives. They have taken their toll on us physically, spiritually, and financially. They have been hard!
B. The battle is not over; it has just begun! Shortly, for the first time in all of these months and years, we will be able to attempt—with our Lord’s help—to bring these children home where they belong.
C. As a family, we do not seek vengeance. We do seek justice tempered with mercy. It is time for them to come home and for God to work in the hearts of all of those involved. My desire is to see the wrong righted and people on both sides to get some help from the Lord. I am not going to dwell on that though for that is not my message.
D. In these verses that I read, we find both some wonderful and terrible things. Paul is now at the end of his life. His course has been run, he has been faithful, and God has been his stay through it all. What a wonderful testimony
1. We Find The Brethren’s Involvement In Paul’s Life – vs. 10-15
a. Some Stayed With Him – vs. 10-13
1) Luke Stood With Him Physically – vs. 11 (I thank God for our church! You have stayed and prayed! You have been there for us; given us the benefit of the doubt and more! I have seen your tears, fears, and righteous anger! I appreciate it! My family appreciates it! I looked out over the court room and there is no pastor to sit with them because they know that the truth of what they have said and done will be exposed! We have encouraged our people to be there; hear the testimony of both sides; for we have nothing to be ashamed of or to fear. You have been there in force that could come and we love you for it. What a blessing to see loving, friendly faces in such a hostile environment! You were there; you were beautiful to my family; and we love you!)
2) Crescens, Titus, Tychicus, And Timothy Stood With Him In The Work – vs. 10-13
b. Some Left Him – vs. 10 (Some have eased out the doors quietly for whatever reasons. They chose to forsake us when we needed them. May the Lord help them when they need a friend.)
c. Some Came To Him – vs. 11 (Some have been added. I thank God for them. They came, heard, and stayed! It is a testament to their spirituality. They too gave us the benefit of the doubt and added their prayers to the prayers of others.)
d. Some Hurt Him – vs. 14-15 (Some have hurt my family, our church, and our grandchildren. They have stood steadfastly with the ones who have tried to destroy us. I pray that it will not be “laid to their charge.”)
2. We Find The Bible’s Involvement In Paul’s Life – vs. 13
a. Paul Needed The Necessities Of Life – vs. 13 “cloke” (He was getting old and cold!)
b. Paul Needed The Words Of Life – vs. 13 “books…parchments” (In these last 30 months, my family and I have appreciated our friends, necessities of life, but the Word of God has been our strength!)
c. We Have Drawn From It’s Strength (It has been sufficient!)
d. We Have Clung To It’s Promises (It has been right!)
3. We Find The Lord’s Involvement In Paul’s Life – vs. 17-18
a. The Lord Has Been Faithful (There have been times when we could not find Him like Job. But He was always there “working behind the boxes” on our behalf! He never left us nor did He forsake us when we needed Him most. I thank you, Lord!)
b. The Lord Delivered Us From The Mouth Of The Lion (The power of the government stood against us but our God was greater than government! He delivered my son from false imprisonment!)
c. The Lord Shall Deliver And Preserve Us (We still face the DSS and other obstacles but God is both faithful and able! Will the God of all the earth do right? He will!)
d. To God Be The Glory!
4. We Find Paul’s Faithfulness – vs. 7
a. Paul Fought A Good Fight (A right kind of fight! In the days to come, rest assured that my family will try to do that which is biblical; that which is ethical; that which is right! May God help us to do the right things.)
b. Paul Finished His Course (We do not always like where we are nor what we face but it is our course! Bob has never lost his resolve to stand in the face of 180 years of prison on these false charges. He has rejected every plea bargain because it is about the children, not his freedom or safety. My wife and I are proud of him! He is a man; he has been a soldier! We will finish as we started, by his side.)
c. Paul Kept The Faith (When Bob is exonerated, it will be God that does it! When the children come home, it will be God that does it! I believe God this morning! He has neither left nor forsaken us and I want to finish by saying, “To God be the glory, great things He hath done! We love you, Lord!”)
Conclusion: Stay with us! Pray with us! Pray for us! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!
The Common Salvation
Temple Baptist Church - 10-18-2009
Jude 1-3
Introduction:
A. The Book of Jude was one of the epistles written concerning the apostasy both present then and to come. Everything God has every created has been attacked by Satan and his people.
1. Apostasy was already prevalent in Jude’s day – almost 2,000 years ago.
2. The Spirit of Antichrist was there and disciples were being drawn away.
3. Jesus warned of False Prophets – Matthew 24:11-13
4. Peter warned of False Teachers with many following their pernicious ways – 2 Peter 2:1-3
5. Paul fortold the “falling away” – Acts 20:29-30, 2 Thessalonians 2
B. The very foundation of our faith is now under satanic attack from both without and within. Jude is about infiltration! Not everyone sitting on the pews of churches are saved. Not everyone sitting on the pews of churches love the Lord. Not everyone sitting on the pews of churches love the Word of God.
C. Before we get very far into this little epistle, I want us to see the description of the saved in these opening verses. Salvation is indeed “common” to all of God’s children. By “common,” the Bible is not referring to something cheap or something that is plenteous. It simply means that salvation is the same for all of God’s people.
D. They have the same characteristics because they are born into the same family. They have the same genetics or spiritual DNA!
1. All are called from Sin to Christ!
2. All are called from Vanity to Purpose!
3. All are called from Ungodliness to Holiness!
4. All are called from Dishonor to Honor!
E. All are changed from the old man and conformed to the new man. We are all being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Not to be changed and conformed is not to be saved. I understand that there are varying degrees of obedience among God’s children, but all have the Holy Spirit and all have desire.
F. As it is God that begins a good work in us, it is He that performs it in us. This is what makes us alike though we are so very different.
Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
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.
Romans 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. (The mercy and grace of God are both the spring and fountain of everything that we have or hope for.)
G. We all have the same salvation; the same Spirit; the same witness; and the same testimony. Notice with me the reversal of order in verses 1 and 2.
1. In Our Common Salvation We Find Sanctification – The means of sanctification is Multiplied Mercy (to separate from and to consecrate to) – vs. 1 (Sympathy)
a. We Are Sanctified Through His Will - John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
b. We Are Sanctified Through His Word - John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
2. In Our Common Salvation We Find Security – The fruit of our security is Multiplied Peace (to attend to and to take care of) – vs. 1 (Serenity)
a. We Are Powerfully Kept - 1 Peter 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
b. We Are Permanently Kept - John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
c. We Are Perfectly Kept - Jude 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
3. In Our Common Salvation We Find Seeking – The basis of our calling is Multiplied Love – vs. 1 (Sovereignty)
a. There Was A Sovereign Call
1) The Call Came Through Grace - 2 Timothy 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
2) The Call Came Through the Gospel - Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
b. There Was A Sovereign Choice – Matthew 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen. (My Bible says that, though the many are called, few are saved! The difference is the choice!)
Proverbs 1:24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (God’s choosing came through our “belief of the truth.”)
c. There Was A Sovereign Conversion - Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Matthew 7:13-14 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (It is God’s way or the “highway” to hell! Our salvation is a “common” salvation.)
Jude 1-3
Introduction:
A. The Book of Jude was one of the epistles written concerning the apostasy both present then and to come. Everything God has every created has been attacked by Satan and his people.
1. Apostasy was already prevalent in Jude’s day – almost 2,000 years ago.
2. The Spirit of Antichrist was there and disciples were being drawn away.
3. Jesus warned of False Prophets – Matthew 24:11-13
4. Peter warned of False Teachers with many following their pernicious ways – 2 Peter 2:1-3
5. Paul fortold the “falling away” – Acts 20:29-30, 2 Thessalonians 2
B. The very foundation of our faith is now under satanic attack from both without and within. Jude is about infiltration! Not everyone sitting on the pews of churches are saved. Not everyone sitting on the pews of churches love the Lord. Not everyone sitting on the pews of churches love the Word of God.
C. Before we get very far into this little epistle, I want us to see the description of the saved in these opening verses. Salvation is indeed “common” to all of God’s children. By “common,” the Bible is not referring to something cheap or something that is plenteous. It simply means that salvation is the same for all of God’s people.
D. They have the same characteristics because they are born into the same family. They have the same genetics or spiritual DNA!
1. All are called from Sin to Christ!
2. All are called from Vanity to Purpose!
3. All are called from Ungodliness to Holiness!
4. All are called from Dishonor to Honor!
E. All are changed from the old man and conformed to the new man. We are all being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. Not to be changed and conformed is not to be saved. I understand that there are varying degrees of obedience among God’s children, but all have the Holy Spirit and all have desire.
F. As it is God that begins a good work in us, it is He that performs it in us. This is what makes us alike though we are so very different.
Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
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.
Romans 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen. (The mercy and grace of God are both the spring and fountain of everything that we have or hope for.)
G. We all have the same salvation; the same Spirit; the same witness; and the same testimony. Notice with me the reversal of order in verses 1 and 2.
1. In Our Common Salvation We Find Sanctification – The means of sanctification is Multiplied Mercy (to separate from and to consecrate to) – vs. 1 (Sympathy)
a. We Are Sanctified Through His Will - John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
b. We Are Sanctified Through His Word - John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
2. In Our Common Salvation We Find Security – The fruit of our security is Multiplied Peace (to attend to and to take care of) – vs. 1 (Serenity)
a. We Are Powerfully Kept - 1 Peter 1:5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
b. We Are Permanently Kept - John 10:28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
c. We Are Perfectly Kept - Jude 1:24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,
3. In Our Common Salvation We Find Seeking – The basis of our calling is Multiplied Love – vs. 1 (Sovereignty)
a. There Was A Sovereign Call
1) The Call Came Through Grace - 2 Timothy 1:9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
2) The Call Came Through the Gospel - Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
b. There Was A Sovereign Choice – Matthew 22:14 For many are called, but few are chosen. (My Bible says that, though the many are called, few are saved! The difference is the choice!)
Proverbs 1:24 Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;
2 Thessalonians 2:13-14 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: 14 Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. (God’s choosing came through our “belief of the truth.”)
c. There Was A Sovereign Conversion - Proverbs 14:12 There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
Matthew 7:13-14 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (It is God’s way or the “highway” to hell! Our salvation is a “common” salvation.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)