Sermon of The Week:

Mark 15:15-26

October 24, 2018

Introduction:  We have certainly taken a long and detailed look at Barabbas, the robber and murderer the people chose to release instead of the sinless Son of God.  As sad as this is, it is all a fulfillment of prophecy that the world through Jesus might be saved.

- Pilate now orders Jesus to be scourged; Mark 15:15, “And so Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them, and delivered Jesus, when he had scourged him, to be crucified.”

- Then, Jesus is handed over to the Roman soldiers; Mark 15:16-20, “And the soldiers led him away into the hall, called Praetorium; and they call together the whole band. And they clothed him with purple, and platted a crown of thorns, and put it about his head, And began to salute him, Hail, King of the Jews! And they smote him on the head with a reed, and did spit upon him, and bowing their knees worshipped him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple from him, and put his own clothes on him, and led him out to crucify him.”

- One man is compelled to carry Jesus’ cross; Mark 15:21, “And they compel one Simon a Cyrenian, who passed by, coming out of the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to bear his cross.”

But, what happened to Jesus during His crucifixion?

- Jesus is offered something to perhaps dull His pain, but He refused it; Mark 15:22, 23, “And they bring him unto the place Golgotha, which is, being interpreted, The place of a skull. And they gave him to drink wine mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.”  You see, Jesus suffered all our pain and anguish on Calvary.  He did not have to go to Hell and burn in order to become our Saviour, as is falsely taught and preached by many heretical Bible teachers.

- Then, some soldiers, having parted His clothing, gambled to see who would have them; Mark 15:24-25 “And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. And it was the third hour, and they crucified him.”

There were some inscriptions placed on the cross above Jesus’ head.  Each of the four Gospels gives a different wording of these inscriptions:

1.  Matthew 27:37, “And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

2.  Mark 15:26, “And the superscription of his accusation was written over, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

3.  Luke 23:38, “And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

4.  John 19:19, “And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

The difficulty is created when we assume that these similar but differing records are identical, without noticing the exact wording of each.  We must remember that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God.  We must also remember that God inspired and preserved the words He gave.  So, to know just what is in these passages, we must look at the words found in each one.  It is usually accepted that there was only one inscription written and hung above Jesus’ head on the cross.

1.  Mark 15:26 can be dismissed for he does not say anything about a title being put on the cross or anywhere else which anyone had seen.  It is a question of the Lord’s accusation, or indictment, or the ground or cause of His condemnation as claiming to be “the king of the Jews.”

2.  John 19:19 speaks of a title written by Pilate, before it left Pilate’s presence, for no one suggests that Pilate went to the scene of the crucifixion and wrote anything there.  In Pilate’s writing, the three languages were in this order:  Hebrew, Greek, and Latin.  It was read after the cross had been set up.  This was the one which caused a great argument between Pilate and the chief priests and the argument took place before Jesus’ garments were parted, “And Pilate wrote a title, and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH THE KING OF THE JEWS.  This title then read many of the Jews: for the place where Jesus was crucified was nigh to the city: and it was written in Hebrew, and Greek, and Latin.  Then said the chief priests of the Jews to Pilate, Write not, The King of the Jews; but that he said, I am King of the Jews.  Pilate answered, What I have written I have written.  Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.  They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.” (John 19:19-24)

3.  The inscription in Matthew 27:37 was a result of that argument for another title was brought and set up over His head after they had parted His garments and having sat down, they watched Him there.  The former title was taken down, “And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.  And sitting down they watched him there;  And set up over his head his accusation written, THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.” (Matthew 27:35-37)

4.  A further result of that argument between the chief priest and Pilate is seen in Luke 23:38 for another inscription was brought much later, about the 6th hour when the darkness fell.  It was written with the three languages in a different order:  Greek, Latin, and Hebrew.  It was put up over Him after the revelings of the people while Matthew’s was put up over Him before the revelings, “And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.  And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,  And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.  And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.  And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.” (Luke 23:35-39)

So, the final result of this comparison of Scripture gives the following answer:

1.  Mark’s was only His accusation, or indictment.

2.  John’s was the first written by Pilate himself, or by his order, and written in Hebrew, Greek, then Latin, and was placed on the cross before it left Pilate’s presence.

3.  Matthew’s was the second one, substituted for the first one because of the argument that happened between Pilate and the chief priests.  It was set up over His head after they had parted His garments and before the revelings.

4.  Luke’s was the third and last put up over Him and after the revelings and was seen just before the darkness of the 6th hour.  This was written in three languages in a different order, Greek, Latin, and then Hebrew, “And the people stood beholding. And the rulers also with them derided him, saying, He saved others; let him save himself, if he be Christ, the chosen of God.  And the soldiers also mocked him, coming to him, and offering him vinegar,  And saying, If thou be the king of the Jews, save thyself.  And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.  And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.  But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?  And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.” (Luke 23:35-41)

Conclusion:  These differences are marks of how God has perfectly preserved the events of the crucifixion in each one of the four Gospels.  Instead of being a source of difficulty, when they are rightly divided, they become a means for the removal of the difficulties.

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

John 14:1-6

September 23, 2018

Introduction:  Probably, the only other passage in the Word of God that means more to most Christians is John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

John 14:1-6 is one of the truly great places in the Bible:

- It comforts us when we are sad.

- It strengthens us when we are weak.

- It gives us a friend when we are lonely.

- It lifts us up when we are down.

- It gives us a promise when we are homesick for Heaven!

You heard it as a child.  You memorized it as a Sunday school student.  You were tested on it as a Christian school student, too.  It has even caused you to envision Heaven.

- A home, a mansion, a real place just for you!

It has brought you hope when a loved one has died.

- …Happy reunion on the streets of purest gold!

- …Heaven will never welcome in a sweeter mama!

It may have even been your way of salvation, “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)

Such a wonderful sweetness exists in this short passage!  Both saved and unsaved alike run to it’s sweet assurance!

But, what was it that made the occasion for these beautiful words, these wonderful words, these wonderful words of life?

Surely, it was some great moment in the life of the Saviour.  What great joy brought these great words?  To whom was this great speech made: a lost sinner, a rich Noble, the leaders of the city?  Not at all.

Look with me at John 13:21–38, “When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake. Now there was leaning on Jesus’ bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved. Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake. He then lying on Jesus’ breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it? Jesus answered, He it is, to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it. And when he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly. Now no man at the table knew for what intent he spake this unto him. For some of them thought, because Judas had the bag, that Jesus had said unto him, Buy those things that we have need of against the feast; or, that he should give something to the poor. He then having received the sop went immediately out: and it was night. Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, whither goest thou? Jesus answered him, Whither I go, thou canst not follow me now; but thou shalt follow me afterwards. Peter said unto him, Lord, why cannot I follow thee now? I will lay down my life for thy sake. Jesus answered him, Wilt thou lay down thy life for my sake? Verily, verily, I say unto thee, The cock shall not crow, till thou hast denied me thrice.”

At the foretelling of Peter’s denial of Christ and without taking a breath, we hear the words, “Let not your heart be troubled…”

Jesus, knowing what was to happen, uttered one of the greatest passages known to any of us, “Let not your heart be troubled…”

These words were born out of a time when Jesus’ closest followers would forsake Him and run.  He hears their promises, yet He sees their future.  He hears them plea, yet He knows their end.

In this, I see…me. Do you see…you?  I have grown to almost dislike the disciples as I study Scripture, not because I think they treated Jesus badly, but because they each seem to represent a part of me!

- Peter was a denier.

- Thomas was a doubter.

- Phillip was a disbeliever.

- John was a runner.

Yet, Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled…”

1.  But, I don’t deny Jesus!

- Well, Peter did and, in a sense, so did John, for he was with Peter when he denied Jesus and did not even say a word, “But he spake the more vehemently, If I should die with thee, I will not deny thee in any wise. Likewise also said they all.” (Mark 14:31)

- Yet, Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled…”

- Oh, but we, as did Peter, deny Him much of the time!

- Yes, I’m like Peter, a denier:

* When He wants me to witness, and I don’t.

* When I do not obey His Word.

* When I do not follow His leading.

* And on and on the list goes. I am at denier at times.

- But Jesus knoweth my frame and remembereth that I am dust, and He says, “Let not your heart be troubled…”

2.  But, I’m not a doubter. - John 20:25

“The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he [Thomas] said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe.”

- Well, Thomas was, and he walked with Jesus every day.

- Actually, our God is big, but our faith is small.  We doubt and say, “If God is so good, why am I going through this trial?”

* When troubled times come, we doubt his power.

* When poverty comes, we doubt his provision.

* When indecision comes, we doubt his wisdom.

* When the fire comes, we doubt his love.

- For all of His life on earth, Jesus was doubted.  He was doubted in His death and in His resurrection.  He is doubted even now as He sits on His throne at the right hand of God the father.

* We are like Thomas, doubters, but Jesus says, “Let not your heart be troubled…”  He knoweth my frame and remembereth that I am dust.

- God is so good to us!

3.  But, I’m not a disbeliever.

- Well, Phillip was, “Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.” (John 14:8)

- Phillip was with Jesus for a long time, yet he still thought that he needed some physical proof that Jesus was all that He said He was.

- Often, we disbelieve because we do not see the miracle NOW.

- Even the greatest man born of woman who ever lived disbelieved when he wasn’t delivered at the hand of the executioner, “Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?” (Matthew 11:2, 3)

- Yet, Jesus says, “Let not your heart be troubled…”  He knoweth my frame and remembereth that I am dust.

4.  But, I would never run away from Jesus.

- Well, John did, and so did the rest of the disciples.  “And they all forsook him, and fled.” (Mark 14:50)

- I fear they ran only to protect #1, themselves.  It is always easier to run and hide than to stand for Jesus.

- Some of the apostles could have run, but they obeyed God rather than men and were beaten for their faith.

* Doug and the Satan worshipper.

* Bill and the man who knocked him down.

- Yet, Jesus says, “Let not your heart be troubled…”  He knoweth my frame and remembereth that I am dust.

Conclusion:  I am so very thankful that even though I am human, I am saved and have the promise, “Let not your heart be troubled…”  I have a home in Heaven, and Jesus prays for me BECAUSE I am human.

Have you failed Him?  Jesus says, “Let not your heart be troubled…”  He knoweth your frame and remembereth that you are dust.

Mark 13:28-37

September 19, 2018

Introduction:  One can only imagine what was going through the hearts of these men as Jesus shared with them these two prophecies:

- In regard to the Temple, Mark 13:1-2.  He predicts the total destruction of the Jewish Temple!
- In regard to the Tribulation, Mark 13:3-27.  Jesus describes the events that will happen during the first and final halves of the Tribulation Period yet to come.

As we learned last time, these two prophecies were private ones given to only four of Jesus’ disciples, Peter, James, John, and Andrew.  Even though this prophecy was contextually in regard to Israel, the events do not bypass the rest of the world.

Before the Tribulation begins, there is an event we call the Rapture, that time when Jesus will come for all the saved and will meet them in the air, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18.

But this still left them with a question in their minds.  When will this all take place?  So, Jesus answered them in two parables.

1.  The parable of the fig tree. - Mark 13:28-31

- There are three “S’s” that explain this parable:

* The signs, Mark 13:28 “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When her branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is near:”

*  The significance, Mark 13:29, 30 “So ye in like manner, when ye shall see these things come to pass, know that it is nigh, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done.”

- When Jesus spoke of the appearance of new shoots on the fig tree as signaling that summer is near, He was alluding to the restoration of Israel and His imminent return.  He was saying that when we see Israel regathered in her own land and budding like a fig tree then His return is near – “even at the doors.”  This will be the time of the coming of the fullness of His Kingdom on earth.

* The surety, Mark 13:31 “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.”

2.  The parable of the watchful servants. - Mark 13:32-37

- Jesus encourages His men to be watchful, giving two reasons for this:

* Because of the task, Mark 13:34, 35 “For the Son of man is as a man taking a far journey, who left his house, and gave authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning.”  God has assigned each believer a specific task to accomplish.

- In Luke 19:13 in another parable, Jesus said, “Occupy till I come.”

* Because of the time, Mark 13:32, 33 “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Take ye heed, watch and pray: for ye know not when the time is.”

- Mark 13:36, 37 “Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping. And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.”  No servant knows when the Master will return.  This is why he has to be ever-watching.

Conclusion:  The Lord’s return is a sure thing.  Jesus guaranteed it when He said in Mark 13:31, “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.”

This private prophecy may have only been given to four of Jesus’ disciples, Peter, James, John, and Andrew, but the events do not bypass the rest of the world.  This is why John wrote 1 John 3:2, 3, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.”

Truthfully, regardless of the context of the parables, the end of all thing is drawing near.  Are you ready for the Rapture?

If the Rapture of all believers happened today, what would happen to you?  Are you sure you are saved?  Not by religion, but by Christ and your faith in Him.  Have you really accepted Him as your personal Saviour?

Remember, Jesus said in John 14:3, “I will come again!”

Romans 12:1-2

September 9, 2018

Introduction:  Our lives for God should be marked by milestones.  Just what is a milestone?  A milestone is:

- A stone set up beside a road to mark the distance in miles to a particular place.

- An action or event marking a significant change or stage in development.

There are three major milestones in my life:

1.  Saved on February 16, 1964.  This started it all!

- This was the most important decision in my entire life.

- I will never forget what happened on that Sunday night, February 16, 1964.  My pastor, Robert L. Humphreys, had scheduled an evangelistic meeting with a 29-year-old preacher from Evansville, Indiana, named Billy Kellough.  After he preached on that Sunday night, a little eight-year-old boy named Danny Parton walked an aisle and was led to Christ by a deacon named Ben Conrad.  I remember it like it was yesterday.  Praise the Lord!

2.  Baptized on April 5, 1964.  My first step of obedience!

- This was the second most important decision in my entire life.

- Baptism identified me with my Saviour, the Lord Jesus.

3.  Dedicated my life to serve the Lord on February 9, 1973.

- This was when I first purposely surrendered my life to serve the Lord in any capacity.

- I handed Jesus a blank check and asked Him to fill it out for whatever He wanted in my life.

- This decision made and number of other milestones possible in my life.

* My call to preach.

* My marriage to Robin, June 9, 1978.

* My call to this ministry in 1990.

* Not to mention many other milestones in my life!

Allow me to share with you three logical and reasonable reasons to dedicate your life to the Lord:

1.  The cloud of witnesses. - Hebrews 12:1

- There are many who have gone on before us who are literally depending on US to complete the work they began.

* Hebrews 11:39, 40 “And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.”

- There are many others who are counting on ME to complete what they started well.

* My great grandparents.

* My grandparents.

* My parents.

* Ben Conrad, who led be to Christ.

* Two of my pastors who are now in Heaven.

* Two of my children already in Heaven.

* Numerous others whom I was able to lead to Christ who are now in Heaven.

* Others whom the Lord has allowed my life to positively influence before they died.

2.  The love of Christ. - 2 Corinthians 5:14

- Literally, the love of Christ is dragging me around!

- Jesus gave His life for me; I should give my life for Him.

- This is exactly what our opening text is saying, 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. 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.”

- “Therefore” is there for a reason, the reason being, because of all the Lord did for me to save me!

3.  The account we will give. - 2 Corinthians 5:10

- God has given me:

* Physical life at birth.

* Eternal life at rebirth.

* New life in Christ.

* Abundant life through obedience.

- I should live for Christ, give myself to Him totally, and do His will.

- He has given me so much, and I should live it all for His honor and glory!

Conclusion:  Have you ever given yourself to God for His honor and glory?  Perhaps, this should be the next milestone in your life!

Mark 12:41-44

September 5, 2018

Introduction:  Jesus has been speaking to the scribes denouncing their greed.  He is still in the temple.  There, He sits down in the area where the people come to give their offerings for the upkeep of the temple.  In this place were either 11 or 13 funnel shaped containers.  These containers were each labeled for a particular need in the temple.  All together, they were called the treasury.  The people came and cast money into these various containers, giving their offerings for the needs of the temple.

The wealthy had been casting in their pieces of brass money; the poor widow came and cast in two of the smallest coins.  Her two mites were considered the very least a poor person could give.  Her total offering today would amount to less than a penny.  After she had given these two mites, Jesus called His disciples together and commended her offering.

By the way, the treasury (verse 41) was the court in the temple for the collection-boxes.  This is the repository of those things that are mentioned as being “corban,” a consecrated present to the Temple fund, as found in:

* Mark 7:11, “But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.”

* Matthew 27:6, “And the chief priests took the silver pieces, and said, It is not lawful for to put them into the treasury, because it is the price of blood.”

What can a poor widow teach us today?

1.  She came to the place where Jesus was.

- “Poor widow” refers to “a widow who worked for what she had.”

- Many in her same situation today might say that Sunday is the only day of the week to get house work done.  Therefore, church is out of the schedule.

- Not this poor widow!  She kept her priorities in line even though her situation might demand otherwise.

* “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.” (Hebrews 10:25)

2.  She did more than she had to.

- According to many Scriptures, widows are the ones who are to be cared for.

- Yet, this poor woman took upon herself the responsibility of caring for the needs of the temple.

- We can learn to do more than just what is expected in the Lord’s work.  Going the second mile is a great but forgotten truth!

3.  She gave when it took effort to do so.

- Notice Mark 12:41-42, “And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.  And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.”

- In the words “cast” and “threw,” God preserves, both denotation and connotation.

* “Cast” would imply easily tossing something away from you.

* “Threw” would imply effort.  A $10.00 bill appears larger to a person with less than it does to a person with much.

- Sometimes, we must do that which is hard for us to do.  Remember, the road to destruction is smooth and wide.  The right road is narrow and some times  rough.

4.  She sets a wonderful example for us to follow in giving.

- Jesus did not condemn the rich for what they gave.  Their giving was very commendable.

- However, they gave from their abundance, the widow gave all she had.

- If so-and-so has $100.00 and gives $10.00, and I have $10.00 and give $10.00, in principle, I have given more.

- The amount of the gift is not as important as the spirit in which it is given.

- It is not what we give that proves sacrificial giving, but rather, what we have left over.

* This is why the offerings at Timberline are so precious to me as the pastor.  Big offerings in a small and poor church means sacrifice.  Are you a Christian who sacrifices?  Do you cast or throw what you give?

5.  She is commended publicly but not personally.

- Jesus was not speaking directly to her, but about her to others.

- “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)

- Too many Christians these days want public recognition for their great sacrifices in the Lord’s work.  Some even desire a pat on the back.  Shame on them!

- “Why, I put a $5,000 check in the plate, and Preacher hasn’t said anything to me yet.  He must not appreciate my money!”  Hog wash!  Your $5,000 check is only bigger than a child’s penny, not more important.

Conclusion:  This woman unknowingly captured the Lord’s attention.  In doing so, the rest of us may benefit from her good example.  Is this a lesson on giving?  Some might think so, but it is more a lesson on priorities.  May we all learn from the poor widow and her sacrificial, less than a penny, offering.

James 2:17-26

September 9, 2018

Introduction:  On August 26, I brought a message entitled, Do You Know What You Believe?  Today, I want to bring the other side of that message entitled, Do You Believe What You Know?  If you already know something, does that mean that you already believe it?

* Not necessarily because, the truth is, you really only believe that which moves you to action.

The passage we just read in James 2 contains some of the most misinterpreted and misunderstood verses in all of the Word of God.  Some use them to try and prove that there is more to receiving God’s gift of eternal life than just trusting Christ as Saviour.  James 2:26 says, “Faith without works is dead.”  Let’s clear up the controversy.

The book of Romans, among others, tells us how to be justified, that is, declared righteous, before God.  In other words, how to get to Heaven.

- Romans 3:24 “Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:”

- Galatians 2:16 “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

- Galatians 2:21 “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”

- Psalm 51:16, 17 “For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.”

- Romans 4:2-5 “For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

- Ephesians 2:8, 9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

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

- Acts 16:30, 31 “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”

- Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

- Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

The book of James, on the other hand, tells us how to be justified before men, that is, how to “let our light so shine before men, that they may see our good works and glorify our Father which is in Heaven!”

- James 2:18 “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”

While it is true that God looks upon my heart, others look at my life.  This is key to understanding what James is saying.

Now, back to the message at hand.  Do you believe what you know, for you really only believe that which moves you to action?

1.  What do you believe about eternity?

- If you know that there is a real Heaven and a real Hell, you should show others that you believe it by being a witness.

- For example, the Word of God mentions both Heaven and Hell in Luke 16:19-31, “There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.”

- We are to warn those who are not saved that there is a Hell to shun and a Heaven to gain whether they believe it or not.  There are no unbelievers in Hell today!

2.  What do you believe about having a good testimony?

- If you know that you should live for the Lord, you should show others that you believe it by actually living for the Lord.

* 2 Corinthians 5:10, 11 “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. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.”

* Romans 6:22, 23 “But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

* Romans 8:6 “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”

3.  Do you believe that Jesus loves you?

- If you know that Jesus loves you, you should show others that you believe it by loving others in His stead.

* 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. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

* James 2:1 “My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons.”

* Ephesians 4:32 “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

Conclusion:  Do any of us really believe what we say that we know?  We certainly must put actions to our words!

Mark 12:28-31

August 29, 2018

Introduction:  By way of a quick review, in Mark 12, so far Jesus has told a parable and answered questions about paying taxes and about the resurrection.

In this study, He identifies the two most important commandments found in all of Scripture.

What are the greatest commandments?  They are found here in Mark 12:28-31, “…Which is the first commandment of all? And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”

- On them hang all the Law and the Prophets, “On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 22:40)

- Everything God says hinges on them.

There are three imperatives found in these commandments:

1.  Keep the Lord first in everything.

- God never wanted His people to stray from Him, so the greatest thing He could say to them was something that would keep them from straying away.

- God, in His wisdom, knew the only way this would happen would be if His people kept Him first in every aspect of their lives.

- This principle is taught throughout the Bible, but perhaps, is most notable in Matthew 6:33, “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”

- Many there be who want the best that life has to offer, yet they are not willing to do what it takes to have God’s best.

* They want food, clothing, provision, and wealth, but they are not willing to follow God’s formula for having all their needs met.

- The formula is simple:  seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and everything else will come in time.

- If this is the formula, and provision and blessing are promised, then it would only make sense to follow the formula.

* Keep Him first every day.  Often, the Bible speaks of God’s people meeting God early in the morning.  However, this speaks of more than an early quiet time with God.  This means making God first in every aspect of your life every single day.  Seeking God first means more than meeting Him in the morning.

* Keep Him first in everything.  Simply put, God doesn’t want only the morning time; He wants to be considered in every aspect of your life.

* Keep Him first by choosing righteousness.  It is said of Jesus that He had the power of God on His life because of His love for righteousness, “Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” (Hebrews 1:9)  Notice that Jesus loved righteousness and hated iniquity.

- The first and greatest thing I can tell you is to love God more than you love anything, more than you love everything!

2.  Keep others in proper perspective.

- We should willingly invest our lives in others, but we should never let others influence us away from our First Love.

- To love God first and foremost means others cannot be allowed to pull us away from Him.

- Some are people-oriented.  These people will often sacrifice everything, including that which is right, for the sake of pleasing others.

- Jesus lived for others, but Jesus did not compromise for others.  Jesus not only lived for others, but He also died for others.  Even His dying words from Calvary’s cross were directed at helping others.

- However, others must be kept in proper perspective.  Do not throw your life away by spending your life unwisely pleasing others.  If pleasing others stands in the way of your pleasing the Lord and loving Him with all of your heart, soul, mind, and strength, then others are not in proper perspective.

* God wants us to love Him with all our heart.  If your heart is given to others before your heart is given to God, then your heart is out of perspective.

* God wants us to love Him with all our soul.  If your feelings are given to others before your feelings are given to God, then your soul is out of perspective.

* God wants us to love Him with all our mind.  If your thinking is given to others before your thinking is given to God, then your mind is out of perspective.

* God wants us to love Him with all our strength.  If your physical strength is given to others before your physical strength is given to God, then your strength is out of perspective.

- It will be interesting to note here that the phrase “all thy” in verse 30 literally means “thy whole.”  That which causes many to go astray is a lack of giving the whole to God first and foremost.

3.  Love yourself properly.

- Often, when God’s people get the first two out of perspective, they end up losing respect for themselves.  And what usually gets them into trouble with the first two is loving themselves more than God and others.

- Life is not all about you; life is all about God.

- He gave us our breath to breathe for Him and our strength to work for Him and our abilities to use for Him.  He created us for His honor and glory, but, often, what we become falls short of that goal.

- You must love yourself enough to choose right over wrong, and God over everything else.

Conclusion:  From time-to-time, even God’s best choose wrongly.  Two examples come to mind immediately:

- David, the man after God’s own heart, made some devastating choices; yet he came back to serve and to love the Lord with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength.

- The Apostle Paul chose to deliberately disobey the direct leading of the Holy Spirit by going to Jerusalem despite have been given five warnings not to go.  Yet, Paul spent the rest of his life proving what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

- The Apostle Peter took his eyes off Jesus and got everything completely out of perspective.  The difference between Peter and many today is the fact that he came back and served and loved God with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength.

The truth is, many of Jesus’ followers veered from the right path sometime during their lives, but they had it in perspective and came back only to serve the Lord fully with the whole of their hearts, the whole of their souls, the whole of their minds, and the whole of their strength.

Those who never came back never loved God supremely.  Those who came back learned firsthand of the importance of the Bible’s greatest commandment, Mark 12:30-31, “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.”

Finally, if loving the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength is the greatest commandment in the Word of God, what then is the greatest sin one can commit?

Proverbs 24:21-22

September 2, 2018

Introduction:  Proverbs 24:21 is a powerful verse, “My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change.”

- To “meddle” means “to mingle; to mingle one’s self, to flow (to go with the flow); to confuse by mixing things together that are different; to interweave, a mixture.”

In a nutshell, by saying “meddle not,” God is saying not to mix things that are different.  Don’t get tangled up with the wrong things.

Proverbs 24:21 is only one of a few verses in the Bible which speaks of entanglement with those whom we should not be entangled.  There are many commands in the Bible about our involvement with the world and those who do wrongly.  For example:

- When the children of Israel were passing through the wilderness on their way to the Promised Land, God commanded them, “Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession.” (Deuteronomy 2:5)

- Concerning associations with worldly people, God says, “Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)

- We are to avoid those who teach falsely, “For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist. Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward. Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed.” (2 John 1:7-11)

- We are to avoid divisive and rebellious Christians, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.” (Romans 16:17)

- Paul advises young Timothy to avoid entanglement with the world, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” (2 Timothy 2:4)

The command not to mingle with those who are given to change is clearly given that we are not to meddle in areas that are not our business.

1.  Meddling increases our desire for wrong thing.

- Deuteronomy 2:5 says, “Meddle not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as a foot breadth; because I have given mount Seir unto Esau for a possession.”

- About whose land was God speaking?  It was the land of Esau and his children.

- These were descendants from the same family.  Remember, Jacob and Esau were brothers, but Jacob had God’s blessing, and Esau sold his birthright for a bowl of red soup.

- God knew that His people would desire the things of Esau’s land if they were to get entangled with Esau’s people.

- Familiarity [with the wrong thing] does not always breed contempt.  Sometimes, it breeds a great attraction.

* For example, the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh decided it was best not to enter the Promised Land and chose to remain in the wilderness on this side of Jordan.  If you hang around the wilderness long enough, your desire for the Promised Land will diminish!

- God makes it clear that if His people meddled with Esau’s children, that they would eventually desire their land, “…for I will not give you of their land…”  

- One might say, “But Esau was family, and what’s wrong with mingling with family members?”  Sometimes family members desire the wrong things.  God knew that meddling with Esau and his descendants would create a desire for a good land but “the wrong land.”

- God had a better plan for Jacob and his people.  God’s people were headed for the Promised Land.  This was far better than Esau’s land, and it was God’s will.  For God’s people to have accepted anything less than the Promised Land, would have been a great compromise.

- Many today meddle in good things that are simply not the will of God for them.  For example:

* There is nothing wrong with getting a good job and making good money, but if it is not God’s will for you to do so, then it is wrong for you.  Many young people today miss God’s will in order to make a buck.

* There is nothing wrong with a beautiful house and a nice car, but if these things are not God’s will for you, then they are wrong for you.  I wonder how many people have discarded the will of God for houses and lands?

- Even though Esau was family, God commanded His people not to meddle with them.  Entanglement almost always means compromise.

2.  Meddling blinds us to the truth.

- Proverbs 20:19 says, “He that goeth about as a talebearer revealeth secrets: therefore meddle not with him that flattereth with his lips.”

- Flattery is excessive or insincere praise.  There is a certain danger that comes to those who meddle with those who flatter.

- Most people cannot handle two things well, criticism and praise.

* Criticism is hard for all of us to take.  We never know quite how to react to one who levels criticism our way.  If we are not careful, we will let criticism destroy us.

* Praise is something most all of us want, but when it comes, we don’t know what to do with it.  After a while, many Christians begin to believe the praise that is spoken about them.  Again, if we are not careful, we will let praise destroy us.

- If a Christian gets involved with a person who only flatters them, they will, after a while, overlook what bad they may bring.

- In another ministry a number of years ago, there was a teenage girl in our youth group who was quite a flatterer.  Her praise was quite insincere, but I did not know that at the time.  Another teenager came to visit us at that time, and having met her, pulled me aside privately and said, “That girl is trouble.  She’s two-faced.”  I said, “What?”  She then proceeded to tell me that she was a sham.  I said to her that she had to be wrong and that she was a good girl.  She then said to me, “You mark my words, she’s trouble.”  It didn’t take long to find out the truth.  She was right.  This girl was trouble and as two-faced as she could be.  When people treat you nicely, it can blind you to their sins.  I wondered how a teenager could make such a precise judgment when she had only met this teen one time.  Her judgment was good, because her eyes were not blinded.

- It is just good sense not to get involved with a flatterer.

3.  Meddling causes us to change.

- Proverbs 24:21 says, “My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change.”

- You have heard me say this before, but YOU are not the one to ask if YOU have changed.  Most of the time, you will never see the changes that you have made.

- If we entangle our lives with those who are constantly changing their positions, we will change right along with them.

- God’s command remains the same.  We are not to mingle, that is, interweave our lives with those who make potentially dangerous changes.

- This is why you hear me say from time to time that I will not get involved in new-evangelical, charismatic, inter-denominational, non-denominational groups.  I will not be a part of the local ministerial association (assassination).  Why?  Because they’ve changed in their beliefs, and I don’t want to change along with them.

* If I entangle my life with those who deny the things that I believe are Biblically right, then I will eventually change and become just like them.  If I don’t change and become just like them, I may begin to simply tolerate their false and heretical teachings.

* This is why I never got involved with the Moral Majority of the early ’70’s.  I did not want to have to sit across the table from a Mormon or Jehovah’s Witness or new-evangelical who shared my political view but not my Christian view.  Years ago, Dr. Jack Hyles said, “If you sit across the table from a liberal long enough, you may start to like him.”  He was right. (In many ways, because liberals do not want to offend, they are nicer than we are.)

Conclusion:  Let me take you back to the advice that the wise Apostle Paul gave to a young and inexperienced pastor named Timothy, “No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.” (2 Timothy 2:4)  In other words, if it had to do with the world, Paul advised Timothy not to get entangled with it.

I think of Lester Roloff who was offered the state’s help with his homes for wayward kids.  He refused the money and said, “Shekels mean shackles.”  Entanglement can bring you to destruction.   Let me ask you a question, with whom and what do you meddle?  You become like that with which you meddle.

Psalm 119:57-64

September 2, 2018

Introduction:  The word “midnight” appears 14 times in the Word of God:

- Exodus 11:4 “And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt:” (first born to die)

- Exodus 12:29 “And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.” (first born dead)

- Judges 16:3 “And Samson lay till midnight, and arose at midnight, and took the doors of the gate of the city, and the two posts, and went away with them, bar and all, and put them upon his shoulders, and carried them up to the top of an hill that is before Hebron.”(evil plotting against Samson)

- Ruth 3:8 “And it came to pass at midnight, that the man was afraid, and turned himself: and, behold, a woman lay at his feet.” (Boaz was afraid)

- 1 Kings 3:20 “And she arose at midnight, and took my son from beside me, while thine handmaid slept, and laid it in her bosom, and laid her dead child in my bosom.” (one baby dies, one is stolen)

- Job 34:20 “In a moment shall they die, and the people shall be troubled at midnight, and pass away: and the mighty shall be taken away without hand.” (trouble and death)

- Psalm 119:62 “At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments.” (I will rise and pray)

- Matthew 25:6 “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.” (the bridegroom came; five were ready, five were not)

- Mark 13:35 “Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:” (Jesus will come when no man expects it)

- Luke 11:5 “And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;” (a friend in need)

- Acts 16:25 “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.” (Paul and Silas in prison, then came the earthquake)

- Acts 20:7 “And upon the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.” (Eutychus died)

- Acts 27:27 “But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country;” (shipwreck)

Here we find 13 verses where “midnight” is mentioned 14 times, each a time of crisis.

1.  All of us will have our times of midnight.

- When pains are greater.

- When fears are stronger.

- When the future is unsure.

- When disappointments are more numerous.

- When burdens are greater.

- When temptations are stronger.

- When answers are fewer.

- Believers are being attacked today in many areas;

* Personally

* Morally

* Financially

* Family

- The church is under attack these days as well.

* Don’t witness.

* Don’t evangelize.

* Don’t even pass out Gospel tracts.

* Don’t pray or mention the name of Jesus.

- All these and more are times of midnight.

2.  What to do when midnight comes. - Psalm 119:62

- Rise; get up!  You have no business as a believer being down “under the circumstances” for long.

* The prodigal son said, “I will arise…”

* Proverbs 24:16 “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.”

* Psalm 37:23, 24 “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.”

- Give thanks. - Psalm 119:62

* 1 Corinthians 15:57 “But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

* 2 Corinthians 2:14 “Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place.”

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

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

* Colossians 3:17 “And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.”

* 1 Thessalonians 5:17, 18 “Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”

- Know that God is working on  you. - James 1:2-3

* 1 Peter 1:7 “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”

* What a comfort to know that God has a purpose for each and every midnight!

Conclusion:  There may be some here today who are facing their midnight.  How are you responding to it?  Just remember, it is always darkest before the dawn, and midnight comes before dawn.

1 Kings 18:20-21

August 26, 2018

Introduction:  An interesting question, don’t you think, “How long halt ye between two opinions?”  Do you know what you believe and why you believe it?  In someone from a cup were to try to persuade you to change your belief, would you be able to say, “Thus saith the Lord”?

No one has learned it all, and no one has all knowledge, but there are some basics that every believer ought to know inside and out.

1.  Know what you believe about salvation. - Galatians 3:1

- These early believers had been bewitched, that is, charm, misled and led astray by some false teachers that had crept not the churches of Galatia.

- There are basically only two religions in the world:

* One is “do” saying that you must live a particular way if you are ever going to make it into Heaven.  The Bible says, Titus 3:5 “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;”

* The other is “done” which says that Jesus paid it all and one goes to Heaven when he dies by trusting Jesus as his personal Saviour.  The Bible says, Ephesians 2:8 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”

- Notice the following passages of Scripture that actually teach this:

* Galatians 2:16 “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.”

* Galatians 2:21 “I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain.”

* Acts 16:30, 31 “And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”

* Romans 4:5 “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.”

2.  Know what you believe about baptism.

- Does it save a person by washing away their sins?  Many teach that in order to go to Heaven, you must be baptized.

- The Word of God addresses what baptism actually does in 1 Peter 3:21, “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:”

- Concerning baptism, here are some simple questions and answers:

1.  Who should be baptized?

- One who believes in Jesus with all his heart, “Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.” (Acts 8:35-38)

- Never in the Bible do we have an account of a baby being baptized.  There is not one mention anywhere in the Bible of baptism having the ability to wash away sin.  Never was anyone ever baptized until he first came to faith in Jesus Christ.  When Philip witnessed to the Ethiopian man, he was ready to be baptized.  However,  Philip made sure that he was a believer before he baptized him.  Baptism is for believers only.

2.  When should one be baptized?

- After he is saved, “And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.” (Acts 8:37)

- Soon after he is saved.  Throughout the New Testament, believers were baptized on the same day that they were saved.

* “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” (Acts 2:41)

* “And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.” (Acts 8:38)

* “Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.” (Acts 10:47-48)

* “…Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway.” (Acts 16:30-33)

3.  How should one be baptized?

- The Bible teaches that baptism is ONLY by immersion.

- The Greek word “baptizo” used in the Bible, is the word translated “baptize,” which means “to immerse, to dip or to submerge.”

- This is the way Jesus was baptized.  Matthew 3:13-17, “Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

- This was practiced throughout the New Testament.  John 3:23, “And John also was baptizing in Aenon near to Salim, because there was much water there: and they came, and were baptized,”  and Acts 8:38, “And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.”

- Why immersion?  Because it is the only form of baptism that pictures Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection accurately, which is the true meaning of baptism.   Romans 6:3-5, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 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. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.”

4.  Why should one be baptized?

- The Bible commands it, Acts 2:37-38, “Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

- The local church is commanded to baptize believers, Matthew 28:18-20, “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

- When sinners gladly received the Word of God, they were baptized, Acts 2:41, “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.”

3.  Know what you believe about good works.

- Since we are not save by our works, what part do they play in the Christian life?

* Ephesians 2:8-10 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

* Ephesians 1:4 “According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:”

* 1 Timothy 3:7 “Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”

* John 15:8 “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”

* 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.”

* Matthew 5:16 “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

- Believers ought to do what is right.

* John 14:15 “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

* John 15:14 “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.”

Conclusion:  Are you biblically saved?  Have you been Scripturally baptized?  Are you doing good works because you are saved?  Do you know what you believe and why you believe it?

Mark 12:18-27

August 22, 2018

Introduction:  The Jewish leaders are confronting Jesus in regard to the paying of tribute in Mark 12:13-17.  They ask, “…Master, we know that thou art true, and carest for no man: for thou regardest not the person of men, but teachest the way of God in truth: Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?” (Mark 12:14)

The answer Jesus gave was astonishing to them, “…But he, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye me? bring me a penny, that I may see it. And they brought it. And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription? And they said unto him, Caesar’s. And Jesus answering said unto them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s. And they marvelled at him.” (Mark 12:15-17)

Now, the Sadducees ask Him concerning marriage in the resurrection in Mark 12:18-27.

Their silly example Mark 12:18-23, “Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If a man’s brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. Now there were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed. And the second took her, and died, neither left he any seed: and the third likewise. And the seven had her, and left no seed: last of all the woman died also. In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife.”  They demand to know to which husband a wife will be married in Heaven if she has been married seven times while on earth!

This may have been the inspiration for the 1910 British Music Hall song by Fred Murray and R.P. Weston, I’m Henery the Eighth, I Am:

However, when I read this passage out of Mark 12, I am also reminded of a humorous writing entitled, The Ordination of Uncle Zeke:

Down in the deep south lived a colored man known in his county as “Uncle Zeke.”  He became a Christian and began to give his testimony and fill the pulpits of some of the churches in that area.  He decided that if he was going to be a preacher, he should be ordained.

Accordingly, the preachers were called together in a council, and ordination proceeded to get under way.

One of the preachers asked the question, “Uncle Zeke, does you know de Bible?”

“Does I know de Bible!  Man, I knows de Bible from lid to lid, and I knows de lid too, ‘cause it says ‘Holy Bible.’”

Another preacher asked, “What’s yo’ favorite book of de Bible?”

“Well, I likes de book of Luke de best ‘cause it contains de parable of de good Samaritan.”

“One of the preachers said, ‘Suppose you tells us the story of de good Samaritan.’”

“Oh, yeah, there was a man going down de road from Jerusalem to Jericho.  As he went down de road, he fell amon thieves, and immediately de thorns rose up and choke him a hundred fold: but the angel of the Lawd strove with him and sit him free.  Now about that time, the Queen Aseba, she come by and give that man 30 pieces of silver.  With that 30 pieces of silver he went out and bought hisself a schariot.  He got in de schariot and drove furiously until he come to Jupurant tree which he caught his hair in de branches der of, and der he hung many days and many nights, and the ravens brought him food ta eat and water ta drink.  Till finally, one night, Delilah come cut his hair off; and when he fell, he fell on stony ground—some 30 fold, some 60 fold, and some a hundred fold.

“When he looked up, he saw a cloud what wudn’t no beggah than a mustard seed.  And it commenst to rainin’ forty days and forty nights.  But de Lawd prepared za great fish what swallowed him up for de duration of de great tribulation.  Now when de seven years was complete, that fish spit him out.  When de Lawd had done fed him on manna and quail, he came up out of de cave and when he looked down he saw a great big giant—yeah, it was Golia, but he passed by on de other side.

“As he went down the road further, there was a man what told him to come get his supper.  He said, ‘Man, I can’t come git my supper.  I married a wife and I can’t come.’  That man went into de highways and byways and compel him git his supper.  After he had eaten sumptiously, he said, ‘Did not my heart burn within me?’

“And he perceeded down the road and came to Jercho.  He seen Jezebel up in de winder.  He looked around and said, ‘Who is on de Lawd’s side?’  They said, ‘We is!’  He said, ‘Flang her down boys,’ and they flang her down.  He said, ‘Flang her down again, boys,’ and they flang her down again.  He said, ‘Flang her down again,’ and they flang her down again.  He said, ‘Flang her down again!’  They took that gal to the top of the pinnacle of the Temple, and they flang that gal down 70 times 7, and of the fragments that remained, they picked up twelve baskets full.

“Now, they’s just one question I’d like to ask this council.”

“Uh, what that, Uncle Zeke?”

“Who’s wife she gonna be in the last days of judgment?”

Enough of the tomfoolery for now…

Jesus now answers the Sadducees with Scripture, steering them away from their foolish human reasoning.

Concerning the resurrection of the dead, Jesus said this in Mark 12:24-25, “…Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God? For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven. And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto him, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.”

- Contrary to the false belief of the Sadducees, there will be a resurrection!

- Any one can be sincere in their belief and still be sincerely wrong.

- Sincerely wrong belief does not change the truth in any situation.

* Like the sun revolving around the earth.

* Like the flat earth theory.

* Like the earth being the center of the known universe.

* Like spontaneous generation.

* Like macro-evolution.

* Like life doesn’t begin at conception.

- We believe in the bodily resurrection of the saved and the unsaved, the everlasting blessedness of the saved in Heaven, and the everlasting punishment of the lost in Hell.  Check out these passages of Scripture:

* Matthew 25:31-46

* Luke 16:19-31

* 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18

* Revelation 21:1-8

- There will be no marriage in the resurrection!

* Matthew 22:30, “For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven.”

* Luke 20:35, 36, “But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.”

Conclusion:  Dispelling false doctrine is made simple with a good knowledge of the Scriptures.  The little phrase “it is written” is found 80 times in the Word of God.  This was Jesus’ chief tool in combatting Lucifer and false teachers.  No wonder the Bible says,

- John 5:39, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”

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

Ezekiel 3:17-21

August 26, 2018

Introduction:  The Word of God teaches very clearly the eternal security of the believer.  It is not eternal faith that appropriates salvation, rather, it is faith that appropriates eternal salvation.

- John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

- John 6:37 “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.”

- John 10:27-29 “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”

- 1 Peter 1:3-5 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

This doctrinal truth draws much criticism.  They say it is just a ticket to sin.

The Bible teaches that biblical salvation brings about a changed life:

- 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.”

- 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

- Ephesians 4:22-32 “That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

- Colossians 3:5-10 “Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience: In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him:”

The Bible also teaches that believers can backslide:

- Romans 7:15-25 “For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.”

- 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 “It is reported commonly that there is fornication among you, and such fornication as is not so much as named among the Gentiles, that one should have his father’s wife. And ye are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he that hath done this deed might be taken away from among you. For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed, In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, when ye are gathered together, and my spirit, with the power of our Lord Jesus Christ, To deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. I wrote unto you in an epistle not to company with fornicators: Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.”

The Bible also teaches that believers cannot get away with willful sin:

- Hebrews 12:5-11 “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”

- Ezekiel 3:17-21 “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me. When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul. Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless if thou warn the righteous man, that the righteous sin not, and he doth not sin, he shall surely live, because he is warned; also thou hast delivered thy soul.”

From these passages of Scripture, are there any lessons we can learn?

1.  Believers are kept by the power of God.

2.  Believers can never be lost.

3.  Believers can turn from their righteousness:

- Ezekiel 3:20 “Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.”

4.  Believers can lose their rewards:

- Ezekiel 3:20 “Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.”

- Ezekiel 33:13 “When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity that he hath committed, he shall die for it.”

Conclusion:  Truthfully, eternal security is not a ticket to sin.  “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.” (Hebrews 12:6)  Eternal security is a guarantee that God will not let His children willfully sin without consequence!

Proverbs 5:21-23

August 26, 2007

Introduction:  How is it that a good Christian will fall away from being close to the Lord and headlong into sin?  Have you known Christians like this?

- They used to be faithful.

- They used to go to church.

- They used to not miss a church service; Sunday school, Sunday AM, Sunday PM, mid-week prayer meeting and Bible study, revival meetings, etc.

- They used to teach a Sunday school class.

- They used to work a bus route.

- They used to go soul winning.

- They used to be called of God.

- They used to want God’s will for their lives.

- They used to read their Bibles.

- They used to pray.

- They used to sing.

- They used to walk the aisle.

- They used to be good Christians.

No Christian simply “falls into sin.”  No person, saved or unsaved, just falls into anything that is bad.  No pastor, no layman, no servant of God ever just suddenly finds himself in sin.  It happens to the business man the same way it happens to a child.  It happens to a preacher the same way it happens to a layman.

Proverbs 5:22 compares sin and the allurement of sin to cords indicating that it may take many cords to hold you, “His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.”

- Here, call for a volunteer, and illustrate this with him and some string.

- Sin and the allurement of sin is the same way.

* One thread is easy to break, but many tiny strands of string are nearly impossible to break.

* Little sins, left uncared for, will bind a person until it is impossible to get loose!

There are familiar examples in Scripture:

1.  Conviction. - Proverbs 5:3-11

- The immediate context is that of the “strange woman.”  Proverbs 5:3-11 says, “For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, and her mouth is smoother than oil: But her end is bitter as wormwood, sharp as a twoedged sword. Her feet go down to death; her steps take hold on hell. Lest thou shouldest ponder the path of life, her ways are moveable, that thou canst not know them. Hear me now therefore, O ye children, and depart not from the words of my mouth. Remove thy way far from her, and come not nigh the door of her house: Lest thou give thine honour unto others, and thy years unto the cruel: Lest strangers be filled with thy wealth; and thy labours be in the house of a stranger; And thou mourn at the last, when thy flesh and thy body are consumed.”

- It has been said that “The best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.”  Not so according to this passage.  When David taught Solomon this truth, he understood that the best way to a man’s heart is through his associations!

- What kind of woman is this strange woman?  There are two words in the Old Testament that are used for “strange.”  Here, the word refers to an Israelite woman who had gone over to the idolatrous impurities of heathen religion and then returned home with her new beliefs and a plan to proselyte.

- The warning here is not one of morality only, but one of faith and the purity of that belief.  You see, the quickest way to a man’s heart is through his associations!

- If you run with the wrong crowd, you will soon be critical of what you once defended as Gospel truth!

* The strange woman was not always strange.

* Something turned her from what she once believed and taught.

* She will always find someone else to fill with her discontent and lies.

* She will change you from what you are to what she is.  YOU CANNOT BE BOTH.

- This woman left what was right and now does her best to get you to leave also.  She makes it sound appealing and makes what you believe sound un-appealing.

* I see this woman as a person who, at one time, was a very happy person and strong in her faith, perhaps even a strongly vocal advocate of her beliefs.  Then, something happened.  Now, she has turned her back on what is right and has gone headlong into her apostasy.

* David warned Solomon that he could easily be influenced by this kind of woman.  Her appeal to change him would not seem bad but like honey dripping from the comb.  Her words would be as smooth as oil.

2.  Honesty. - Joshua 7:20-21

- Achan’s process for change is wrapped up in these three statements:

* “I saw.”

* “I coveted.”

* “I took.”

- You may be able to break free from one dishonest business dealing now, but you will not be able to easily break free later on.

3.  Gambling. - Proverbs 15:27

- This is descriptive of the gambler no matter how little or much he does.

- Lotto, Keno, Lottery, Power Ball, Horse Races, Dog Tracks, Bingo, Slot Machines (one-armed bandits), Poker, Black Jack, Cripple Creek, Black Hawk, Central City, etc.

- At first, you choose to go because you want to; then, you go because you have to!

4.  Addictions. - Ephesians 5:18

- Paul said, “All things are lawful [available] unto me, but all things are not expedient [profitable]: all things are lawful [available] for me, but I will not be brought under the power [control] of any.” (1 Corinthians 6:12)

- Other than Fetal Alcohol Syndrome brought on in newborns by unwise moms, no one becomes an alcoholic or drug addict without taking the first drink or popping the first pill or smoking the first joint.  (What is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome?  When a woman drinks alcohol during pregnancy, she risks giving birth to a child who will be born with full-blown fetal alcohol syndrome.)

* At first, you hold the bottle; then, it holds you!  At first, you take the drugs; then, they take you!

- It is the same with tobacco and nicotine.

* At first, you hold it between your fingers; then, it holds onto you!

- What is the answer?  Is there hope?  Yes, there is an answer; and, yes, there is hope!

* John 8:32 says, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

* John 8:36 says, “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.”  Amen, and amen!

- Here, use a sharp knife, and cut the “cords of sin.”

* To the saved, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

* To the unsaved, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

Conclusion:  For what it’s worth, the word “cord” also carries with it the idea of a “band of or company of people.”  The wrong crowd can be as addictive as any of the things mentioned in this message.

- No wonder the Psalmist said, “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.” (Psalm 1:1)

- No wonder Paul penned, “Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.” (1 Corinthians 15:33)

Are you tied up at the moment?  Is this the reason you can’t seem to go forward and make any progress?  Are you “holden with the cords of sin”?  Say “yes” to God today, and the Son shall make you free!

Luke 7:31-35

August 19, 2018

Introduction:  In 1910, John Wilbur Chapman, a Presbyterian evangelist, penned the words to one of our best-loved hymns, Jesus!  What a Friend for Sinners!

The very first line of this great hymn is taken from Luke 7:34, “The Son of man is come eating and drinking; and ye say, Behold a gluttonous man, and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and sinners!”  What a wonderful accusation, “… a friend of publicans and sinners!”

You see, we need help.  Anything left to itself will, in time, decay.  Man, left to himself, will also decay.  Sin never gets better; it only goes deeper.

- Genesis 6:5 “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”

- Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”

- Psalm 14:1-3 “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”

We are all born with a sin nature.  Man never has to be taught to do evil, only how to do it more efficiently.  Romans 5:12 says, “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”

Even with all this against us, we still have something for us…the fact that God loves us!  God loves all kinds of sinners.  That’s good news because in this room, there are all kinds of sinners.

First of all:

1.  God loves unsaved sinners.

- What is an unsaved sinner?  One who has never, by faith, received God’s gift of eternal salvation.

- If you were to die today, where would you spend eternity?  After all, everyone will spend eternity some place, either Heaven or Hell.  There is no in between.

- Does God really love all sinners?

* John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

* 1 John 3:16 “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”

* Romans 5:6-8 “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

- God loved sinners so much that He did something about it.

- This is why the Word of God plainly states that we can know for sure that we have eternal life.  Note what 1 John 5:10-13 says, “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

- Not only did He tell us we can know we have eternal life, but also told us how we can know in Romans 10:9-13 “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

- Then He tells us the best time to be saved in 2 Corinthians 6:2 “For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”

* Have you ever personally called upon the name of the Lord so you can be saved?

Secondly:

2.  God loves saved sinners.

- The difference between a lost sinner and a save sinner is Jesus!

- Christians are not perfect in any way, BUT they are forgiven!

- When you turn away from God’s will and sin, what should you do?

* 1 John 1:7-9 “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. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

* 1 John 2:1, 2 “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”

- If you could lose God’s gift of eternal salvation, it would not be eternal and that alone would make God a liar.  John 10:28, 29 state, “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”

- You can lose fellowship with God, though.

* Psalm 66:18 “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:”

* Isaiah 59:1, 2 “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.”

* John 9:31 “Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.”

- There is a wonderful promise in the Word for God for saved sinners who wander from the fold, James 4:8 “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you…”

Conclusion:  What kind of sinner are you today, lost or saved?  Do  you need to get saved or get right?  Regardless, Jesus has chosen to be your friend!  Just as John Wilber Chapman penned:

Psalm 37:3-5; Proverbs 3:5-6

August 12, 2018

Introduction:  Many good things are happening right now in America.  No one can honestly deny that America is stronger now on many fronts than she has been in a long time.

- The economy

- Jobs and wages

- America’s presence on the world stage

- The military

- Even the stock market

- On the list could go.

Along with the good, we are seeing more and more homeless people whether legitimate or not.  Both legal and illicit drugs have become more rampant than ever.

Depending on which side of the political fence you’re on, it is as Charles Dickens penned, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.”

I happen to believe that things are on the up-swing.  However, in all honesty, it could all vanish in a single moment of time.

Our opening texts give us an old-fashioned remedy should those difficult days befall us once again…TRUST IN THE LORD!

- “Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass.” (Psalm 37:3-5)

- “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5, 6)

I’m here to tell you, the Lord can be trusted.  He is faithful and has never broken a single promise He has made!

- Titus 1:2 “In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;”

- Hebrews 6:18 “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:”

- Psalm 61:1-3 “Hear my cry, O God; attend unto my prayer. From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong tower from the enemy.”

A shelter is the place into which you can run from any danger, any fierce storm, and any bad circumstance.  Because of that fact, you can trust Him!

1.  Trust in the shelter of His salvation. - Psalm 3:8

- Acts 4:12 “Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.”

- There be many that say that getting to Heaven is like traveling to a city such as Colorado Springs or Denver, Colorado.  They say that many roads lead to the same place and all roads lead to Rome.

- There are many religions but only one way to Heaven.  Everyone can’t be right, only Jesus is right!  One may be sincere, but he can be sincerely wrong, Jesus said in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”

* Not a way, a truth, or a life, but THE way, THE truth, and THE life!

2.  Trust in the shelter of His provision. - Psalm 37:3

- There are many wonderful promises throughout Scripture that speak clearly about how God provides.  Just to name a few:

* Luke 6:38 “Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.”

* Philippians 4:19 “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

* Psalm 84:11 “For the LORD God is a sun and shield: the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.”

* Psalm 112:5-9 “A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance. He shall not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. His heart is established, he shall not be afraid, until he see his desire upon his enemies. He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour.”

* Proverbs 3:9, 10 “Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase: So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”

- He knows each and every need of each and every person here today, Matthew 6:8 “Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.”

3.  Trust in the shelter of His protection. - Psalm 91:4

- When Satan attacks with temptation.

- When sickness come in testing.

- When persecution threatens in trial.

* Call out to the Lord for His protection, “O, God, help me, protect me, protect my family!”

- Learn to cry out to God for His protection.

- When the Apostle Peter stepped out of the boat and started to sink, he cried out to Jesus for help, and immediately the Lord was there to pull him out of the deep waters that surrounded him.

- Psalm 34:6 “This poor man cried, and the LORD heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.”

Conclusion:  Vernon J. Charlesworth penned the lyrics to A Shelter in the Time of Storm:

Run to this Rock, this wonderful and blessed Shelter:

- For salvation

- For provision

- For protection

Mark 12:1-12

August 8, 2018

Introduction:  In Mark 12, Jesus tells a parable and answers questions about paying taxes and about the resurrection.  He identifies the two most important commandments, talks about the Messiah’s divine identity, and commends a poor widow for her offering.

In this study, we find Jesus relating the parable of the vineyard tenants to illustrate His rejection by the nation of Israel.  The Apostle Paul explains this in great detain in the book of Romans.

1.  The reason for the rejection. - Romans 10:1-13

- Like the Pharisees described in Matthew 23:15, the Jews expended time, energy, and money in securing a right standing with God; but their deeds were done in ignorance, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.”

- The Jews would not submit to faith righteousness; their racial and religious pride turned them from simple faith unto blind religion.  They rejected Christ and clung to the Law; not realizing that Christ was the very One for whom the Law had been preparing the way, and that He Himself ended the reign of the Law on the cross.

- The Mosaic Law is no longer God’s basis for dealing with mankind; He deals with men at the cross where Christ died for the world.

2.  The remedy for the rejection. - Romans 10:14-17

- The sequence here is as follows:

* A preacher is sent.

* He preaches the Gospel.

* The sinner hears the Gospel.

* The sinner believes the Gospel.

* He calls upon the name of the Lord.

* He is saved!

- The argument here is simply that a man cannot be saved apart from the influence Word of God, for “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:17)

- Both proud Jews and arrogant Gentiles need the same salvation.  Why?  “There is no difference!”

3.  The results for the rejection. - Romans 10:18-21

- The result of Israel’s rejection is that God has turned to the Gentiles and is now taking out of them a people for His Name.

- But even this should be no surprise to the Jews, for in Deuteronomy 32:21, God promised to use other nations to provoke the Jews to jealousy, “They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities: and I will move them to jealousy with those which are not a people; I will provoke them to anger with a foolish nation.”  In Isaiah 65:1-2, He announced that Israel would be disobedient, “I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name. I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts.”  But the Gentiles would find Him and His salvation.

- Keep in mind that the Old Testament did promise the salvation of the Gentiles; but nowhere did it teach that Jews and Gentiles would be on the same level, and that believers from both races would be one in Christ.

* The Old Testament program was that the Gentiles would be saved through Israel’s rise, that is, her establishment as a kingdom.  But Israel fell!  What then would God do with the Gentiles?

- Paul points out in Romans 9-11 that through Israel’s fall, mercy was extended to the Gentiles, “I say then, Have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy.” (Romans 11:11)

- God has concluded all Jews and Gentiles in unbelief; this way He can have mercy upon all through the grace made possible at Calvary, “For God hath concluded them all in unbelief, that he might have mercy upon all.” (Romans 11:32)

- Romans 10:21 certainly states God’s attitude toward Israel even today, “But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying [to speak against, to  contradict] people.”

- Though the nation is set aside in blindness and unbelief (as stated in 2 Corinthians 3:15-4:6 and Romans 11:25), God yearns after the unsaved Jew just as He does the lost Gentile.

- No doubt many Jews who are hearing the Word today will trust Christ after the Rapture and the Tribulation period begins.

- Instead of criticizing the Jews because of their self-righteous pride and spiritual blindness, we ought to thank God that they gave us the Scriptures, the Saviour, and Salvation!  That even through their fall salvation was made available to us Gentiles!

Conclusion:  Before we leave this chapter, note several practical points:

1.  Salvation is not difficult:  “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

2. It is important that the Word of God be presented to lost sinners.  It is the Word of God that convicts, that gives faith, that leads to Christ.  Movies, tracts, songs, etc., all have their place; but it is the proclaimed Word that God uses. “How shall they hear without a preacher?” (Romans 10:14)

3. There are only two religions in the world:  works-righteousness and faith-righteousness.  Only one will get a person to Heaven!

Jeremiah 8:18-22

August 5, 2018

Introduction:  God’s people had turned their backs on Him.  Yes, the Jews are God’s chosen people, yet many of them chose not to believe in Him.  In this chapter, Jeremiah, the weeping profit, asks, “Is there no balm in Gilead?  Is there no physician there?”

Was there a cure, a medicine, for the sin sick souls of the people?  Yes, there was a cure; His name is Jesus!  Jesus is that Balm in Gilead that heals the sin sick soul.

The world in which we live today is sick with sin.  And, yes, there is a cure, there is a balm, a healer of the soul.  The cure is the same as it has always been, Jesus!

What can this passage of Scripture teach us today?

1.  The balm is necessary. - Ecclesiastes 7:20

* “And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5)

* “ The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

- A balm is necessary because everyone is infected from birth with the disease of sin.

2.  The balm is available. - Isaiah 53:4-6

- Yes, Jesus stands ready to save those who call upon Him.

- This salvation is available to all! “Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4)

3.  The balm must be applied. - 1 Timothy 4:10

- The fact that Jesus died for all does not automatically imply that all will be saved.  Have you personally, at one point in time, received Christ as your personal Saviour?  Notice what it says in verse 10, “…specially of those that believe.”

- You must receive Christ in this life, “And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment.” (Hebrews 9:27)

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

- The truth is, you may not have tomorrow!

- Not are you a church member?  Are you saved?

4.  The balm must be sent. - Matthew 28:18-20

- You see, we are to be carrying the balm of Gilead to those who are sick!

- The Great Commission has become the great omission.

* “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15)

- Today, doctors do not make house calls.

- Many Christians today do not make house calls either.

* “For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things! But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” (Romans 10:12-17)

Conclusion:  Would Manitou Springs, Woodland Park, or Colorado Springs have to ask the question, “Is there no balm in Gilead?  Is there no physician there?”

Well, there is a balm, and we are to carry it and apply it wherever we go!

Psalm 62:1-6

August 5, 2018

Introduction:  Psalm 62 was written during a time in David’s life when his son, Absalom, had rebelled against him.  His rebellion started where all rebellion starts, with criticism and gossip.  Absalom was talking about the inefficiencies of his father and how he could judge the people better.  Others said they preferred him over David to be their leader.  Absalom even indicated that his father had become senile.  All of this is found in 2 Samuel 17-18.

As it always does, some of the gossip and criticism leaked back to David.  His heart has been broken by the rebellion of his own flesh and blood.  His dreams were shattered when he realized that his son was leading a rebellion against him.  It was at this point, he penned Psalm 62.

Having lost all hope in his son and in those who followed in the steps of his rebellion, he turned to God and God alone:

- “Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from him cometh my salvation.” (Psalm 62:1)

- “He only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved.” (Psalm 62:2)

- “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.” (Psalm 62:5)

- “He only is my rock and my salvation: he is my defence; I shall not be moved.” (Psalm 62:6)

David did not know just what to pray and ask for.  How would you feel praying against your own flesh and blood?

So, David makes an interesting statement in verse five, “My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from him.”

Herein is one of the great secrets to the fulfilling Christian life.  When David spoke of his expectation being from the Lord, he was not talking about what he would ask of God, rather, that the expectation itself comes from God.  You see, David did not know how to pray or for what to ask of God, so he allowed God to place in his heart what to want.

This same truth expressed in Jeremiah 33:3, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”

- The Word “call” means “to talk to and spend time with and take pleasure in.”  It means more than simply to pray.

- The “great and mighty things, which thou knowest not” spoken of here mean more than simply an answer to prayer.  It means that God will do above and beyond all that we can ask or think if we will allow Him to put the expectation in us as we spend time with Him and take great pleasure in Him alone.

Ephesians 3:20 speaks to this truth, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.”

This is how it works.  When my children were still young and living at home, they made no lists for Christmas.  They would stay close to us.  As they did this, we would learn what they desired.  (Sometimes, we would direct their desires.)  Then, they would desire what we would desire they should desire.  Then, on Christmas day, they would get what they (or we) desired because, all along, we knew what was best for them, and they were not disappointed.

When I was a young boy, I learned that it was good to be in the right place at the right time.  Sometimes, I would just hang around the kitchen until mom would let me sample some of what she was cooking.  It was always good!  Had I not been in the kitchen at exactly the right time, I would not have had the opportunity to taste her homemade peanut butter fudge, chocolate cake, fried chicken, or beans and cornbread.

I used to keep a small bowl filled with hard candy on my desk.  The children knew this, and they would come to my office and just kind of hang around until I would offer them a piece of candy.  There were also adults who did exactly the same thing!  In other words, they knew where the candy was, and they knew where to get it.

Psalm 37:4 iterates this truth, “Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”  It is always right and wise to delight ourselves in the Lord, but this verse is not a promise that God will give us whatever we desire if we will simply delight ourselves in Him.  It is teaching that if we delight ourselves in Him, He will place the right desires within our hearts.

- When I am delighting in the Lord and in the things that He loves and delights in, He is able to place proper desires in my heart.

- God delights in our delighting in his Word.

- God delights in our taking pleasure in praying.

- God delights in our taking pleasure in being a witness for Jesus.

- God delights in our desiring to live right.

- Brother Randy Casey always says, “God delights in responding to the prayers of His children.”

Conclusion:  The key to all of this is found in Jeremiah 33:3, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”  Stay close to God and talk to Him.

It is always best for us to get our expectations and desires from God.  When our desires do not match up with His, we come away from a situation disappointed and even disillusioned.

We cannot know His desires if we do not know His Word, “Abide in me, and I in you.  As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” (John 15:4)  The Scriptures are very consistent!   Stay close to God, and He will give you the expectations that you need.  That is what David was saying when he said, “My expectation is from Him.”

Proverbs 29:25

August 1, 2018

Introduction:  In our last time together, I stated that that the chief priests, scribes, and elders suffered from the fear of man, Mark 11:31-32 say, “And they reasoned with themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him? But if we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.”

Jesus knew ahead of time that these chief priests, scribes, and elders feared the people.  Interesting that the word “feared” is the Greek word “phobeo” from which we get the word “phobia.” (to frighten, to be alarmed, to be be very afraid, to fear exceedingly)

- “The baptism of John, was it from heaven, or of men?”

* “If we shall say, From heaven; he will say, Why then did ye not believe him?”

* “If we shall say, Of men; they feared the people: for all men counted John, that he was a prophet indeed.”

The words of Solomon ring true here, “The fear of man bringeth a snare: but whoso putteth his trust in the LORD shall be safe.” (Proverbs 29:25)  These chief priests, scribes, and elders could not rule with righteousness for fear of the people.

Many Christians today suffer from the fear of man.  The fear of man is always associated with backsliding.  We become more interested in what men think than what God thinks.  We fear men more than God.  We want to please men more than God.

What is the fear of man, and how can we recognize it in our own lives?  In Proverbs, we learn what Solomon taught to his son Rehoboam.  As the future king of Israel, Rehoboam would need to be free from two great snares:  the fear of man and the praise of men.

Not only would these two snares ruin the next king, they would very possibly ruin the kingdom he ruled.  Proverbs 29:25 says, “The fear of man…”  The fear that is spoken of here is the same kind of fear that is mentioned in 2 Timothy 1:7 where Paul writes to young Pastor Timothy, “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”  The word “fear” in Proverbs 29:25 and 2 Timothy 1:7 is essentially the same word meaning “timidity or cowardice.”  This cowardice toward other men is a trap that will ruin anyone snared by it.

There are many today who say plainly that they fear no one but God.  They claim the spirit of Daniel whose name means “God is my judge.”  After you boil everything off of their rhetoric, you find that many of them suffer from the fear of man.  Are there ways to know, as a Christian, if you suffer from the fear of man?  Are there any symptoms that can clearly indicate the need for a change?  Through the years, there have been studies made concerning this very thing.  Let me share with you some of the facts that have been noted about men and women who suffer from the fear of man.

1.  They refuse to confront people and problems personally.

- Personal confrontation is simply avoided.

- Although most do not like personal confrontation, those, with an unhealthy fear of man, refuse personal confrontation at all costs.  This is when it is wrong.

- There are popular catch phrases they use when it comes to confrontation.

* I’m not talking to him/her about this.

* I’m just not going to say anything at all.

- The person in leadership, who suffers from this unhealthy fear of man, will choose to confront problems to an entire group rather than dealing with the individual who is at fault.  In other words, he or she will chastise an entire group in order to punish only one person.

- Rather than dealing with a personal problem with an individual personally, those with an unhealthy fear of man will simply cancel an activity for the group.

- For example, the pastor, who suffers from an unhealthy fear of man, will have a problem in his church with some carnal, self-centered Christian.  Rather than pull that person in and deal with the problem, he will choose to preach a sermon against the entire church family.  In other words, he will punish everyone in order to punish the guilty one.

* PULPITS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE GUIDEPOSTS, NOT WHIPPING POSTS!

- This individual is a good candidate for political correctness.  Rather than calling a spade a spade or a sinner a sinner or right right and wrong wrong, this person is inclined to simply say that a person is righteously challenged.

- Because they fear rejection from their friends, they choose to do nothing at all.

2.  They are overly self-conscious.

- This individual is more worried about what others think than they are about their own convictions and what God thinks.

- An unnatural meticulousness possesses them in most areas of personal appearance and dress.

3.  They react and become defensive when confronted.

- These people become human atomic reactors.  Rather than responding to correction, they react to it.

- Everything becomes personal, and everyone is out to get them.

- These individuals, suffering from an unhealthy fear of man, spend their waking hours trying to figure out why so-and-so said what he or she said.  Then, they become defensive, and others become their enemies.

- For example, this individual will sit in church and “just know” the preacher is talking about them, and, immediately, the defenses go up.

4.  They feel they must maintain complete control of every situation.

- Apparently, they have no trust for anyone.  This is difficult, especially when this person is in a place of leadership.  Everything should be under control but not necessarily controlled by you.

- There are some things that are simply out of your control.  You cannot control what others think or say in their personal and private conversations.

- These people will normally choose not to participate in a given activity if they cannot feel as though they have control.

5.  They maintain nervous habits.

- They are always chewing their fingernails, pecking pencils or pens, drumming on tables, tapping their feet, or something along these lines.

- Why?  Because an unhealthy fear of man produces unnatural tics and bad habits.  There is always a worry of some kind on their mind.

6.  They exaggerate most things.

- With this individual, everything is a crises.  The phrase, “Don’t sweat the small stuff,” doesn’t apply to this individual because, to him, nothing is small stuff.

- They will exaggerate their strengths while exaggerating your weaknesses.

7.  They do a lot of name-dropping.

- A person, who lives with a fear of disapproval from their fellow man, will take whatever measures necessary to make others feel good about them.

- It is not a sin to be a name-dropper, for there is nothing wrong with giving credit where credit is due or giving honor to whom honor is due.

- Insecurity, brought about by the fear of man, causes a person to unnecessarily and repeatedly associate himself with those who are greater than he.

- On the other hand, a person who refuses to give honor or credit to whom it is due, is also guilty of fearing man.

8.  They have a difficult time being transparent and honest.

- People, who suffer from an unhealthy fear of man, find it difficult to be honest with themselves, as well as, others.

- Because they fear man, they are terribly afraid to let anyone peer behind their wall of hiding.

- Rarely will they readily admit wrong or mistakes.  It is someone else’s fault.

- When a person is not honest with himself, how can he be honest with others?

9.  They appear frustrated and discontent.

- It is amazing, but these people are usually frustrated over the least little thing and express their discontent with most everything else.

- Frustration comes when a person takes upon himself a responsibility that does not belong to him.

* For example, this person becomes frustrated when he cannot control a conversation or circumstance that does not directly involve him.

10.  They cannot take rebuke, correction, or exhortation.

- First of all, they will not be honest with themselves and admit they need rebuke, correction, or exhortation.  After all, their problems are because of someone else.  When things go wrong, it is always someone else’s fault, and blame is readily placed.

- When rebuked, corrected, or exhorted, rather than take it, they list where you’re wrong instead, justifying their actions because, of course, they are the exception to the rule.

- When a sermon is preached or a lesson is taught, it always applies, in their minds, to someone else.

- It is amazing how even though the message always applies to someone else, those, with an unhealthy fear of man, will most always accuse the preacher or teacher of singling them out in the message.

* These are not spiritual giants, as they often perceive themselves to be, rather they are most spiritual dwarfs.

11.  They are inflexible.

- For some reason, those, who are plagued with the insecurity of the fear of man, are unwilling and inflexible when it comes to any type of change even if the change is absolutely necessary.

- This kind of insecurity and inflexibility creates uncomfortable relationships with anyone involved with them.  Why?  This is their way of maintaining control of any situation.

There were those in the Bible who suffered from the fear of man.

- Adam said his problem was the woman God gave him.

- Eve said her problem was the serpent God created.

- Aaron blamed the Israelite’s problems on everyone but himself.

- Elijah shirked his responsibilities and hid from Jezebel.

- King Saul blamed his disobedience on the desire of the people.

- Pilate blamed his poor decision on the will of the citizens.

Conclusion:  There are others besides these.  How can a person escape the snare of the fear of man?  The answer is found in John 8:32 where Jesus said, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”  To be free from the snare of the fear of man, you must learn, believe, and practice the Truth.  Are you plagued by insecurity?  Do you have an unhealthy fear of man?

Romans 2:4; 2 Peter 3:1-10

July 29, 2018

Introduction: In Romans 2:4, scoffers, unbelievers, and disbelievers refuse to believe that Jesus is truly coming back for His saints.  Second Peter 3:9 tells us that no matter how long the wait, Jesus is coming back for us, and that’s a promise!

* I long for the day that Jesus returns.

Why do I want Jesus to return?

1.  I am homesick, this world is not my home!

2.  I am sin sick, “And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” (Revelation 21:25-27)

3.  I am sickness sick, “And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.” (Revelation 21:1-5)

However, concerning His promise of coming back for us, He wants every possible soul to be saved before He returns, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

Now, concerning his promise for salvation:

1.  His promise is for all sinners.

- Simply put, he is not willing that any should perish.

* Lost sinners, “For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10)

* Saved sinners, “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37)

- Hell was not originally intended for us, “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” (Matthew 25:41)  But the unsaved go there if death prevents their getting saved, “And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.”(Revelation 20:11-15)

2.  His promise is for me.

- Jesus is my personal Saviour.

- Just because salvation is offered to the world, it does not guarantee that all will be saved.  I had to make the final decision, and I am so glad I did!

- This is why Romans 10:13 is so very important, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

- No one gets saved it by accident.

- No one gets saved by osmosis.

- The responsibility is mine to do the calling.

3.  His promise is forever.

- This promise is secure.

* “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.” (John 6:37)

* “That the saying might be fulfilled, which he spake, Of them which thou gavest me have I lost none.” (John 18:9)

- Jesus does all of the saving, and he does the keeping!

4.  His promises forbearing.

- He is willing to wait for that last sold to be saved, “Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?” (Romans 2:4)

- Noah preached repentance and salvation for 120 years, and only 8 were saved.

- Ralph Carmichael wrote,

Conclusion:  Jesus is coming soon, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” (John 14:1-3)  Are you ready?

How about you, Christian, are you faithfully spreading the gospel?

Philippians 2:1-5

July 29, 2018

Introduction:  Songwriter, Mike Ott, put it this way,

This is an interesting thought for the child of God.  If we could view the world through Jesus’ eyes, it would literally change the way we live!

His Eyes                                    Our Eyes

See others                                 See self

Have Compassion                   Don’t care

Have pity                                   Have pity for number one

Love unselfishly                       Love conditionally

Love it all times                        Love sometimes

Love righteousness                  Desire sin

Hate sin                                      Enjoy sin

Love sinners                              Judge sinners

Reach out                                   Reach in

Weep with the broken             Weep for self

Rejoice with the joyful             Envy their happiness

If I am to be like Jesus, I must desire to see through his eyes.  But how can I ever hope to have his eyes?  How can I ever allow His mind to be in me as He said in Philippians 2:5, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus.”

1.  Learn to see what Jesus sees.

- We are so quick to pass judgment and condemn others.

- We see the act of sin, then we hate the sin, then we hate the sinner.

- But, Jesus first sees the heart!  He sees the root of the sin, not just the sin.

- All people are sinners!  So, as one young person put it, “What right does one lump of dirt have to judge another lump of dirt for being a lump of dirt?”

- God knows our frame and remembers that we are dust.

* You do not toss the baby out with the dirty diaper.

- What does Jesus see when He sees a sinner?  He sees him through tears.

* He sees a lost a man as an eternal soul for which He died.

* He sees a saved man as forgiven because of His shed blood.

2.  Learn to love what Jesus loves.

- Jesus loves all sinners.  His love is unconditional!  “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins…We love him, because he first loved us.” (1 John 4:10, 19)

* 1 John 5:13, Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23a, Romans 5:8, Romans 6:23b, Romans 10:9-10, Romans 10:13

- Jesus loves righteousness, “Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.” (Hebrews 1:9)

3.  Learn to hate what Jesus hates. - Proverbs 6:16-19

- Is it okay for Christians to hate?  Yes, it is.  The Bible does not tell us not to hate, but It teaches us not to be hateful.  The Word of God also teaches us what to hate and what not to hate.  For example, we are to hate:

* False ways, “Through thy precepts I get understanding: therefore I hate every false way.” (Psalm 119:104)  “Therefore I esteem all thy precepts concerning all things to be right; and I hate every false way.” (Psalm 119:128)

* Lying, “I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.” (Psalm 119:163)

* Vain thoughts, “I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love.” (Psalm 119:113)

* Evil, “Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.” (Psalm 97:10)

* Backsliding, “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.” (Psalm 101:3)

- But we are not to hate the Lord or anything He loves.  One of the healthiest ways for a Christian to live is to love what the Lord loves and hate what the Lord hates.  For example, the Lord hates:

* Evil imaginations, “And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD.” (Zechariah 8:17)

* Empty worship, “I hate, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.” (Amos 5:21)

* Idolatry, “Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate. But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear to turn from their wickedness, to burn no incense unto other gods.” (Jeremiah 44:4,5)

- Every child of God ought to have a healthy hate life of sin and not sinners.

* Start with the sin in your own life.  Be more concerned about the log and your eye than you are about the splinter in someone else’s.

* Protect your family from sin.

* Warn others, in love, about the consequences of sin.

Conclusion:  Who’s eyes do you have?

Mark 11:1-19

July 11, 2018

Introduction:  There are three of familiar things that happen in Mark 11:

- Jesus fulfills prophecy by riding triumphantly into Jerusalem on a donkey.  “Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.” (Psalm 118:25, 26)

- He drives the corrupt merchants from the Temple.

- He declines to answer a challenge to his authority by his enemies when they can’t answer a question he asks them.

1.  Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem. - Mark 11:1-7

- Jesus stands on the Mount of Olives.

- He speaks to two of his disciples.
- Their mission is found here in Mark 11:2-7.

* The two men are to bring back to the Saviour an unridden colt, upon which He will ride into Jerusalem.

* Of course, hey do as they are commanded.

2.  Notice the parade that was given. - Mark 11:8-11

- The crowd prepares His path by spreading their coats and branches in the road in front of the colt on which Jesus is riding.
- The crowd proclaims his praises by shouting, “Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Blessed be the kingdom of our father David, that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest.”

* “Hosanna” is a word of Hebrew origin which means, “oh save,” and is an exclamation of adoration.

* It comes from two words that describe Jesus fully here:

- “I beseech you now.”

- “Be safe, free or succor, avenge, defend, deliver, help, preserve, rescue, bring salvation, Saviour, get victory.”

- Re:  “Save now, I beseech thee, O LORD: O LORD, I beseech thee, send now prosperity. Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD: we have blessed you out of the house of the LORD.”(Psalm 118:25, 26)

3.  See what happens next. - Mark 11:15-19

- Being so completely misunderstood, this portion of Mark has been the source for much false teaching.  This is the reason many churches will not offer anything for sale within the walls of their local church.

- As an independent local church, this is their privilege and choice, but it is simply not found in the Word of God.

- First, Jesus removed the money tables from the Temple.  Then, He rebuked the moneychangers.

- The first time Jesus cleansed the Temple, He only charged them with making the temple a house of merchandise (Greek = emporion [emporium], “And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.” (John 2:16)

* This time, Jesus charges them with making it a den of thieves because the traders there were known for cheating their customers, and preying upon the ignorance and necessity of these country people, which is no better than downright thievery. (This parallels the charlatans on the TV and radio today.)

- The Temple was never to become just a place for making money by cheating the poor and ignorant bystanders, but was to remain a house of prayer, “Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.” (Isaiah 56:7)

- Jeremiah  7:11 predicted this, “Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD.”

* Mark 11:17, “And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.”

Conclusion:  Anytime the Lord does something good, the enemies of God are there to thwart the effort.  The Pharisees met and planned to kill Jesus, “And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine. And when even was come, he went out of the city.” (Mark 11:18, 19)

The scribes and the chief priests hated Jesus, and refused to be changed by Him; and yet they feared Him, lest He should overthrow their seats, and expel them.

They found that He had a great following, that all the people were astonished at His doctrine, and that everything He said was God’s Word and a law to them.

Because of that, they sought, not how they might make their peace with Him, but how they might destroy Him.

Psalm 52:8-9

July 15, 2018

Introduction:  “Good” is relative.  My opinion about what is good is only as good as my opinion.  Yours is too!

- If you say that something is good, I might disagree!

- If I say something is good, you might disagree!

- If we agree that something is good, others might disagree!

But if God says something is good, it is not negotiable, and it’s not just alright.

Notice with me Psalm 34:8, 10, and 12, “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him…The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing…What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good?”

God defines what “good” is in His Word.  It seems to include all of the best God has to offer.  Its meaning includes:  good, pleasant, agreeable, excellent, rich, valuable, appropriate, becoming, better, glad, happy, prosperous, kind, ethically right, bountiful, and beneficial.

The Lord wisely enumerates things He says are good.

1.  It is good to wait on the Lord. - Psalm 52:9

2.  It is good to sacrifice and praise. - Psalm 54:6

- The Apostle Paul wrote in Hebrews 13:15, “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”

3.  It is good to draw near to God. - Psalm 73:28

- James wrote in James 4:8, “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you…”

4.  It is good to give thanks and sing. - Psalm 92:1

5.  It is good to be afflicted. - Psalm 119:71

6.  It is good to hope in God. - Lamentations 3:26

7.  It is good to work as a young person. - Lamentations 3:27

8.  It is good to be close to God’s power. - Matthew 17:4

9.  It is good to not cause someone to fall. - Romans 14:21

10.  It is good to stay pure. - 1 Corinthians 7:1

11.  It is good to be on fire for the Lord. - Galatians 4:18

Conclusion:  Are you actively involved in that which God calls good?  It is difficult to disappoint God when you are doing what He calls good.  It beats the alternative all to pieces!

Why not start doing today that which God calls good?

Deuteronomy 8:11-20

July 15, 2018

Introduction:  One of my very favorite chapters in the Word of God is Psalm 91.  It give a subtle warning about a time in like called “noonday.”  Psalm 91:5-6 state, “Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day; Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.”  Noonday is:

- When the sun is out.

- Mid-day, there is time left to get things done.

- When all is well.

But God says there is a destruction that can waste you when all is well.  Hosea 4:7 makes a similar statement about what can happen even when all is well, “As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I change their glory into shame.”

The destruction that wasteth at noonday is the same as what Hosea 4:7 mentions and what Deuteronomy 8:11-20 mentions.  When all is well, we tend to forget the One Who made things all well.

When do we forget God?

1.  When we get comfortable. - Deuteronomy 8:12

- We are well-fed.

- We live in nice houses.

- We rarely pray about provision when there is plenty of food to eat.  Nor do we pray about a place to sleep when we live in fine houses.

- When we’re too full of the things of this life, we tend to think that we have no need to depend on the Lord.  We begin to do as one man that Jesus mentioned in the parables.  The philosophy becomes, “Take thine ease (relax!), eat, drink, and be merry!”

* The comfortable Christian rarely, if ever, prays!

When do we forget God?

2.  When we know His blessings.

- We have prayed, and God has answered.  Everywhere we look, there is great increase.

* We pray for God’s blessing, but when blessing comes, we stop praying.

* Many times, the increase God brings causes us to turn our backs to the prayer closet.

* I am reminded of the story found in Numbers 11.  The people of God have become dissatisfied with the blessings of God and demanded more, “And there went forth a wind from the LORD, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day’s journey on this side, and as it were a day’s journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth. And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp. And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the LORD was kindled against the people, and the LORD smote the people with a very great plague.” (Numbers 11:31-33)

- It is a shame, but the blessing of God should turn our faces toward God.  But, the opposite is true all too often!

When do we forget God?

3.  When we forget where we came from.

- Your salvation experience should never become “old hat” to you.

- In 1866, A. Katherine Hankey penned the words to the best love song, “I Love to Tell the Story.”

- I would be happy to share with you how I got saved!  I will never forget what happened on that Sunday night, February 16, 1964.  My pastor, Robert L. Humphreys, had scheduled an evangelistic meeting with a 29-year-old preacher from Evansville, Indiana, named Billy Kellough.  After he preached on that Sunday night, a little eight-year-old boy named Danny Parton walked an aisle and was led to Christ by a deacon named Ben Conrad.  I remember it like it was yesterday.  Praise the Lord!

When do we forget God?

4.  When we depend upon ourselves. - Deuteronomy 8:17

- Psalm 39:5 says, “…verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity. Selah.”

- The best of men are only man at best.

- There is no verse found anywhere in God’s word that says, “God helps those who help themselves.”

* If the truth be known, God helps those who depend on Him!

- Zechariah 4:6 says, “Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”

Conclusion:  Have you forgotten about God? When was the last time you spent time in prayer?

- Have you gotten comfortable?

- Have you experienced increase?

- Has your salvation experience become old hat?

- Upon whom or what do you depend?

In 1907, William Poole wrote, “Just When I Need Him.”  His lyrics tell us that Jesus is there for us.  Let’s determine not to forget Him!

Mark 10:35-45

June 27, 2018

Introduction:  In this segment of Mark chapter 10, James and John ask a favor from Jesus.  “And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, come unto him, saying, Master, we would that thou shouldest do for us whatsoever we shall desire. And he said unto them, What would ye that I should do for you? They said unto him, Grant unto us that we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory.” (Mark 10:35-37)

As we can clearly see here, the Lord doesn’t always say “yes” to everything we may ask or think, “But Jesus said unto them, Ye know not what ye ask: can ye drink of the cup that I drink of? and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? And they said unto him, We can. And Jesus said unto them, Ye shall indeed drink of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized.” (Mark 10:38, 39)

Jesus then explains to them that the Father, not the Son, will determine future seating arrangements, “But to sit on my right hand and on my left hand is not mine to give; but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared.” (Mark 10:40)  Verse 41 lets us know how the other disciples felt about this selfish request, “And when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John.”

Jesus uses this tense situation to set forth the conditions for true greatness, “But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:42-45)

To be a servant today is like being something dirty.  Is there anything wrong with being a servant?  I don’t think so, especially in light of what the Bible says, “And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.” (Mark 9:35)  Then again, in Mark 10:44, the Bible states, “And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.”

We seem to have the idea that the most important person in a room is the leader, but the Bible indicates that it is not the leader, but the server who is the greatest.  It almost seems like a contradiction, but it’s not.

To be a servant means that you are in good company.  For example:

- David was called the Lord’s servant in Isaiah 37:35, “For I will defend this city to save it for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.”

- Israel was called God’s servant in Isaiah 43:1-10.

- Jesus was called God’s Servant in Isaiah 52:13-15; Isaiah 53.

To be a servant is to be in really good company, not bad!  Let me give you some facts about servants mentioned in the Bible.

1.  The best Christians in the Bible were called servants.

- Joseph was a servant to Pharaoh.

- Moses was a servant to Pharaoh.

- Elisha was a servant to Elijah.

- Daniel was a servant to a number of kings.

- The three Hebrew children were servants to King Nebuchadnezzar.

- Naaman’s wife’s maid, in 2 Kings 5:2, was a servant.

- Ruth was a servant to Naomi.

- David was a servant to King Saul.

- Tabitha was a servant in her house.

- Paul was called a servant of Jesus Christ.

- Peter was called a servant of Jesus Christ.

* All of these people were eventually elevated to places of honor.

2.  Jesus said that the greatest Christians are the servants.

- Mark 9:35, “And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.”

- Mark 10:44, “And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.”

- If being a servant is supposed to be so bad, then why did Jesus elevate that position?

3.  Jesus was the greatest example. - Mark 10:45

- “Minister” means “servant.”

- Jesus did not come to be served; He came to serve!

- In fact, the word used in Mark 10:45 is the same word used for the New Testament word “deacon.”  Deacons are to set the Christ-like example of being servants.

* Many have struggled for years over the term “deaconess” used of some women in some churches.  Though the English word is not found in Scripture, the Greek language of the New Testament uses the word (diakonos) when Phebe is mentioned in Romans 16:1, “I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea.” 

** “Deacon” is not so much a title for a person as much as it is a description of a person.  Any man in a church, who is called a deacon, who is not a servant, needs to resign his position and let a real servant do the job!  “Deacon” actually means, “one who executes the commands of another; a servant, an attendant, a minister.”

There are some practical applications:

1.  Remember, greater Christians than any of us will ever be were first servants.

2.  If you are going to be like Jesus, you must choose to be a servant.

3.  In Jesus’ mind, the servant of all is the greatest of all.

4.  The best Christians are the best servants.

5.  Anyone can be a servant.

6.  If we are true servants, we will not view others as our servants, but we will see others as people to serve.

Conclusion:  If you are not a servant, you are not as Christ-like as you ought to be.  Are you a servant?  Don’t leave it up to the deacons to be the servants in church; be a servant yourself!  Every leader ought to be a servant first in his own mind and in his daily practice.

Some men want to pastor because they get to lead instead of serve.  Any pastor, who does not serve his people, is wrong!  O, for a servant, who will serve God and others as Jesus did!

Matthew 9:35-38

July 1, 2018

Introduction:  Sin?  Yes, it is a sin not to witness.  Before we go any further, let’s see whether or not the Bible agrees with this statement.

- John 15:14, “Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.”

- John 14:15, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.”

- John 14:21, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”

- 1 John 5:3, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.”

- Matthew 28:19-20, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”

- Mark 16:15, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.”

- Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

James 4:17 says, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.”  So, if our love is proved by obedience, as well as our friendship to God, if we are commanded to tell the lost about Jesus and do not do so, if we know we should witness and choose not to, it is sin.

But in order to live with our sinful neglect not witnessing, we offer God excuses as to why we don’t.

1.  I’m not called to witness.

- Oh, how true!  No one is called to witness, but we are all commanded to witness.

- John 15:16 says, “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.”

2.  We are in the last days.

- It is getting harder and harder to win souls as sin abounds more and more.

- Matthew 28:20 says, “…lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”  This is a good promise to soul winners, yesterday, today, and forever!

3.  I don’t have the personality or talent to win souls.

- 1 Corinthians 1:27 says, “But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty.”

- Zechariah 4:6 says, “…Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”

- Dr. John R. Rice said, “Soul winning is not a matter of human talent or logic or personality.  It is a matter of the supernatural Word of God and the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit.”

* How can we conquer this sin of not witnessing?

1.  Face your sin and failure honestly.

- Confess it as sin; see it as God sees it.  Call it what God calls it.

- Commit yourself to “do right” in witnessing.

2.  Give soul winning priority.

- It is more important than preaching a sermon, than teaching a lesson, than singing a song, than most anything you can mention.

- This is why we get workers from the soul winners.

3.  Schedule a time to go.

- As you would schedule eating.

- As you would schedule sleeping.

- As you would schedule working.

* You will basically only do what you schedule to do.

- Some say, “I’ll go if nothing else comes up!”  Something else will always come up!

4.  Learn to be soul-conscious.

- Everyone is a candidate for salvation.

- Carry tracts: car, clothes, etc.

- Carry a New Testament.  The best New Testament on the market will do you no good if it is on a shelf at home.

5.  Make it a matter of daily prayer.

- Ask the Holy Spirit to do two things for you:

* Lead you to the right one.

* Send the right one to you.

Conclusion:  Yes, not witnessing is a two-fold sin.

- Against God.

- Against sinners.

Will you start now and schedule soul winning as a regular part of your weekly Christian activity?

Titus 1:1-2

July 1, 2018

Introduction:  All our lives, we’ve been taught that God is the God that can do the impossible, and I believe it!

I still believe that God is the god of the impossible!

– I believe, “in the beginning, God created…”

- He spoke and brought light out of darkness.

- He spoke and brought the universe into existence.

- He spoke and the seas and dry land appeared.

- He spoke and brought forth the fruit of the land.

- He spoke and the sun, moon, and stars were created.

- He spoke at the animal kingdom came into existence.

- He took the dust of the ground and created a man in his own image.

* They say that a recent discovery in space supports the big bang theory.  Hogwash!  It supports their ideas and denies the word of God!

- He took the rib of the man he created and made a woman.

James Weldon Johnson penned The Creation.  Though not exactly correct in theological terms, it does give us an idea of how great God is in creation.

- I believe He heals the sick and raised of the dead.

- I believe He made the cripple to walk at caused the blind to see.

Every miracle in the Bible, I believe!  Truly, God is the God of the impossible.

- “Is any thing too hard for the LORD? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.” (Genesis 18:14)

- “And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible.” (Mark 10:27)

But I also believe that there are some things that God simply cannot do according to Scripture.

1.  God cannot lie. - Titus 1:2

- “That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us.” (Hebrews 6:18)

- “If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.” (2 Timothy 2:13)

- In times past, God spoke verbally and directly to and through holy men of old.

- Now, God has given us his completed revelation.

- There is no other Word of God.

- The Bible is the Word of God. You can trust It and ought to trust It.  “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16)

- God did not give us a book that needed revising.  Either we have God’s Word or we don’t!

2.  God cannot break a promise. - 2 Corinthians 1:20

- If God could break a promise, that would make him a liar, and God cannot lie!

- There are simply too many promises that God has made to mention here. Everyone of them is true, and God keeps his word!

* “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13)

* “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:12)

* “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)

* “The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.” (Psalm 145:18)

* “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”(John 5:24)

* “Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” (Matthew 28:20)

* “…he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5)

- Phil Johnson penned these words in a song:

* “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” (Jeremiah 33:3)

* “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)

* “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.” (John 15:16)

* “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH is everlasting strength.” (Isaiah 26:3, 4)

* “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Proverbs 3:5, 6)

3.  God cannot remember my sin. - Jeremiah 31:34

- “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” (Hebrews 8:12)

- “And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.” (Hebrews 10:17)

- “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” (Psalm 103:12)

Conclusion:  Aren't you thankful for a God who can do everything but lie, break a promise, and remember our sin?

Mark 10:23-31

June 20, 2018

Introduction:  After the departure of the rich man, Jesus discusses the subject of riches.  The illustration that is given by the Lord Jesus is often misunderstood on many levels.

1.  The illustration. - Mark 10:23-25

- Jesus says it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God!

- All my young life, I had heard and was taught that this was a literal needle.  To be honest, it never really made sense.

- So, just was is the allegory here talking about? (An allegory is a story, poem, or picture that can be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning, typically a moral or political one.  For example, Pilgrim’s Progress is an allegory of the spiritual journey.)

* “…the eye of the needle, a small door fixed in a gate and opened after dark.  To pass through, the camel must be unloaded.  Hence the difficulty of the rich man.  He must be unloaded, and hence the proverb, common in the East.” — Ethelbert William Bullinger

* It is also said that in order for a camel to pass through the eye of the needle, not only did he have to be unloaded, but also had to bend down to his knees.

- Having just finished a conversation with a rich man about how to have a fulfilled life, Jesus now turns to the eternal part of everlasting life in Heaven. (Notice His reference to “the kingdom of God.”)

2.  The application.

- Salvation is simple and free, but it is not without requirements.

- We have already established that salvation is not inherited.

* “Which were born, NOT OF BLOOD, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.” (John 1:13)

- We have already established that salvation is a gift.

* “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name.” (John 1:12)

* “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)

* “…the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

* “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8, 9)

- We have already established that salvation is not by works.

* “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8, 9)

* “But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.” (Romans 4:5)

* “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” (Titus 3:5)

* “Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” (Romans 3:20)

* “Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” (Galatians 2:16)

Just as the camel had to unload and bow to his knees (so-to-speak), no one can just glibly come to Jesus and expect salvation, Heaven and all its benefits.

- There must be repentance. - Acts 20:21, “Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God…”

* What is repentance?

- It is not regret.  Regret is a matter of the mind.  We are sorry that we got caught.

- It is not remorse.  Remorse is a matter of the emotions.  We feel terrible about the whole thing.  Repentance involves more than the mind and emotions.  It involves the whole person.

- Many have said that:

* Pharaoh said it in Exodus 10, but he did not mean it.

* King Saul said it in 1 Samuel 15, but he didn’t mean it either.

* Judas said it in Matthew 27, but he committed suicide.

- There is a difference between regret, remorse, and true repentance.

* Pharaoh regretted that he had to suffer judgment.

* King Saul regretted that he had gotten caught.

* Judas had remorse, but this caused a burden he could not carry, so he killed himself.

- Repentance means to have a change of mind about the sin, about God, and ourselves.  It is not merely saying, “I have sinned.”

- No one gets saved without changing his mind about his former beliefs.

- This is why John the Baptist preached repentance.  He was introducing Christianity and denouncing their former system of worship, “Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.” (Acts 19:4)

- False beliefs and religions have to be “unloaded” so-to-speak.  One cannot simply add Jesus to the mix to be saved.

- This is why they had to repent or they would likewise perish, “There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:1-5)

- There must be faith. - Acts 20:21, “…and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.”

* Did you know that the word “believe” in any form is mentioned 99 times in the book of John?  Did you also know that the word “repent” in any form is not mentioned in the book of John?

* Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God.”

* John 1:12, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”

* John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”

* John 3:18, “He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”

* John 3:36, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”

* John 5:24, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”

* 1 John 5:1, “Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.”

* 1 John 5:10-13, “He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.”

- There must be humility. - Ecclesiastes 7:20 “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.”  The admission of sin and the need for the Saviour are essential.

* Luke 18:13, “And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

* Luke 23:39-43, “And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us. But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”

* Romans 3:10, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:”

* Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

* Mark 10:21, 22, “Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me. And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.”  Even though this verse does not refer to eternal life in Heaven, it does show this rich young ruler’s reluctance to humble himself.

Conclusion:  We don’t come to Jesus on our terms; we come to Jesus on His terms.  Salvation is simple and free, but it is not without requirements.

- We have established that salvation is not inherited.

- We have established that salvation is a gift.

- We have established that salvation is not by works.

Just as the camel had to unload and bow to his knees (so-to-speak), no one can just glibly come to Jesus and expect salvation, Heaven and all its benefits.

- There must be repentance.

- There must be faith.

- There must be humility.

Revelation 21:1-7

June 24, 20184

Introduction:  This old world just keeps getting more and more sinful and makes me long to be where no sin is!  In Heaven, there will be no more sin to weigh us down.  My sinful human nature will be gone for all eternity!  Hallelujah!  Praise the Lord!

I can’t wait to see those gates of pearl, those walls of jasper, those foundations made of precious stones, the river of life, that street of purest gold, the trees that bare twelve manner of fruit all year long, the mansion that is being prepared for me, the crowns that I will cast at Jesus’ feet…

I can’t wait to see those who have preceded me in death.  Most everyone in my family knows the Lord.  My great grandparents on both sides all knew the Lord, as well as, most of their children, I believe.  All my great aunts and uncles, my first, second, and third cousins also “be knowin’ de Lawd!”  My grandparents will be there; two of my children will be there.  I have four living on the earth and two in Heaven!  I’ll get to see my mom and my dad…ah, that will be a wonderful day when I see them again!

Best of all, I will get to see Jesus!  If the foundations of Heaven were concrete and steel, and the walls were made of mud, and the gates were made of iron, and the street were made of asphalt, and there were no trees or fruit, if the river were polluted, yet Jesus were there, IT WILL BE HEAVEN ENOUGH FOR ME!

Living here on this earth sometimes muddles our minds and dims our vision of our future in Heaven.  But, with all that said and done, what will we do in Heaven FOR ALL ETERNITY?

1.  We will sing. - Revelation 5:9; 15:3

- You’d better get used to singing here, because in Heaven, you’re going to be doing a lot of it.

- If you’re not used to Christian music here, you’re going to be one sad saint in Heaven because, up There, there’s going to be a lot of singing.

- It will be a new song, not an old song, and it will be the song God put into our mouths because of salvation.

- In Heaven, we won’t be singing, “Rock Around the Clock,” because in Heaven, Jesus is the Rock, but there aren’t any clocks!

2.  We will serve. - Revelation 7:15;  22:3

- Serving is part of the Christian life but will also be a part of the glorified life.

- This is why here on earth we preach about being servants and serving God and giving our lives to full-time Christian service.

- Service here will simply translate into service There.

- We will wait on God, hand and foot.  One may ask, “How will we serve God?  What will we do?”  The answer is simple, the servant does whatever the Master wishes.  What could God possibly want?  To be honest with you, it simply doesn’t matter.

- If you’ve not been a servant here, you probably won’t enjoy being a servant there.  If you’ve hesitated serving here, you’re probably not going to enjoy Heaven near as much, because There, part of our eternity will be serving God.

3.  We will worship. - Revelation  7:10

- Worship has to do with worthiness.  You’ve heard me say this before.  If Christ is worthy, then worship Him.

- Elijah made a similar statement when he simply said, “…How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him…” (1 Kings 18:21)

- Worship can be done anywhere, but I think about folks who don’t enjoy worshipping God here.  (I’m not talking about worship in the contemporary Christian sense where everyone stands around listening to so-called praise and worship music with their hands in the air.)  Do you enjoy worshipping God now?

- Do you spend time praying?  Do you spend time praising?  Do you enjoy the Word of God?  Do you enjoy saying, “Amen,”  “Hallelujah,” or, “Praise the Lord”?

- If you don’t like it here, you won’t like it There.  Your attitude will not be transformed the moment you get to Heaven, but you WILL wish it would have been changed BEFORE you got There.

- Tears will not be wiped away in Heaven until after the Tribulation period here on earth and after Christ’s millennial reign.  All tears are wiped away in Revelation 21.  We are taken to Heaven at the beginning of Revelation 4.

- How’s your WQ (worship quotient)?

Conclusion:  I’m looking forward to Heaven for every reason I’ve stated in this message and more that have been left unsaid.  Eternity is a long time and cannot be measured in human terms.  Finite minds cannot comprehend eternity, but the Bible speaks clearly about it.  When we get to Heaven, we will sing, we will serve, and we will worship.  You might as well get ready for it on this side of Glory.

Psalm 37:1-8

June 24, 2018

Introduction:  Perhaps, the hardest thing about being right with God is staying right with God.  Being right with God is not a one-time decision, rather it is a lifetime commitment.  So many Christians start out right and end up wrong.  It’s easy to make the decision; it’s hard to keep up the momentum.

In that Satan always attacks at the point of emphasis, if you’ve made a decision to be right with the Lord, this is going to be the focal point of Satan’s attack.  For example:

- If you’ve decided to be faithful in reading your Bible, this is the place Satan will give the most attention.

- If you’ve decided to improve your prayer life, you will find the greatest attack in this area.

- If you’ve decided you’re going to be a faithful witness for the Lord and have said with songwriter Bill Harvey…

…there’s going to be someone there to knock you off the mountain!

Commitment is almost a misnomer anymore among the people of God.  Because of a lack of commitment, many companies, through the years, have gone out of business.  When Dr. John Rice was alive, he had a Christian book club in order to get good reading material into Christian homes.  However, he soon dropped the program because Christians would commit and then quit.  Today, there are “no-commitment” Christian book and music clubs.  This is truly a sign of the times.

It is wrong for one Christian to observe another Christian making a decision to get right with God and then judge him by saying, “I wonder how long it will last this time.”  However, there is justification for the thought, because commitment is taken so lightly today by God’s people.  If you have decided to be right with the Lord, I want you to finish what you have started.  If you have not yet made that decision for fear of failure, I want to help you today to not only make that decision but keep that decision.

In Psalm 37, we have wisdom given to us by David concerning not only getting right with the Lord but staying right with Him.  If you’re going to stay right, you’re going to have to make some changes to help you.

1.  Fret not. - Psalm 37:1

- There has to be a desire to change if you’re going to stay right with the Lord.  Notice the Psalmist said that we should neither fret nor be envious against those that do evil and work iniquity.

- The way of the world truly has nothing a Christian should desire.  In fact, we are commanded not to love the world in that way, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15)

- It was Demas who left the perfect will of God because of his love for the world, “For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed…” (2 Timothy 4:10)

- When “God so loved the world,” He was not desiring the ways of the world but was desiring to save the world.  When God’s people love the world, it is because they desire all that it has to offer.

- We are even commanded in Romans 12:2 “…be not conformed  to this world [Don’t let the world squeeze you into its mould]: 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.”

2.  Do good. - Psalm 37:3

- Notice that we are to trust in the Lord AND do good.  How can a Christian stay right with God if he chooses to do bad things?  The doing of wrong is a choice.  Hebrews 10:26 plainly states, “For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins.”

- As Christians, God’s people should willfully choose to do good.  There are so many areas where this applies.  There is always a choice to do good.

- When having to choose between two evils…CHOOSE NEITHER!  Never choose an evil; always choose that which is good.  If the choice has to be between two evils, then the choice must be not to do evil, “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.” (James 4:17)

3.  Delight in the Lord. - Psalm 37:4

- Simply put, this means to find your pleasure in the Lord and those things that please Him.  When we choose this, God does something wonderful for us and puts the right desires in us.  This is what the verse means.  Make sure you are delighting in the Lord, and He will put the right desires in your heart.

* This verse does not mean that if we delight in the Lord, He will give us what we want.  This means that He will change what we want.

- This would mean that we should delight in everything that delights Him, and He delights in nothing that is bad.

4.  Commit thy way unto the Lord. - Psalm 37:5

- A “way” is “a path or a direction” in life.  Do not think it is strange for a Christian to be committed to something.  People are committed to many things:

* Some are committed to themselves.

* Some are committed to their work.

* Some are committed to sports.

* Some are committed to the making of money.

* Some are committed to fashion.

* Some are committed to righteous causes.

* Some are committed to unrighteous causes.

- Everyone here is committed to something.  So, the question remains:  to what or to whom are you committed?  It is not the direction of your life that determines your commitment, rather it is your commitment that determines the direction of your life.

- Therefore, it is the path of our life that must be committed to the Lord, and He will guide and direct us through that commitment.

- Staying right with God involves commitment.

5.  Rest in the Lord. - Psalm 37:7

- To rest in the Lord is to rely totally on His strength.

- The greatest test of patience is waiting.  It is difficult to wait on God, because we live and exist in time while God exists in eternity.

- There are times when God acts right away, but many times it’s a matter of waiting on Him.  Notice that God says that we are to “wait patiently for Him.”  If we do not wait patiently, it can drive us to anger, and anger will drive us away from the will of God.  Notice verse 8, “Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not thyself in any wise to do evil.”  The promise is that God will cut off evil doers, but it may not happen today.  Therefore, we must patiently wait.

- Impatience will always cause a child of God to wander away from the will of God.  In other words, “If God’s not going to do it now, then I’ll do it myself!”

Conclusion:  It’s going to take more than a decision to stay right with the Lord.  It’s going to take some real commitment.  If you don’t have any commitment, you need to get some; because without it, you’ll fail.

Why not determine today to stay right with the Lord?  This is going to take a plan, and what I’ve shared with you today is a great way to start.

- Fret not, neither be envious of evil doers.

- Do good, and trust Him with the results.

- Delight in the Lord.

- Commit your way to the Lord.

- Rest in the Lord.