I was in McLaurin’s Student Ministry for 15 years and I have a confession. I have never preached on Mother’s Day. I tried to decide, do I preach a traditional Mother’s Day sermon (nice and flowery)? Or do I preach what has spoken to me? I think I have chosen both.
How Mother’s can point us to Christ
Judges is one of my favorite books in the bible as a child because it reminded me of super hero stories. Judges 4:10 says “And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he went up with ten thousand men at his feet and Deborah went with him”
We don’t know if Deborah actually had children but she did motherly things. Let’s look at those qualities: In verse 4, Deborah had purpose – she was a prophetess, a wife and a judge. She hears from and speaks for God. As a prophetess, she spoke for God, as a wife to her husband, as a judge for her community.
We all have roles in our lives (husband, father, Coach, mentor, etc). Some of us have let go of some of these roles. Roles were given to Deborah and roles are given to us. What roles are we being faithful in what God has called us to do? We all have purpose – to live in a relationship with Him, to work to expand that calling in daily life. We need to recognize that.
Deborah had authority to call the leader of an Army. The repetitive theme of Judges is that people have stopped doing what God expects of them. Deborah worked as a judge, she had a job. Her authority is clear. She spoke truth to Barak – God has not commanded you to gather an army. She also speaks words of affirmation, spoken by God. She hopes to galvanize him. She speaks clear direction.
When Deborah speaks of a plan, it’s actually God’s plan. We know through John 16, he sent his son to live a perfect life and die a gruesome death. The Great Commission says “ make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you”. The plan is there, we need only to carry it out.
Deborah knew conflict would come- as a judge she was ready to deal with this. In a sense, she initiated that conflict. Most of us don’t initiate conflict but sometimes it is inevitable. Conflict comes and goes throughout our lives, some face conflict at work and avoid it at home. The question is not how will we deal with conflict but will we live out our faith in it?
Deborah was willing to serve. Barak said he would go if she went- and she did. She went with him at that moment.
Mothers serve their families, their church. How are we willing to serve our church, our community, our God? Deborah was willing to sacrifice her own glory. We see how God brings his people back to him.
My parents both died last spring within one day of each other. My mother’s only concern was for her 3 boys. She taught school to help young boys and girls. She didn’t want recognition. If we are honest, we all want recognition. Deborah describes herself as a mother of israel. She served without the need for recognition, a guide and example for all of us as God’s followers.
What characteristics do you need to work on in your own life? Are you submitting to His plan?
Stanza 2: The Facts of Fear: Psalm 56:3, Isaiah 41:10-13 When advice columnist Ann Landers was at the height of her popularity, she would receive over 10KA letter a month. According to Ms Landers, the #1 problem that people asked advice on was FEARS. People were afraid, afraid of losing their health/wealth, afraid of the past (guilt), and afraid of the future (unknown), afraid of choices/decisions, afraid of stopping
something familiar or starting something new.
We live in a fearful world. Fear has been around since Adam, who, in his first conversation with God said: I heard your voice in the garden, and I WAS AFRAID (Genesis 3:10), and it has only gotten worse.
There are at least 500 catalogued phobias:
claustrophobia: closed in spaces
agoraphobia: open places
arachniphobia: spiders
trypanophobia: shots
ergophobia: work;
triskaidekophobia: the number 13
phobophobia: fear of fear
DEFINITION OF FEAR; uneasiness, dread, alarm, threatened
Fear affects our health: it can cause hypertension, digestive, cardiovascular issues
Is it any wonder that one of the most repeated commands in Scripture (170 times) is FEAR NOT
Today, I want to share some advice on dealing with your fears, but
we won’t get it from Ann Landers: we’ll get it from Almighty God and
the Scriptures.
ALL FEAR IS NOT BAD
FDR in his Inaugural address said “we have nothing to fear, but fear itself” - nice words, but I would not teach this principle to my children: not as long as there are rattlesnakes, drunk drivers and hot stove tops.
THERE IS WISE FEAR: The electrician respects the power that he holds: he does not tremble in the presence of a wire.
Proverbs 1:7: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; but fools despise wisdom and
instruction”
WISE FEAR: fear the Lord: reverence, respect, for the power that holds me
Matthew 10:28: Jesus told us there was a time to fear: a productive fear that causes us to do something: John Newton recognized this: TWAS GRACE THAT TAUGHT MY HEAR TO FEAR , to understand I needed to change, that he did not need to meet God in that lost state: one of works of the Holy Spirit is to warn us: John 16:8: ”And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and righteousness and of judgment”. So, all fear is not bad: fear can cause you to change, to become productive, to respect earthly power and reverence to God and His power.
ALL FEAR IS NOT FROM GOD
2 Timothy 1:5-7: Timothy was fearful: and Paul said: God prepared you, God called you, God has gifted you: you did not get this SPIRIT OF FEAR from Him: remember WHO YOU ARE and remember WHO HE IS
Why are you afraid? Acknowledge, then ask why: F E A R (false evidence appearing real). Sometimes we are afraid because of a learned attitude: Sometimes we are afraid because of an overactive imagination: what if......
Sometimes we are afraid because of ignorance: improper doctrine: feeling lost even after being saved. We are sometimes afraid because we doubt God (did God really say that?)
When fear has taken the blue out of your sky, remember, the sky is still blue: you just have to go high enough to see it.
So, there is a debilitating, paralyzing, negative fear that can inhabit our being: it did not come from God, but, He can help us deal with it and overcome it: we need to get our eyes off the fear, and on to
our faith in Him: WE NEED TO CHANGE FOCUS..... and that brings us to our 3rd fact.....
ALL FEAR CAN BE MANAGED BY OUR GREAT GOD.
Psalm 56:3: time when David was in fear for his life, he was in Philistine territory: He said I will focus, depend, cling to, rely on YOU. What time I am afraid I will trust in thee.
THE GOD OF THE OMNI’S
omniscient: all knowing: never caught off guard, never surprised
omnipresent: He can be anywhere and everywhere
omnipotent: most powerful; evil
ISAIAH 41:10: FEAR THEE NOT FOR I AM WITH THEE - I AM RIGHT HERE
Corrie Ten Boom said “never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God” Courage is fear that has said its prayers.
Isaiah 41:10 “Fear thou not; for I am with thee; be not dismayed; for I am thy God; I will strengthen thee; yea I will help thee; yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” There are 2 promises here: there are promises throughout the Bible: somewhere between 3-7k: take the middle: a promise a day for almost 14 years: sometimes He calms the storm and sometimes He calms the child in the storm; John Newton said grace can relieve our fears.
HEBREWS 13:6 says “The Lord is my helper: I will not fear!”
So, while all fear is not bad, God gives us some fears for our safety, teaching us to respect.
God has not given us THE SPIRIT OF FEAR, the negative, debilitating, paralyzing, attitude that, when it comes right down to it, does not believe God will do what He said He would.
God will help us manage the positive fears and overcome the negative fears, for the Lord is my helper: I will not fear!
His name was John: he lived in the 18th century, and, frankly, he was a MESS: wild, hated, a drunk, and his nickname? THE GREAT BLASPHEMER: He was a crew member aboard a ship, hated by his shipmates, so hated that, once when he fell overboard, the crew, instead of throwing a rope or life preserver to save him, threw harpoons trying to kill him. So vile was his mouth that his captain said: “not only did he use the worst language I had ever heard, but he also used new words that exceeded the limits of verbal debauchery”. John was once flogged 800 times in front of 300 men in punishment for his wicked deeds. John planned to seek revenge on his captain by plotting his murder, but before he could carry out his plan, a devastating storm blew up and hit the ship. Everyone aboard thought they were going to die. John saw his best friend (one of his only friends) swept into the sea by that storm, never to be seen again, and IN THAT STORM, John found himself calling out to the very God that he had so violently blasphemed as he shouted: LORD, HAVE MERCY ON US ALL. He survived the storm. He realized after the storm that at his moment of greatest need,
he had cried out to the very God he had ridiculed, and he began to wonder: Is there something or someone really there? He began to read Scripture, and he found himself changed by the grace of God. This man put pen to paper and wrote in 1772 the lyrics to the hymn we know as AMAZING GRACE and immediately in the first stanza, we feel the weight of his story of a life by God. Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound, That saved a wretch like me! I once was lost but now am found; Was blind but now I see.
Paul wrote a similar testimony of change orchestrated by God’s grace in his letter to the Ephesians: so excited was he as he wrote about grace that his words begin to run into each other and he forgets to finish one sentence before he begins another: let’s read it in Ephesians 2:1-9 “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience; among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others, But God, who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we are dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by Grace we are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus, 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".
We have experienced changes that no other generation could imagine. Words take on a whole new meaning. Technology now touches every aspect of our lives. We have experienced change, but have YOU experienced the change that Jesus brings. The most precious, awe inspiring change is what happens when a person trusts in Jesus as His savior. His mind/attitude/actions/outlook/ his very destiny is changed.
Paul describes it well in Ephesians 2. It can be summarized in 6 words....
YOU WERE
BUT GOD
BY GRACE
Let’s unpack this Scripture together.....
YOU WERE
WHAT IS RIGHT? How many of you have ever told a lie? (If you didn’t raise your hand, you just told one); how many have stolen (just and answer on a test)?; how many wanted something that belonged to someone else really badly? WHY? BECAUSE GUILT IS THE STARTING POINT FOR GRACE
YOU WERE DEAD: don’t just turn over a new leaf: be born to new life
YOU WERE DEVELISH: lived like your father the Devil
YOU WERE DEFEATED: prisoners to cravings of the flesh: losing both in the physical and mental arena: you did not do right, you did not think right.
Paul took the lives of Christians: he approved when they died: He wanted Christians to be put into prison. He was blind until the scales fell from his eyes after being prayed for.
John Newton was a terrible man - in speech and in action: On his deathbed he said “ 2 things I remember: I am a great sinner and Christ is a great Savior.
BUT GOD
Words that can completely change a life: look what God did – he gave us new life. He gave us a new residence. GRACE is God’s unmerited favor, his CHARACTER (who He is). MERCY is grace expressed- not giving us the punishment we deserve. We see it throughout Scripture: those “BUT GOD” moments.
He was a senior adult who had a problem with lying and taking
God at His word, BUT GOD, who is RICH IN MERCY, forgave Abraham and used him to be the Father of His people.
He was a government official who wanted another man’s wife so badly that he used his power and position to have her husband killed and then tried to orchestrate a coverup of the horrible sin; But God forgave David, and used him to rule a nation and write over half of the book of Psalms.
She was a woman of the streets, who had made all of the wrong choices, including living with a man who was not her husband, BUT GOD, who is RICH IN MERCY, forgave the woman at the well and used her to bring an entire city to faith in Christ, and just like He forgave these, and Paul, and John Newton, God is ready to forgive you, despite your past: HAVE YOU HAD YOUR “BUT GOD” MOMENT?
THE GIFT OF GRACE: grace is not only who He is, it’s how He acts: a gift He shares.
The work Grace appears 131 times in the bible: 86 times in Paul’s (Apostle of Grace).
Grace becomes in us the power to be more Christlike: to have spiritual stamina, giving us a larger capacity to trust and obey. Hebrews 4:16 tells us : you receive the grace you need through prayer. Christianity is unique in its emphasis on GRACE: that salvation is not something achieved, but received.
THE PARABLE OF THE PIT
A man fell into a pit and could not get himself out.
A subjective person came along and said: I feel for you down there
An objective person came along and said: You are in a pit
A pharisee came by and said: Only bad people fall in a pit
Confucius said: if you would have listened to me, you would not have fallen in the pit
Buddha said: you are not really in a pit: it’s just a state of mind
A scientist calculated the pressure, poundage, and force necessary to get him out of the pit
The building commissioner said he needed to build a retention pond near the pit
The county inspector asked him did he have a permit to dig a pit
A person in self pity said: you haven’t seen anything until you’ve seen my pit
An optimist said: things could be worse;
A pessimist said: things will be worse
BUT JESUS SAW THE MAN, TOOK HIM BY THE HAND, AND LIFTED
HIM OUT OF THE PIT: from sinking sand...with tender hand....
from shades of night to plains of light, O praise His name, He lifted me.
CONCLUSION:
1. YOU WERE: dead, devilish
2. BUT GOD: redeemed, raised
3. BY GRACE: character, conduct
gifting us what we did not deserve
“Amazing Grace that saved a wretch like me, I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see”
GOOD FRIDAY: what was so good about it?
The scene was one of horror: through the murmuring crowd trudges a man beaten/ridiculed; hardly recognizable from the torture he had received; so weak that he needed assistance in carrying the cross. He arrived at Golgotha (the place of a skull): it looks like a skull, skulls are scattered about, because this was a place of execution: nothing good happened at Golgotha, nothing but death. The soldiers shoved the Carpenter to the ground; they stretched his hands out against the beams, placing their knees against his forearms, placing the spikes against his hands, and the hammer was raised.
He could have resisted; He could have stopped them with either His hand or His voice. His hand had stilled a storm. His voice had summoned a dead man from the tomb, but the HAND remained still, and the VOICE silent, and the moment was NOT stopped. The hammer flied down, the nails are driven, the skin ripped, and the blood begins to flow.
WHY? Why didn’t Jesus resist?
Even his enemies were amazed: He saved others, Himself He cannot save?
Why didn’t those hands who had made the blind to see and made the lame to walk deny the pain that was SO SURELY FELT?
BECAUSE HE SAW SOMETHING.....
The hammer? yes; The nails? Certainly; The soldier? most assuredly; His hands? hands of a carpenter, hands of God? hands of the INCARNATION, DELIVERANCE, INSTRUCTION, SERVICE, most of all: SALVATION
Luke 19:10, Matthew 1:21
HE DIDN’T RESIST, BECAUSE HE SAW SOMETHING: something beyond the hammer, the soldier, his hands the nails; something else that was being crucified with Jesus, another article of the horrible event (Crucifixion) on a day that we call GOOD Friday
It is explained in Colossians 2:14: the “handwriting of ordinances that was against us: a listing of our imperfections, our sins, was nailed to the cross.
My son in law and daughter just built a house, a beautiful house, but a house of imperfections that needed to be fixed: the list was not short, but long: and our list s not short, but long: the lusts, the lies, bad decisions, attitudes, our hinges are rusty going to place of prayer, the weeds of pessimism are overgrown on the sidewalk, the oven of jealousy has overheated and charred the walls. We have a spiritual punch list: would you want the world to see yours? It is real, it is chronicled by Christ Himself, but the world will never see it: because, the top part of it is covered by His clenched fist, and the bottom part of it is covered “blotted out” by His precious blood (O precious is the flow.....
Another translation of Colossians says: He has forgiven you of all your sins; He has wiped out the written evidence of broken commandments which hung over our heads, and completely annulled them.
THAT IS WHAT ELSE HE SAW; THAT IS WHY HE DIDN’T STOP THE NAILS: HE SAW THE LIST: HE SAW THE PUNCH LIST OF OUR SINS, OF OUR FAILURES, WHOSE PRICE DEMANDED DEATH: HIS AND OURS, AND SINCE HE COULD NOT BEAR THE THOUGHT OF ETERNITY WITHOUT YOU AND ME: HE CHOSE THE NAILS
The purpose of the nails was not to hold his hands to the cross: his love held His hands to the cross; the purpose of the nails was to hold OUR SINS in His hands to the cross.
Yes, Jesus chose the nails, and because He did.....
*the hands that had calmed the sea: calms guilt in our souls
*the hands that cleansed the temple: cleanses our hearts
*the hands that brought the dead from the tomb: brings eternal life
*the hands that opened to receive the nails: opens gates of Heaven
& that is why Friday is GOOD, and that is why we celebrate Easter
So today, take your nail: let it be a part of your celebration, and thank your Lord for choosing the NAILS......
The SS Squallos was a newly built World War 2 era submarine doing training dives off coast of New England. The first 12 dives were uneventful. The 13th, on May 23, 1939 was anything but. The dive had just started when a large valve malfunctioned, sending tons of seawater into parts of the sub. 26 men were drowned, 33 survived and the sub sank until it rested on the bottom of the Atlantic, 240 feet down. The power short circuited, there was no way to communicate. When a diver from the search crew reached the sub, he heard a series of sounds through the hull.....it was morse code: IS THERE ANY HOPE?
In a world of unstable financial futures, of deepening immorality and shrinking religious conviction.... is there any hope? That is the question being asked today..... And it is a question that is emphatically and clearly answered in our Scripture for today... “that we have a lively (living) hope made possible by the resurrection of Jesus”. BECAUSE OF EASTER..... WE HAVE HOPE
RC SPROUL calls hope “the anchor of the soul” because it gives stability to life. What keeps us going (our hope) is not based on how we FEEL, but what we KNOW. In these 3 verses of 1st Peter , he describes just how good we know this living hope to be.... and he does it by using 3 powerful verbs that demonstrate how good God’s gift of hope to us really is.... (how good we have it)
*v. 3: begotten: we are mercifully saved
*v. 4: reserved: we are incredibly rich
*v. 5: kept: we are eternally secure
WE ARE MERCIFULLY SAVED (Verse 3- begotten). We also see the word begotten also in John 3:16, in both the word comes from the same root, because both have to do with being fathered, but they are not the same word: In John, Jesus was the begotten son (monogenesis: begotten only one of that kind: one of a kind, unique of earthly mother & heavenly father). Here in 1st Peter (annagenes: begotten again: new birth (anew): perfect tense: done at a point in past, that affects us in the present: born again (saved) one & done)
You can’t find a person in Bible who was saved twice. It did not happen. You are only saved once by God’s mercy, you didn’t earn it by merit, you can’t lose it by lack of merit: you are saved by God’s mercy and kept by God’s mercy. Put it this way: take THE BEST 15 MINUTES OF YOUR LIFE- it still would not be good enough to get you to Heaven. It is not what I achieved by merit but what I have received through mercy.
WE ARE INCREDIBLY RICH (Verse 4) -RESERVED: We understand reservations: Ms Peggy and I are taking a trip in May and we have reservations: plane, villa, shows, car.... all will be waiting for us because we made reservations, AND WE PAID FOR THEM. But here in Verse 4: HE MADE RESERVATIONS FOR ME AND HE PAID FOR THEM: and what is waiting for me? AN INHERITANCE: and what an inheritance it is
a. incorruptible: faultless: not subject to decay: not ceasing to exist
b. undefiled: flawless: free from impurity: not broken
c. it fadeth not: fadeless: never lose its value: not wear out
because this reservation is mine, I am incredibly rich.
Shohei Ohtani- the richest baseball player, makes 70 million dollars a year for 10 years, over 432k each game: 48k each inning: 8k an hour: in 12 hours, he makes enough to pay $100,000 for a car , but he would have to save every bit of his 70 million a year salary for 3485 years to have as much as the richest man in the USA would have. Elon Musk’s net worth is 244 billion. I had rather be called rich by God than rich by the world. 2 Corinthians 8:9 says “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich”. I have something money cannot buy and time cannot destroy: riches in Heaven. Matthew 6:19-21 tells us “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also”. We are incredibly RICH
WE ARE ETERNALLY SECURE (Verse 5). KEPT is a military term. It means guarded/shielded by not a sentinel, but the power of God. The Bible does not speak of guarding our possessions, but it does speak of guarding our salvation, and God’s power is on call 24/7, 365 days a year. He will see us through. In HEBREWS 7:2 : HE IS ABLE TO SAVE THEM TO THE UTTERMOST”, HE IS ABLE: MY HOPE IS IN A PERSON: “my hope is built on nothing less, than Jesus’ blood and righteousness: We are eternally secure.
Back to USS SQUALLOS – The diver from the rescue team heard the knocking on the hull.... IS THERE ANY HOPE? AND FOR THE 33 LEFT ALIVE ON THE SQUALLOS, there was: their hope would come from above in the form of a never before used diving bell that would make several trips down into their depths and saved them. Our hope also comes from above in the form of Jesus Himself who made one trip, who entered our depths, our world from Heaven and brings us to safety. What should be our response? It is so appropriate that it is Palm Sunday. Today commemorates the Triumphant Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, and the people laid down palm branches which symbolized victory, peace, and life as they shouted praise and blessings to Jesus. WE SHOULD RESPOND IN PRAISE TO JESUS: because He has done so much for us and to us: we are mercifully saved, he made us incredibly rich and eternally secure.
This song by Cece Winans says it well:
All my life you have been faithful
All my life you have been so, so good
With every breath that I am able
Oh, I will sing of the goodness of God
Mark Twain said “Golf is a good walk spoiled.” This is the story of a sad walk made glad, a dark walk made bright ON THE ROAD WITH JESUS: Luke 24:13-35
Since we know the events of this walk took place in late afternoon of the first Easter Sunday, it is good to remind ourselves what had already happened on that day:
Mary Magdalene and some women, very early in the morning, come to anoint the body of Jesus: They had no plan on how to roll the stone away, no plan at all but that stone was already rolled away, there were no soldiers anywhere, but rather there were angels in the entrance who said “ why seek living among dead?”; Mary Magdalene thought that Jesus was the gardener at first but when he spoke her name, she knew who he was. The woman rushed to tell the men who had a footrace to see for themselves and came back to the 11 apostles & certain others.
Two of those “certain others” left and headed home to Emmaus, a village 7 miles northeast of Jerusalem... and SOMETHING WONDERFUL HAPPENED TO THEM ON THE ROAD TO EMMAUS
When they were on road to giving up, Jesus shows up. They were arguing over what had happened that day; their eyes were closed (in other words, they were passive) because God needed to teach them a lesson greater than their sight: WHAT ALL OF THIS WAS REALLY ABOUT
Jesus asked what the argument was about? They did not realize who was among them, saying “Art thou only a stranger in Jerusalem, and has not known the things which are come to past there in these days?”
All the confusion was now in the past: best left behind them and they were going back to Emmaus.... this was the environment that Jesus entered: but Jesus was there... and things were about to change.
With Jesus, there is always something more. He preached what called the greatest sermon never recorded. These men knew Scripture, they had good theology but didn’t know/understand all, AND HE ENLARGED
THEIR UNDERSTANDING. It was all part of a plan: not a great mistake, more than a horrible tragedy -evil did not/has not won. He not only enlarged their understanding, he changed their perspective: this was not the end, but the beginning of a grand new chapter: we do Easter injustice, when, like Christmas, we have our countdowns… and then ....that is it... it’s over...NO!!!!!!!
Every day, we still walk in Easter glory, because Jesus is still on road with us. Jesus did not come to make good lives better: He came to
save our souls (Luke 19:10); salvation is not about what we can do, but what He did: salvation is not something we achieve, but what we can receive. Joy with Jesus is not only to be celebrated, but shared.
Back on the road to Emmaus, depending on their fitness, the terrain, whether or not they stopped, they could have walked this in 2-3 hours: we do know that when they got to their home, it was getting on in the day: they shared a meal/bed/hospitality. When he broke/blessed the bread they recognized him (maybe because of the scars on his hands?) and then He left to go to the Disciples for the second time at night.
Armed with this enlarged explanation of Scriptures; having this new perspective of what had happened, and... having visual proof that Jesus was indeed alive.....they said DID NOT OUR HEARTS BURN? and there was only one thing to do....*in spite of their weariness, in spite of the danger/impracticality, they made the 7 mile journey back to Jerusalem: WHY? Because THEY HAD GOOD NEWS AND GOOD NEWS WAS FOR SHARING.
We walk the road to Emmaus.... it is not only something that happened to them, but it becomes, metaphorically, our road of life, and on that road, our road there are three signs:
CARE.....DARE......SHARE
CARE: Sometimes the road is hard; life brings the unexpected; hopes are dashed, and it is at our greatest point of need that Jesus shows up (he always has been there, but, we have not always seen/recognized Him, just like them.
Sometimes the road is depressing, we get stuck in ruts, we start
drifting toward the ditches, until we discover that with Jesus, there is always something new to learn and more to experience. We never stop growing and never reach the point where we are hopeless because He is with us.
DARE : Take the dare to engage the Scriptures and be taught new and
exciting principles of Truth for better living.
The third word is SHARE: sharing good news about Jesus: giving others a good case of “heartburn”; knowing that the joy of Jesus is not only a privilege to celebrate but also a responsibility to share.
THIS WEEK: SHARE SOMETHING VISUAL/VERBAL
So, their road to Emmaus was their way home, and our road leads home too: not to your house address, but to 1 Kingdom Way in Heaven....as we walk that road, we are confident that:
the past is behind us
the future is before us
God is with us!
3/30/25 FROM DOUBTER TO DISCIPLE: John 20:24-29 - Dr. J Steve Jackson
We’ve all heard of Presidential nicknames: Honest Abe, Old Hickory, Tricky Dick but did you know that one of Jesus’ disciples has a nickname hat has forever labeled him and judged him: THOMA (DOUBTING THOMAS)
Although I understand the association of the man and the trait (although Jesus did not actually call him doubting, but faithless (lacking faith), I believe we treat Thomas unfairly if that is all we remember about him.
Thomas is an example of a man who had honest questions, and who received answers to those questions, and upon receiving answers, HE CHANGED. He is the example of a man who could change.... which gives hope to all of us: the leopard may not be able to change its spots, but we can change our life, our perspective, even our destiny.
SO, HOW DID CHANGE COME TO THOMAS?
THOMAS, THE DOUBTER;
HE MISSED A LOT
In John 20:24: He missed the PRESENCE of Jesus
In John 20:19: He missed the PEACE of Jesus
In John 20:20: He missed the PROOF of Jesus: the scars on his body
In John 20:21: He missed the PLAN of Jesus: so send I you
In John 20:22: He missed the POWER from Jesus: the Holy Spirit
In John 20:23: He missed the PURPOSE of the Plan of Jesus: to deal with the problem of sin. He missed all that: so, they had to tell him, and he didn’t believe: he doubted their testimony, but before we get too harsh on Thomas, all the others acted the same way until they saw Him....
*consider this: Jesus had told them at least 3 times He would die and be raised again on the third day:
*the women: did not come expecting to find living among the dead, but the dead among the dead: they came to properly anoint his dead body because He had been buried so quickly: Mary Magdalene did not
even recognize him: she thought he was the gardener and said “if you have taken his body: I will return and properly prepare it”
*the men: on that third day.... none of them went looking for Jesus on their own: none of them were expecting a miracle- The women’s words seemed as fables, just nonsense.
That evening, they were not meeting to celebrate, but in fear they locked the doors: fear of Jews: yes, they all were doubters at least Thomas honest enough to admit it...THINK WITH ME
Thomas was called by Jesus
Thomas followed Jesus
Thomas was willing to die for Jesus: John 11:16: well, in spite of the danger, let’s go back with him (and die with him)
He had his hopes up: they all did: but with His death, that all
came crashing down: JESUS had died: Thomas knew what everyone
knew: you don’t come back from crucifixion: The Romans knew how to kill a man, and you don’t come back from that: Thomas is just being honest: death will get us all: why BOTHER with anything else: it
won’t change anything.
Have you ever thought WHY BOTHER?
THOMAS THE DISCOVERER
The next Sunday evening....Jesus comes again, he’s suddenly there
and has a 1 on 1 with Thomas (He had heard his unconfession)
John 20:26-28: here it is: here is your evidence, Thomas, he’s standing right in front of you: now believe: and Thomas responded with one of the greatest confessions in Bible: it was the first time anyone called Jesus GOD.
You see, Jesus did not come to make life little bit better, but to turn the world upside down: death was the norm: but with Jesus, death is no longer the norm: life is: we have a NEW NORMAL: life, not death: forgiveness, not condemnation: a hope, a future, everything has changed: and it changed in Thomas, and it can change in us.
THOMAS, THE DISCIPLE
John 21:2: They heard Jesus say: take care of my sheep, feed my sheep: and he helped do that very thing. Acts 1:13: They were in the upper room praying/waiting until Pentecost. It was a church tradition: Thomas spread the gospel into India: the southern tip, which still has a Christian tradition dating back to first century: He died as a martyr, speared to death in 72ad
WE ARE HIS DISCIPLES: John 20:29 says “..blessed are they that have not seen and yet believed: USE YOUR FAITH: you use it every day: we get on the road: driving 60 to 70 miles per hour with others (most with guns) that we don’t even know. We go eat at a restaurant: someone you don’t know/can’t see is cooking your food.
IF WE HAVE FAITH HERE, WHY NOT GOD?
WHY BOTHER////WHY SETTLE? Life has changed because of Jesus: don’t settle for less: trust Jesus!
NEXT WEEK: ON THE ROAD WITH JESUS: Luke 24
Our Guest Speaker was Reverend Don Hicks, former Minister of Education at Alta Woods Baptist Church. He is currently the Director of Missions for Jasper County.
When my wife and I first served, the first time I was in this auditorium, I thought it was the most beautiful place I had ever seen. I want to preach about commitment today– I see commitment in this congregation. Commitment is one of the greatest characteristics of Christian life. We give to the church and encourage one another. Human commitment and love has it’s limitations but Christian Commitment is God’s love for us, that he sent his own son to die in love for us.
John 15:12 tells us “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you, Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth; but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my father, I have made known unto you.” John called himself the discipline that Jesus loved. As children, the first bible verse we lean is “God is Love”. After that, “Love One Another”. Commitment is only one part (though a big part) of love.
How can you define commitment? Dedication, Loyalty, Faithfulness? All of those are correct but we learn the most about commitment by watching other people. Another part of commitment is making sure your people are safe. Commitment is motivation, more than circumstance. We can look in the scriptures for the meaning of commitment. Ruth 1:16-17 says “Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for wither thou go. I will go; and where thou lodge, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and thy God, my God; Where thou die, will I die, and there will I be buried; the Lord do so to me, and more also, if aught but death part thee and me”. Though Ruth’s husband had died, she was committed to take care of her mother in law. Shad’-drach, Me’shach and A-bed-nego were thrown into the fiery furnace because they refused to worship any but their God. That’s commitment. Commitment is there even when it’s not obvious what the outcome will be. In our Christian life, with the help of Jesus Christ, are we committed? We can be committed to Jesus Christ because he loves us.
Do you know who Rockin Rollen Stuart is? You’ve seen him, the man with the rainbow colored wig, gyrating with a John 3:16 sign at various news/sporting events in the 80’s. He was a failed actor who converted to Christ and became convinced that he had been called to spread God’s Word through televised sporting events, including the Super Bowl, World Series, and even Princes Diana’s wedding. Carrying small battery powered TV, he would identify where the cameras were shooting and if he could not purchase a seat, would ask if he could borrow one , even offering to hold a child on his lap to spread the Christian message. TV producers hated him, they threatened to fire anyone who showed him on camera. There was even a documentary made of his life: he was dubbed the John 3:16: the man who made John 3:16 famous.
Well, what is more famous....already famous, just as Amazing Grace won most famous Baptist Hymn of all time survey, John 3:16 easily wins the most well-known Bible verse. It’s the Bible in a nutshell, the gospel in miniature.
SM Lockridge said: never has so much been said to so many in so few words. According to Max Lucado, it is a 26 word parade of hope beginning and ending with God , beginning and ending with life and challenging us to do the same. It’s brief enough to write on a napkin and quickly memorize, yet strong enough to weather 2000 years of questions; if you know nothing of the Bible, start here; if you know the Bible well, return here.
So, today, as we take a look at this majestic verse, the greatest invitation ever given, to spend eternity, starting now, in the best way with the best person.
1. HE LOVES
Love, referring to God’s love is found 5 times in John: The dictionary defines love as “having a feeling of affection or regard toward or to be attracted toward: charity, passion.
*WHY DID HE LOVE? when we are so unloveable? We are inconsistent, we have failures: Romans 5:8 says : not I love you when, or because, but IN SPITE OF: Jeremiah 31:3 states “wide, wide as the ocean, high, high as the heaven, deep, deep as the sea, is my Father’s love for me.
WHY DOES HE LOVE US? Because God an incurable romantic, because that is His nature, his essence, who He is: John 4:8 “*you may go from here today unsaved, but you will not go from here UNLOVED.
2. HE GAVE
God’s love has a THAT. Giving costs.... love costs: the Father watched His Son die. He could have brought down 12 legions: 72k angels and remember, one angel slew 185M but he didn’t.
3. WE BELIEVE
Believe mean to trust, to cling to, to rely on “faith”. Salvation is not in an act, but a PERSON. WHOSOEVER - not whosoever has an education, or money, who lives in a certain part of town, has the best parents, the best occupation, a particular race.
4. WE LIVE
Not just the quantity of life, but the quality: the LIFE OF THE AGES. Life with a capital L: John 10:10 says “ we will go on an exist, but here is the best LIFE”.
FOR GOD: the Lord of earth and heaven
SO LOVED: and longed to see you forgiven
THE WORLD: in sin and pleasure
THAT HE GAVE: the only Son He had
HIS ONLY SON: to take our place
THAT WHOSOEVER: O what grace
BELIEVETH: placing simple trust
IN HIM: the righteous and the just
SHOULD NOT PERISH: be lost in sin
BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE: in HIM
OUR CHALLENGE:
We know the verse, but, do we live the verse?
People can quote John 3:16 but not everyone who knows it lives it.
So where is Rockin Rollen Stuart today? Well.....he’s still alive, but won’t see him at any sporting events: he became convinced that Jesus would return in 1992: he became upset that people were not listening to his message: he became more unstable, even violent: he kidnapped a hotel cleaning woman, barricaded himself in hotel near LAX, threatening to shoot at passengers and planes at the airport: he was arrested and convicted: he is still serving his time of 3 consecutive life sentences at an Ohio prison.
How about you?
Do you know John 3:16
Are you living John 3:16
3/9/25 A GOOD DEATH: Colossians 3:1-4 Dr Steve Jackson
A GOOD/DEATH: when?where?how?
The New York Times reported on the life and death of Donald Cash of whom it was said: he died a good death: he was a software engineer who took early retirement in his fifties to check off his proverbial bucket list: to climb the highest peak on each of 7 continents: only 1 remained: the highest one: MOUNT EVEREST: 29,900 feet: he made it-he took in the view that few have ever seen, he got dizzy because of the thin air... he was taken by guide down 2000 feet to Hillary’s Step (the last flat area before the final climb); while he was resting, he suffered a heart attack and died: his death was called GOOD because he made it, he accomplished his goal; he died doing what he loved, what he wanted, what he planned for....IT WAS A GOOD DEATH WASN’T IT????
Can there be a GOOD DEATH?
Jesus died a GOOD DEATH: we even commemorate the day of His death as GOOD Friday-so was it good? YES: in what it accomplished: taking our sins and in what it led to: RESURRECTION and Christ demonstrating the FIRST FRUITS of our RESURRECTION. we love that Christ was resurrected, but to get to the glory of the empty tomb, he had to suffer the gory ordeal of the cross: He had to die to get there. So do we: in order to tap in to the power of the resurrected Christ; in order to tap into the glory of the Heavenly home, in order to experience the forgiveness for the past, to get the help for the present, and the hope for the future, we have to die: not at the end of life, but at the beginning. We have to die a GOOD DEATH: Colossians 3:2. Have you died a GOOD DEATH? A DEATH that is not the end of the book, but the beginning of next chapter
Let’s talk about that......using 3 words:
POSITION/POWER/PRESENCE
POSITION – When we were saved, we died to standing apart from Christ and began Living in Christ. Apart from Christ, we were slaves to sin: without Jesus, we were left to ourselves to try and manage through maze of life, and we did not do well, even if we tried our best: Isaiah 64:6 says “But we are as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities like the wind; have taken us away”
Rom. 3:10,23 (As it is written, There is no one righteous, no not one” “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” how did standing apart from Christ work for you? Not good! Regardless of how we were brought up (with a silver spoon or lump of coal; in a Christian home or a twisted terror of home), when we stood before Christ, we had one classification (not based on demographics or socio-economics: have or have nots: WE WERE ALL SINNERS.
AND WHEN WE CAME TO CHRIST, he broke those chains of sin and wrapped us up securely in His hands: we came to Christ saying: I can’t do this and He said, come unto me: I’ve already done it for you – in order to achieve, we must first receive -moving from outside of Christ to in Christ, from lost to saved, WE DIED TO OUR OLD POSITION WITHOUT CHRIST: at a point in time , it was one and done, we were saved because we died....AND THAT WAS A GOOD DEATH
DEATH IS POWERLESSNESS - LIFE IN HIS POWER. after we were saved, it did not take us long to learn that being IN CHRIST did not always equal being LIKE CHRIST: WE ARE STILL WORKING ON THAT. Although our POSITION (salvation) was one and done, that POWER (sanctification, growth) is weekly, daily, several times in a day: we start out well saying, today, I will live for Christ and then.... we mess up: we make the wrong choice, we use the wrong words, we make the wrong action.... where did that come from? that desire/thought/habit is still there - when will that go away?: Col. 2:6 says “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus, the Lord, so walk ye in him”. There is a similarity with how we began our Christian life and how we continue it: we don’t begin it with God and then live it by ourselves. It is amazing how many Christians try to figure out this life by looking ahead to goals or plans, or looking back, trying to analyze decisions/choices, or by looking down on others trying to elevate ourselves in the eyes of others and ourselves when all the time we should be looking up. Do the things you did at the beginning as a sinner- confess to receive his power: To tap into His power, you’ve got to die to your old self- not depend on your smart or abilities, and that’s a GOOD DEATH. TO BE SAVED IS TO DIE TO YOUR OLD POSITION APART FROM CHRIST. IN ORDER TO GROW YOU HAVE TO DIE TO YOUR OLD SELF – THAT IS MANAGED POWER
PRESENCE
You must die to this notion that others can fix your life and pursue the presence of Christ -it’s not the horizontal relationship , but the vertical that you need to focus on. Other people can’t fix you: not your parents/spouse/friends/the latest hot shot author or book, because they are suffering from the same thing you are: SIN; only God in Christ can fix you. You must say, “in all seasons, Christ is my life, and I am happiest/best when I am in pursuit of the presence of God in my life.
DIEING TO THE NOTION THAT OTHERS CAN FIX YOUR LIFE, NOW THAT’S A GOOD DEATH, AND CHOOSING INSTEAD TO SPEND LIFE PURSUING THE PRESENCE OF GOD.
Two sisters, both wild, came to Christ and soon after their conversion they received an invitation to a party (where the focus would not be on Christ); They declined, saying we cannot make it, we recently died.
1. Have you died THE GOOD DEATH?
*death to old POSITION away from Christ
*death to the daily POWERLESSNESS of self managing life
*death to depending on any horizontal relationship to fix you but instead depending on vertical the relationship, the PRESENCE of Christ to give us victory now and glory then.
2. So, are you dead or alive? “Yes”
Warren Wiersbe said we are dead and alive at the same time; dead to sin and alive to Jesus -Dead to the world, Alive in Christ, I rise above all a vessel cleansed, a soul set right, His living hope is my guiding light
EASTER -1/3 of world’s population calls themselves Christian: over 2 billion: Easter is biggest party/celebration of the year, and we get to be a part of it... EASTER changes everything. Because of Easter, our faith/destiny/our perspective on the past,present, and future are all different: Paul put it this way: 1 Cor. 15:17-20 -
"17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. 20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep."
Yes, Easter makes all the difference, and for the next few weeks, we will be looking at different Easter
events in Scripture to show just how much that weekend changed their lives & ours. We begin today by looking at 2 post resurrection meetings, and how engaging the resurrected Christ changed these people for the better... and how he can change us for the better as well......
Acts 1:3: What would you do if you had just defeated death? Take a victory lap.... go and find a throne and sit on it.... I’ll tell you what Jesus did... he met people here they were and changed them for the better because
HE CARED FOR THEM.... & us (1 Peter 5:7); let’s look at 2 of them......
1. MARY MAGDALENE
Crucifixion Day was painful to watch; the day was the culmination of unmet expectations: none of
this was supposed to happen - she had been rescued from a barrage of DEMONS: she became a follower...listener.... what she had seen/ heard/felt: and for it to end like this? FILLED WITH SADNESS & PAIN: - John 20:16-18: Jesus shows up in her pain, and with one word, everything changes: pain turns to purpose - to whom do you give name defining privileges to? Do you allow the world to call you names and turn them
into self fulfilling prophecies? worthless...naive... hopeless - to Mary and us: Jesus pointed forward: don’t get stuck in the “what was”, BUT go and discover what “could be”: he gave her a mission: the world said a woman’s testimony would not hold up in the lowest court, but Jesus made a woman the first reporter of
the resurrection BECAUSE OF EASTER.... our pain can be redeemed
2. THE DISCIPLES
John 20:19a: Mary Magdalene was in pain/ and the disciples were afraid - Did you know that FEAR is the longest standing opposition to faith in history? The first words attributed to a person in Scripture: Genesis 3:10: dealt with FEAR - FEAR can put us in a prison.... but Jesus can pick the lock of the prison door: John 20:19ab: do you know the most repeated command in Scripture (more than 365 times); FEAR NOT: one for each day of the year: & their fear is turned to GLADNESS when they experience the presence of Jesus, the PEACE He brings and the PURPOSE He gives: John 20:20-21: Jesus shows up and does PEACE: the focus on Jesus changes fear to peace: like as we go on a path (Railroad track), there is the rail of fear and there is the rail of peace
HIM: where will we focus
3. THE CORINTHIANS: DEATH IS DIFFERENT
If He can change Mary Magdalene’s pain with 1 word, and if He can change the fear with 1 appearance, then He can change us: listen to what Paul wrote the Corinthians: 15:17-20. If someone asks you what makes Christianity different? What makes Jesus different from all other leaders of the world’s religions?
2 WORDS: Resurrection and Grace.
1. RESURRECTION: everyone else in the tomb where Jesus USED TO BE in the tomb; death was not the end for Him: indeed, Jesus makes Resurrection, (not death) the norm - when you go past a graveyard: death is the norm: probably you do not give it a second thought, but if you went by and saw people breaking out of those graves, that would be shocking/scary/other-worldly; NOT THE NORM -BUT WITH JESUS, everything changes about death: death is NOT the norm, the defining, but LIFE becomes the norm, as Jesus’ resurrection becomes the promise, the FIRST FRUITS, not the “last-fruits”: SLEEP is not the end .
2. GRACE: Rom 3:10, 23; salvation is not what we achieve, but what we receive: He encloses His hand around us: Colossians 3:3
Yes, Easter changes everything, even death itself is different because of Jesus: not a grave but a door into
the next chapter of life - So, join with me: come to the party called Easter, as we celebrate the death of death and the best life now and forever more.
NEXT WEEK...
WE ARE GOING TO PUT 2 WORDS TOGETHER THAT
DO NOT USUALLY APPEAR THAT WAY....look at
first part of Colossians 3 and talk about GOOD
DEATH, when death is good
1. Planning for the future has always been a part of our lives-children: what am I going to be in I grow up;
youth: who am I going to marry; adults: research/plan for a lot: investment planning to house
plans to vehicle purchases to retirement to travel planning (MS Peggy and I: 50thanniversary next year
2. So, is there a right way/wrong way to plan for future events or “the future” in general?;*well, people plan for the future in drastically different ways; tea leaves, palm readers, astrology, tarot, flip a coin; better ways: SET A GOAL/MAKE A BUDGET/GENERATE AN ACTION PLAN
3. Is there a CHRISTIAN way to plan for the future? -Again, the answer is YES, and the latter part of James 4 addresses that very topic: how a Christian should plan for the future....
In these 5 verses, James tells us 3 dangers in future planning that we should avoid and 2 spiritual principles in future planning we should follow...
1. 3 DANGERS WE SHOULD AVOID
A. Beware of SELF CENTERED PLAN -problem is, like the rich farmer he left out God. I’m ok for a while/GOD -Psalm 32:8: God is interested in/has a plan for your life: he took care of your PAST, he is helping you in your PRESENT, and wants to guide you in your FUTURE: Psalm 32:8
B. Beware of SELF CONFIDENT PRESUMPTION -don’t promise what you can’t deliver: year/day: you don’t know and can’t guarantee; you are not as important as you think: our life here on earth is like a vapor :you can see your breath on a cold morning, so.... make the most of what you have: each day a precious gift: Psalm 118:24; Yes, make the most of what we have: for “time flies”: over the hill you pick up speed!
(Ben Franklin: dost thou value life? Then do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made from): Psalm 31:15: my times are in Thy hand; so, don’t leave God out: to be self centered/self confident are wrong ways to plan
C. Beware of SELF COMPLACENT PROCRASTINATION - the problem here: knows what is right, but doesn’t do what is right
GOD IS A SLICE OF MY LIFE: included but just a part - not the ruling part. God is A part of life good?) but not THE part: his definition of being ok spiritually is to not do bad: murder/steal/adultery: keep those but what about the good He wants you to do: (“THE PART): love your neighbor/forgive your enemy/give cheerfully: sins of commission and OMISSION -yes, stay away from bad and actively pursue the good; yes, plan for the future, but also have a plan for the present! So, avoid planning that leaves God out, or that relegates God to a “slice” of life
2. 2 SPIRITUAL PRINCIPLES WE SHOULD FOLLOW (15-17)
A. 15: bring God in, more than just a part, but THE part *the big IF: for centuries, Christians would sign their name to correspondence, followed by D.V.: Deo Volente: God willing: I am going to seek His will in my future, believing He has a plan for that too, a way to glorify Him; not bless what I am doing, but help me do what you are blessing
GOD IS NOT A SLICE OF THE PIE OF YOUR LIFE, BUT HE WANTS TO BE THE WHOLE PLATE
B. TRUST GOD: the pie rests securely in the plate: keeps it together; we can trust in WHO GOD IS: faithful in the past, faithful now and into the future: you can trust Him-Corrie Ten Boom: never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God!
C. OBEY GOD not just mentally, but also physically - where the plate goes, the pie goes; where God wants us to go, whatever He wants us to do, we seek to do: we OBEY and remember, not just staying away from bad, but doing good & the 2 go together: we obey because we trust; V.17" To him that knoweth to do good and doeth it not, to him it is sin." We find our greatest joy, our deepest purpose, and our most profound peace in His will: day by day, step by step. Said of Christopher Columbus: didn’t know where going/where he was, where he had been, but if we follow God, we will know where we are going and who is going with us: as we trust and obey: TRUSTING WHO HE IS and OBEYING what HE SAYS....
CONCLUSION:
1. THE STORY OF THE SONG: D L Moody: 1886: Ira Sankey: testimony meeting: a young man stood and said; I am not quite sure. but I’m going to trust and I’m going to obey: He jotted down the sentence and sent to preacher friend, John Sammis, who, inspired by that sentence, wrote the HYMN TRUST AND OBEY. THE LAST STANZA speaks of that walk with Jesus into the future, then in fellowship sweet, we will sit at His feet, or we’ll walk by His side in the way,what He says, we will do; where He sends we will go, never fear, only TRUST AND OBEY.
2 Passages today - 2 Peter and 2 Timothy. The Bible is the best selling book of all time ever since its 1st printing on the Gutenberg press in 1455. As of today there have been about 6 billion copies of the Bible sold. 86% of the homes in America have at least one copy of the Bible. If you were to go to amazon.com and type in Bible, you would find 4,000 entries. There is no other book like it in publishing history. God gave us the Bible to help us navigate throughout our lives. How do people without the Bible get along through life?
16% of Americans read it every day. 21% read it weekly, 12% read it monthly, 10% read it occasionally and 41% rarely ever read it.
Peter tells us in 2 Peter 1 that all the things he wrote about Jesus were true because he was an eyewitness to all these things. He goes on to tell them that they are to remember these things after Peter has died. "Follow God even when I am gone." Those words should be the same for us... that people should remember the things we taught them about God even after we are gone. In verses 16-18 he reminds them that he was an eyewitness and earwitness to Jesus. In Matthew 17 we have the account of Jesus taking Peter, James and John up on the Mount of Transfiguration. They saw the glow of Jesus' face and Moses and Elijah come down from heaven. Peter then said a glowing cloud, the shekinah glory of God, enveloped them. Peter thought this was such a good thing that he wanted to build 3 houses, one each for Jesus, Moses and Elijah. Then he heard the voice of God saying "this is my beloved son," He said he fell on his face and worshiped. Peter said he was writing what he had seen and heard. Sadly in our world today, people have fallen out of love with God and his Holy Word. So now what does Peter do with the last days of his life? He encourages them to read their Bible. The psalmist said "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path." Read the holy scriptures. He reminded them that Micah(5:2) had written the place where Jesus was to be born some 700 years before the birth of Jesus.
The Bible is an amazing book written by 40 different authors in 3 continents over a time span of 1500 years. The writers were inspired by one author... the Holy Spirit of God. And he reminded them that they could not interpret these scriptures any way they wanted for the prophecy was not of any private interpretation v.20-21. Then John encourages them to remember the things he has told them.
Finally, Paul tells them in 2 Timothy 2:15 to 1) study the Word of God, put time into studying it, more than just a casual reading and you must be honest with yourself. AND 2) talk to God and the Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth (John 16:13). Present yourself to God as one who is a dependable and diligent workman. 3) Ask him to help you rightly divide the word of truth... an agricultural word that means you must "plow a straight furrow." Adrian Rogers
said read it through/ think it clear/ write it down/ live it out and pass it on!
Voltaire said "in 100 years there will be no Bibles left." After his death his house became a distribution house for Bibles. Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth shall pass away but my words shall not pass away.
Where did the "question mark" come from? Some have suggested that the curve of the Egyptian's cat's tail and coupled with the curiosity of a cat formed a question mark and thus, we have it. The Latin word is "quaisito" meaning to ask with vocal inflection. This led to 16th century printers to decide what the mark of a question should be like.
It is said that preschoolers ask on average 100 questions a day... and the question they most ask is "why?" The average elementary student asks up to 200 questions a day and their main question is "are we there yet?" The average adult gets about 30 questions a day but the school teacher gets about 300 questions a day. For adults most questions come in 3 main categories - 1) Medical - Is it cancer? will I get better? 2) Relational - Do you trust me? will you marry me? 3) Vocational - Did I get the job? or the promotion? Make note that all three of these are about the here and now.
John 11:25-26 This passage is about the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Jesus is assuring Martha that even though Lazarus had physically died, yet he shall live.Jesus asked the most important question of Marthe in V. 26 believest thou this? Martha got the answer right when she replied yes Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ the Son of God.
1) A PERSONAL MATTER - Jesus was making this a personal matter... Martha do YOU believe? Your salvation is a personal matter and it does not happen by accident or osmosis. You must personally invite Jesus into your life. Nor does it happen just because your parents were Christians. It does not matter what other people say about Jesus! Remember Jesus asked Peter "But who do YOU say that I am? It was personal for Peter and all the other Christians. Salvation requires a personal relationship with Christ Jesus.
2) It is a POINTED MATTER To believe is not just a mental state of mind, it has a physical aspect. To the Jews, the word "believe" meant you were required to do something. To believe means you are willing to stake your future on your beliefs. James 2:19 tells us that "you say that you believe there is one God, you do well for even the devils believe and tremble." James was saying that believe was more than just words. He said that the demons know Jesus is the Son of God because they have tasted of his awesome power when they were cast out of heaven.To say that you believe is more than assenting to God's existence. It is committing your life to Him... you must give yourself to Him.
3) It is a PRECISE QUESTION. To believe means that you have the truth... objective truth.. precise truth. Jesus made 4 fantastic truth claims about who he was.
Truth Claim #1 DEITY - he claimed to be deity... to be God Himself V. 25 - "I AM the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, thou he were dead yet shall he live."
Truth Claim #2 - DEATH - He made claims about his death. By his death, he paid the sin punishment for all people forever. We all have an appointment with death. He died once for all - 1 Peter 3:18. It is appointed unto men once to die and after that the judgment. Hebrews 9:27
Truth Claim #3) DESTINY - Claim about destiny - When we die we are all going some place. We spend more time preparing to live than preparing for eternal life and that is odd for the time spent on earth is very short as compared to eternity in Heaven with God. Some people live as if there is nothing after death. Won't they be surprised? John 14:2-3
Truth Claim #4) DELIVERANCE Claim about deliverance. It is an old saying but it is true, if you are born once, you will die twice; but if you are born twice, you will die only once. Jesus told Nicodemus that You must be born again, unless you are born of the water and the spirit you cannot enter the kingdom of God. John 3:3
The great Christian theologian C.S. Lewis said either Jesus was demented, or he was a deceiver, or he was genuinely divine.
Jesus was who he claimed to be, he was and is the Son of God!
So how do YOU answer the question - Do you believe this? Do you believe enough to trust him with your whole life? ... to cling to his truth?... enough to commit to him?... to rely on him?
There is no greater place than to be in the lap of Jesus.
YES, LORD, I BELIEVE!!!!
1) IN CHRIST - These two important words appear 9 times in Ephesians 1:1-14. At the end of the sermon we will look at three important words... CHRIST IN ME. Are we in Christ? Are you in Christ?
1) To be IN CHRIST is the POSITIONAL PHASE of our Christian life. What does it mean to be In Christ? To say that you are in Christ is where you are... ever since I surrendered my life to Jesus I am "in Christ." It is my SPIRITUAL position, my locale... it is where I am.
Illustration... Place a ball in a bucket and the location of the ball is in the bucket. It is where you will find the ball. When you swing the bucket around, the position of the ball is still in the bucket. Wherever the bucket is, the ball remains in the bucket. The bucket affects the ball. Wherever we go, whatever we do, we are in Christ. If we are in Christ, He affects us no matter where we are. Are you in Christ? How does Christ affect us. He is the "Hub" of our lives as Christians. He is connected to us ("the wheel") through the "spokes." These "spokes" are... 1) the Scripture - as we read it, it affects what we spend our time thinking on. 2) He affects us through prayer, our communication with him. He helps us recall the scriptures that we have read and will help us in our daily living. and 3) the church - spending time with others is where where we will receive spiritual encouragement from fellow pilgrims who like us are also becoming more and more in Christ. All these connectors keep us close to him. "If any man be in Christ he is a new creation old things pass away and all things become new."
2) CHRIST IN US - this phrase occurs 8 times in the NT. We find it in Colossians 1:27. "Christ in you the Hope of Glory." This phrase expresses the RELATIONAL PHASE of our spiritual life. This tells us who we are. A relationship can only take place between two living beings. Christ and us together forever. The Bible calls us the bride of Christ. When a couple gets married they become more ours - and less mine. Expectations and actions and attitudes change when we become married. Expectations, actions and attitudes change when we become the bride of Christ... he is in us. The longer a couple is married, it is said that they begin to look alike. So it is with us as Christians, we should begin to look and act like Christ. Ephesians 2:10 says that we are his workmanship created to bring his presence and his glory into the lives of people we meet. "To whom God would make known what is the riches of his glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you the hope of glory." Whose glory? It can mean both - God's and yours.
Make the God that you know be the
God that you show. He should be the same person. How long does someone look at you before they see Jesus? Let Christ live in you and through you. It will be for your glory and for God's glory too! IT WILL MAKE YOU HAPPY AND BLESS OTHERS TOO.
HAVING A BAD DAY?
Bricklayer's Accident Report Dear Sir,
I am writing in response to your request for additional information in Block 3 of the accident report form. I put 'poor planning' as the cause of my accident. You asked for a fuller explanation and I trust the following details will be sufficient. I am a bricklayer by trade. On the day of the accident, I was working alone on the roof of a new six-story building When I completed my work, I found that I had some bricks left over which, when weighed later were found to be slightly in excess of 500lb. Rather than carry the bricks down by hand, I decided to lower them in a barrel by using a pulley, which was attached to the side of the building on the sixth floor. Securing the rope at ground I went up to the roof, swung the barrel out and loaded the bricks into it. Then I went down and untied the rope, holding it tightly to ensure a slow descent of the bricks. You will note in Block 11 of the accident report form that I weigh 135 ; lbs. Due to my surprise at being jerked off the ground so suddenly, I Iost my presence of mind and forgot to let go of the rope. Needless to say, I proceeded at a rapid rate up the side of the building. In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel, which was now proceeding downward at an equally impressive speed. This explained the fractured skull, minor abrasions and the broken collar bone, as listed in section 3 of the accident report form. Slowed only slightly, I continued my rapid ascent, not stopping until the fingers of my right hand were two knuckles deep into the pulley. Fortunately by this time I had regained my presence of mind and was able to hold tightly to the rope, in spite of beginning to experience pain. At approximately the same time, however, the barrel of bricks hit the ground and the bottom fell out of the barrel. Now devoid of the weight of the bricks, that barrel weighed approximately 50 lbs. I refer you again to my weight. As you can imagine, I began a rapid descent, down the side of the building In the vicinity of the third floor, I met the barrel coming up. This accounts for the two fractured ankles, broken tooth and several lacerations of my legs and lower body. Here my luck began to change slightly. The encounter with the barrel seemed to slow me enough to lessen my injuries when I fell into the pile of bricks and fortunately only three vertebrae were cracked. I am sorry to report, however, as I lay there on the pile of bricks, in pain, unable to move, I again lost my composure and presence of mind and let go of the rope and I lay there watching the empty barrel begin its journey back down onto me. This explains the two broken legs. I hope this answers your inquiry. (Think you are having a bad day?)
3 LESSONS TO LEARN FROM JOB THE WORST DAY OF HIS LIFE.
Job had it all, great family, wealth and respect among his neighbors! God gave Satan the right to try Job. Satan said he will curse you if you remove your hedge of protection from him. So Satan caused Job to lose everything. His wife told him to curse God and die, BUT... He never forgot God in it all and he worshiped.
Lesson 1) LIFE IS NOT FAIR - Job's children were celebrating in their oldest brother's house. A messenger came to Job and said your oxen and asses have all been slain and only I have escaped to tell you. AND while he was speaking, a 2nd messenger came and said fire from heaven fell and consumed your sheep and servants and only I escaped to tell you. AND while he was speaking, a 3rd messenger came and said your camels have all been stolen and your servants have been slain, and only I have escaped to tell you. AND a 4th one came and told Job that a great wind had caused the house where his children were and it collapsed and killed them all. Only I escaped. In all this, Job did not sin but acknowledged his trust and faith in God. In chapter 14:1, Job said man is short in days and full of trouble. Jesus told us that in the world you will have tribulation(John 16:33) . But why do bad things happen to good people? a) sometimes we bring it on ourselves by our bad choices and actions; b)Sometimes others may bring these bad things on us. we need to be careful of the company we keep and what they say and do, we should not copy them and do likewise.; c) we live in a world of not yet. Psalm 23 tells us that we can get through the valley of the shadow when we dwell on Him. Don't dwell on the what but on the WHO! Notice that Job didn't complain but went and talked to God.
2) GOD IS NOT FAR! Job was honest with God. In Job 7:20 he confessed that he was a sinner. Even though you cannot understand the why things happen, trust his heart He is not finished with you yet. He's still working on you and me! Cast all your cares on him for he careth for you 1 Peter 5:7. and he will sustain you Psalm 55:22. Trust Him even in your pain. Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ which strengthen me. He will never leave you He will dwell with you and in you. Hebrews 13:5
3) GOD IS NOT FINISHED WITH JOB OR YOU. Job was not finished with life because God was not finished with Job. Job asked God a lot of questions and God asked Job a lot of questions. He discovered that God was bigger and more powerful and better than anything. In Job 42:10-17 we find- God gave him more possessions, more family, and long life. Job found that he could be happy again as long as he had God. So it is for us, our future can be better. 1 Corinthians 2:9 - But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
March 13, 1964 - 28 year old Kitty Genovese was attacked and stabbed by a man with a knife outside the New York apartment building where she lived . As she cried out for help lights came on inside the building, and one resident shouted out "Leave her alone." The assailant fled but when the lights went out, he came back again and continued his attack. Again the lights came on and once again a voice shouted "Leave her alone." And once again the attacker fled. She crawled up the steps to the door and the attacker returned a third time. This time he finished killing her. Someone called the police and they were there in 2 minutes. Sadly no one cared enough to go to her aid, afraid that they might be attacked too. No one cared. Custom at the time was no one wanted to become involved. Because they didn't care, she died.
This psalm written by King David who said he felt like no one cared for his soul.
We know King Saul hated David because he felt his throne was threatened. David may have been afraid and hiding in a cave from Saul when he wrote this psalm.
The New Testament describes people who feel no one cares about them.
Luke 19:10 tells us the person feels lost. Ephesians 2:12 tells us that people without Christ feel they are without hope and without God in the world. John says the person feels like he will perish, is condemned, and under God's wrath. Ephesians says that person is spiritually dead.
GOD CARES and he always has, ever since the Garden of Eden when he went looking for Adam and Eve. God cares because he loves men.
The SON CARES. He came to seek and to save that which was lost. He wept over Jerusalem. He died once for all people. He cares.
The SPIRIT OF GOD CARES. He draws all people to trust Christ and give them eternal life. The Holy Spirit says come! He invites you to trust Jesus.
The SAVED IN HEAVEN CARE.There is joy in heaven over one who co mes to Christ. Hebrews 12 tells us we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. They are cheering you from heaven.
The LOST IN HELL CARE. The Bible says they regret not having trusted in Jesus. They don't want you to make the same mistake. Consider the rich young ruler.
So, we Christians on earth now care and we are compelled to care enough to do something. Do you remember someone who cared for you when you were growing up? A Sunday School teacher, a preacher, a Christian friend. Someone cared for your soul. Do you really care... enough to tell someone about Jesus?
Our SBC Guidestone conducted a questionairre asking Christians if they have shared Jesus. Only about 5% of Christians have. Proverbs says "He that winneth souls is wise." We have a Distinct Commission to go and tell everyone in Matthew 28; and we are asked a Deliberate Question to share Jesus. And we should have a Determined Response. "I care and I will go and tell."
In the 60's there was a youth musical called "Do You Really Care?" The theme song says there are people who are dying to know just that somebody cares. It asks will you take the dare and spread the good news everywhere, do you really care? Think of the name of someone whom you can share Jesus with and be ready to share Jesus the next time you see him or her.
Apollo 13, April 1970, the message was heard "Houston, we have a problem." A while after the launch, there was a failure of a small switch that caused the mission to the moon not to continue for lack of oxygen to the 3 astronauts... thankfully they returned to the earth safely. Something small affected that huge mission. Principle: something minor can cause major damage and affect something very large.
Ecclesiastes 10:1 tells us that we have a fly in the ointment in our relationship with God... and it is called sin.
Usages of Ointment - Ointments were used for economic purposes - sometimes soldiers were paid in ointment. Ointments were used to consecrate and anoint priests. Ointments were used for practical hygienic reasons as well as for perfume. Ointments were used as medicines - we recall the balm in Gilead. The ointment container had a lid placed on it to keep the flies out.
Something minor can have a huge affect - 1 untuned trumpet; small bit of mold on bread; 1 rotten egg can spoil a recipe; an incorrect computer code can prevent access; a computer virus can wipe out valuable information... Eve's small bite of the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden; 1 outburst in a crowd of people; 1 golden calf affected the entire nation of Israel to spend 40 years of wandering; and 1 lone fly can spoil an ointment.
God is our apothecary... the one who prepared the healing "ointment" for our sinful natures. We are his anointed priests - anointed with his ointment of forgiveness and salvation, cleansing us from the punishment of all our sin. 2 Corinthians 2:15 For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ, in them that are saved and in them that perish. to the one we are the savor of death unto death and to the other the savor of life unto life. C.S. Lewis said he looked at his life and didn't like what he saw. What about you? any evidence o f bitterness, envy, gossip, worry, unkind spirit, complaining, anger, unholy thought, lying, cheating...?
Against these things we have help in God's Word, in His Holy Spirit, in private and congregational worship, and in fellowship with Christian friends - to help keep these sins away... So close the LID!
Hebrews tells us to encourage one another - to stir up each other to good works.
What do we do about the flies that are already in the ointment? God remakes the ointment - 2 Corinthians 5:17 we become new creations in Christ Jesus, old things pass away, all things become new. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and CLEANSE US FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS!
Look inside your life with the purpose to clean it up and confess your sin to God. Don't let sin ruin your life! Show his love to everyone you meet!
In Roman mythology, the god Janus, the god of beginnings, had two heads, one looking backward and the other looking forward. (The idea of making resolutions was supposedly inspired by this "deity" who called on people to see where they they had come from and to make goals of where they wanted to go.
People today make good resolutions to replace bad things or habits in their lives with good things. January 14 is Quitters Day, supposedly how long the average person keeps his or her resolutions.
Consider Proverbs 3 as a great place to get help in making your resolutions. If we will heed or keep our resolutions, we will be happier in the new year.
1)RESOLVE TO SHOW MERCY AND TRUTH, (V. 3-4). Be responsible, respectful and reliable. Paul said we ought to speak the truth in love. Jesus is the greatest example of mercy and truth.
2) RESOLVE TO TRUST IN AND THINK ABOUT GOD, (V. 5-6). God really knows what is best and wants the best for us. Protect your relationship with Jesus above all else.
3) RESOLVE NOT TO TRUST IN ME - (v. 7-8). Trust in God and not in your own self sufficiency. Peter had too high a thought about his self sufficiency and he failed. But Jesus gives us second chance to totally trust him just as he did Peter. BE DEPENDENT ON GOD.
4) RESOLVE TO HONOR GOD WITH YOUR POSSESSIONS - (v. 9-10). Give him the firstfruits of your income, remembering a tenth belongs to him and failing to give him a tenth means you are robbing God. He is also interested in how you spend the other 90%... honor him with all of your life and income.
5) RESOLVE TO LISTEN TO GOD'S INSTRUCTIONS (v.11-12). Be so convinced of his love for you that you listen to his instruction and correction. Listen to his Word, other believers, and your prayer life. STOP, LOOK, LISTEN
6) RESOLVE TO SEEK AFTER NA DUSE WISDOM (v.13-24). Wisdom can even lead you to restful sleep. Don't confuse knowledge and wisdom - facts and inspiration from God. James 1:5
7) RESOLVE NOT TO LIVE IN FEAR (v. 25-26). Fear is real but do not dwell in it. "Perfect love casteth out fear." "Fear not for I am with thee." Ultimately things will be OK. "He has not give us a spirit of fear but of power and love and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7. Whether we live or die we will be with Jesus.
8) RESOLVE TO BE GENEROUS (v.27-28). If you have it, give it... to Lottie Moon Christmas Offering, to Disaster Relief, to Children's Hospital, etc. AWBC members give over and above their tithes each month when we give to our monthly mission projects. Be generous with your time and talents as well.
9) RESOLVE NOT TO PLOT EVIL (v. 29-30) against your neighbor. be known as a peacemaker not a peace breaker. Treat your neighbor well. Watch your temper: ask God to control you (Patience)
10) RESOLVE TO MAKE WISE CHOICES (v. 31-32) don't just choose by looks or the one who makes the most noise. See people as God sees them. Will your role model lead you to God or away from him?
Finally promises good to those who follow these wise sayings and warnings of evil to those who do not follow them.
SO... In your resolutions, honor God and embrace wisdom. And he will give us wisdom, IF WE ASK.
RESOLVE TO HONOR GOD!