Tag Archives: God

Sermons

The Stories Jesus Told Part 7

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 “When I get to Heaven I shall see three wonders there. The first will be to see many people there whom I did not expect to see, the second wonder will be to miss many people whom I did expect to see, and the third and greatest wonder of all, will be to find myself there” John Newton.

The great hymn writer understood that it is all about grace, the unmerited favor of God shown to those who believe in the name of Jesus for salvation.

We love grace when applied to ourselves, but sometimes, when we see grace applied to others, it offends us. The Kingdom of heaven is counter-intuitive and even offensive to our fallen human reasoning.

Grace Extended

In this parable, Jesus talks about a master who hires laborers to work in his vineyard. During the first century Roman empire, these day laborers may have been foreigners who were offered little to no protection from the Roman labor law. They were vulnerable and often abused.

The master agreed to pay those hired at the break of dawn, a denarius for their day’s wages. This would have been an acceptable wage at the time.

The laborers go to work in the vineyard, but then the master decides to hire more laborers. He hires people at five different times during the day; 6am, 9am, 12pm, 3pm and 5pm.

When it came time to pay the laborers at the end of the day, those hired at 6am were shocked to discover that everyone received the same payment, even though they had toiled for many more hours than the others. It didn’t seem fair.

Grumbling at Grace

The hard-working laborers began grumbling (see Matthew 20:11-12).

Grumbling is a sin that is often overlooked in our churches and homes. We tend to look at grumbling as less than desirable, but not really sinful. This is because grumbling is so easy to do, it is second nature. When we are troubled by something we struggle to keep quiet about it to those around us.

But what does the Bible say about grumbling?

A classic biblical example of grumbling is found in the children of Israel in the wilderness, they grumbled a lot even after God performed so many miracles on their behalf (see Exodus 16:8). But grumbling is also addressed in the New Testament (see James 5:9, Philippians 2:14).  

Albert Mohler writes, “To grumble is to complain about the goodness of God. In this sense, grumbling is the consummate act of ingratitude.”

We like to justify our grumbling, but grumbling doesn’t fix anything, it usually leads to gossip.

Grumbling is a sign of weakness; it takes courage to sit down with someone and humbly share your offence or disagreement and constructively seek to grow in understanding and love for one another.

The laborers in the parable were grumbling because they felt that the decision of the master was unjust. But the master has every right to do what he wants with his resources (see Matthew 20:14-15).

This parable speaks to us about the sovereignty of God. His decision to show grace to whomever He chooses. We sometimes struggle with this, because we don’t have a right perspective of the holiness and the sovereignty of God. The creator has every right to bless His creation as He chooses.

God’s Grace

Just like the parable of the talents in Matthew 25, we struggle with what seems to us to be an injustice if we are honest with ourselves (see Matthew 25:28-29).

We are so closely tied to the religion of humanism that we struggle with the concept of God’s grace when it is applied to people that we have determined are beyond God’s favor.

Grace seldom seems fair, but fairness is subjective at best. Fairness works well when handing out cookies to children on a playground but doesn’t come close to understanding what is at stake with our sinful state before an all-holy God.

If God dealt with us fairly, we all deserve the punishment of hell.

But grace is God’s free gift to all who repent and put their faith in Jesus. Grace goes against the pride and arrogance of our fallen human nature.

Are you saved by grace? (see Ephesians 2:8-9). Have you encountered Jesus Christ, as your savior, repented of your sins and received his free gift of salvation? Maybe you need to respond to Jesus today for salvation.

Grace that Offends

But maybe you are offended by the grace of God? As you think about your life and the people that have hurt you or even those that you have heard of who have done terrible things to others. Who have you determined is beyond the grace of God?

The words of the master in the parable apply here, “Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity? Matthew 20:15”

When we refuse to forgive someone for their past, that they have repented of before the Lord, we are not offended at them, we are offended at God.

If you are offended at God, you need to repent and bring that sinful attitude to the cross of Jesus today.

Do you really know the gift of grace?

Sermons

Don’t Waste Your Life

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Have you considered how much time you waste in a day? In today’s passage, the apostle Peter reminds us that we are judged impartially by God, ransomed from futility, and set apart for God’s glory.

Judged Impartially

Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:17, “And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile.”

God judges everyone impartially; we do not because even in our very best intentions, we are still biased. 

God is merciful and forgiving, but He is also a loving disciplinarian who cannot permit His children to enjoy sin. God takes sin seriously; sin must be dealt with.

Our actions, righteous or sinful, lead to either blessings or correction from our Heavenly Father. 

The pain of being separated from our relationship with God is a natural consequence of our sin. God does not show partiality. 

God doesn’t grant people a pass to sin because they have done great exploits for the Kingdom of God. One cannot build up “credit” with God in order to offset some future or intended sin. 

Warren Wiersbe writes, “Years of obedience cannot purchase an hour of disobedience.”

The only reason we can even speak to God is because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross. All we must do to be set free from sin is look at the cross and the price He paid for us. Our Father judges impartially; our sin has been dealt with on the cross. We are covered in the righteousness of Christ. Thus, we live to please God in our lives, fearing the possibility of bringing disrepute to the name of the one who died for us. 

Our heavenly Father lovingly disciplines His children today and our works will be judged later at the judgment seat of Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:10). 

Sadly, the global church seems to have worked so hard to make God relatable to the lost world that He has been remade in our image, reduced to a friendly grandfather who is always on call to give us whatever we want. But our God is a consuming fire (See Hebrews 12:29). He is completely holy and holds our very beings together. 

Ransomed from Futility

Peter continues in verse 18 to remind the readers that they were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from their forefathers. He reminds his readers and us today that someone paid the price of our freedom (see Romans 6:23). 

We were all sinners condemned to an eternity separated from God, but Romans 5:8 says that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Jesus purchased our freedom from futility.  Before we became followers of Jesus, we were slaves to a purposeless lifestyle that leads to death. 

Peter is writing to the Jews who were in exile in Babylon. He is writing to the children of Israel whose forefathers had been miraculously set free from Egypt under the leadership of Moses. 

They were set free for a purpose, and yet they rejected the call of God. By their disobedience, they rejected the call to the Promised Land. They rejected the plan that God had for their generation, and they wandered aimlessly in the wilderness until they all died. 

Are you wandering aimlessly in the wilderness of this world? Seeking pleasure and entertainment rather than the plan of God for your life?

If you are a follower of Jesus, you are free to live with a new life and purpose that God has planned for you. Do you know this freedom today?  

Do you know what you have been saved from? Do you know the freedom that comes from being washed by the blood of Jesus and filled with the Holy Spirit?

Set Apart for God’s Glory

In verse 20-21 we read, “He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”

Peter explains that the death and resurrection of Christ was not a sudden change of plans for God. God does not react to things in the world; He ordained that Jesus would suffer and die and be raised on the third day. This was God’s plan before the beginning of time. We cannot understand that, but God sees all human history and future at the same moment. Nothing is hidden from Him. 

From a human perspective, and from Peter’s perspective on the day Jesus was crucified, Jesus was cruelly murdered. It seemed like God the Father had made a mistake; the Savior was not supposed to die. But that was God’s plan all along. Peter may have remembered what Jesus had said in John 10:17-18, that he would lay down his own life and take it up again. 

Peter highlights this truth that Jesus was raised from the dead. This was the primary message of the early church. Jesus is alive, and he is interceding for us today at the Father’s right hand. Without the resurrection, we have no hope. We have nothing to live for in times of hardship and trial. But our Redeemer lives. 

When we meditate on all that Jesus has done for us, the incredible salvation gift that we have been given, it ought to affect our every decision. We should be compelled to live set apart lives for the glory of God. 

We have the call to be holy in 1 Peter 1:13-16; now we have the call to live a life of purpose. A call not to waste a moment. Jesus came to set us free; he was crucified, and his blood was the price for our redemption. He was raised from the dead, and now we have the privilege of living for him, to bring glory to his name and to live a life of purpose. 

Make It Count

The captain of the World Cup winning South African rugby team, Siya Kolisi, has a motto that he lives by: “Don’t count your days, but make your days count.”

We have been blessed with life and spiritual gifts by the Holy Spirit: how are we using what we have been given?

Are you using the days that God has given you for His purposes as one who has been judged impartially by God, ransomed from futility, and set free for the glory of God?

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

Sermons

The Glory of the Gospel

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Recently I had the privilege of traveling with a team of missionaries to South Africa, taking the Gospel message to the public schools. The message was powerfully received and changed thousands of lives. The Gospel is incredibly powerful and yet seemingly simple to proclaim. 

The Apostle Peter, writing to exiled Jewish believers, wrote the book of 1 Peter about the fact that suffering and persecution were a part of being identified as a follower of Jesus. 

But the letter is not one of hopeless suffering, rather there is tremendous hope (Sse 1 Peter 1:7). Suffering is the refining fire that produces in the believer a faith that is more precious than gold, resulting in praise and glory when Jesus returns. 

The Weight of Glory

But what is glory? Travis Hamm preached a great message on glory on New Years Eve (click on this link to view: https://youtu.be/hcidSSny1FY?si=hP1akziFHzVWHKb9).  

Glory is something that possesses weight and significance. It can be defined only by pointing to something that is glorious. Something that is larger than we can grasp (See Isaiah 6:3 and Psalm 19:1). The Gospel is glorious; the Gospel is unfathomable. 

1 Peter 1:8b says, “Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.”

As we are empowered by the Holy Spirit, we see Jesus revealed in the Scriptures, and we believe in him. This belief leads to inexpressible joy. This is not a dead religion; this is joy through knowing Christ as our personal savior. 

In this life there will be trials, but because of our relationship with Jesus we have an inheritance kept for us. We have the certainty of glory. When we love Jesus, our perspective of the trials of life change. We rejoice in him and are able to live a life filled with joy, even in times of suffering. 

We are a forward-looking people, a people filled with hope and a certain salvation (See 1 Peter 1:9). 

The Hope of Salvation

But what is salvation? What are we saved from? 

The doctrine of hell is not often talked about; it makes us uncomfortable. But hell is a real place. Jesus spoke about hell more than anyone else in the Bible, and he describes it vividly. Jesus came to save us from hell. 

Jesus didn’t come to make us better people, wealthy people, or influential people who had our act together. Jesus didn’t come so that we would have nice big churches and Christian ministries. Jesus came on a rescue mission to save us from our depravity. Hell is the default destination for everyone on the planet. That should make us very uncomfortable. 

If we don’t grasp the reality of hell, we won’t appreciate the glory of the Gospel. 

Without hell, there is no need for the Gospel, and there is no need for a savior. 

We have a great salvation that was prophesied about for hundreds of years before Jesus was born (see 1 Peter 1:10-11). The Old Testament prophets saw the suffering of Christ (see Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22). The prophets also saw the future glory of King Jesus coming to establish his throne. 

We live in the church age, the time between the suffering of Jesus and the return of Jesus, where we have the privilege of proclaiming the Good News to a dying world. 

Peter is telling his readers that the Scriptures, the inspired word of God, inspired by the Spirit of Christ, all point to Christ—to his suffering and his glory. 

The Power of the Gospel

In 1 Peter 1:12 we read that the Holy Spirit revealed to the ancient prophets that they were writing for future generations. There is a significant difference between our age and that of the Old Testament prophets; we are living in the age of the ministry of the Holy Spirit (see Romans 8:9).  

That is why when we share the Gospel, and God empowers His word, there is an exhilaration and a joy inexpressible. There is no greater privilege than being a tool in the hand of the Almighty.  

What an honor we have to declare the Gospel. The greatest message ever to be told. 

If we have the privilege of declaring the Gospel, sometimes we will be called upon to embody the message of suffering leading to salvation. When this happens, we can suffer well because we have a future hope. This is  sometimes the open book that God uses to declare the Gospel to a lost and suffering world. 

Verse 12 ends with an interesting statement, “…things into which angels long to look.” This Gospel message is something that even the heavenly beings long to look into. We as the church have the privilege of having  this message revealed to us by the Word of God through the Holy Spirit. 

The Glory of the Gospel

I love to ask Christians, “What is the Gospel?” 

Firstly, there is the “Sunday School” answer, and then there is the awe and wonder answer. The Gospel is so glorious, so weighty, that we can hardly begin to understand it. 

The Gospel is so much more than we could possibly imagine. It touches every aspect of every life. There is no sinner outside of the reach of the Gospel. There is no suffering that the Gospel cannot turn into joy. There is no circumstance that is beyond the power of the Gospel. 

We are privileged to be the ones to take this message to the world: what are we doing with this privilege?

Maybe today you need to begin declaring the Gospel, even through your suffering. 

Maybe today you need to apply the Gospel to your life, your marriage, your family situation, and even your future. 

Sermons

We are a People of Hope

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Do you remember a time in your life when God felt distant. A season when you were tempted to wonder if God was even concerned about the things that you were struggling with. Maybe you are there right now.

The Bible frequently deals with the theme of God’s perceived absence. Many times, in the Bible, people wondered if God’s promises to them were still valid. Perhaps God had forgotten them.   

The beauty of the biblical narrative is that the Bible not only acknowledges this soul ache, it also provides an answer. Christmas is one of God’s clearest reminders that He intends to come and live with us. Christmas, the incarnation, is a reminder of God with us, the ultimate longing fulfilled.

Abraham was given an incredible promise by God. Abraham was to have a son and he would be the father of a nation that would bless all the nations of the world (Genesis 12:1-3).  God visited Abraham at least four times and reiterated this promise and Abraham believed God (Genesis 15:6).

But the fruition of the promise took years and even decades. As the years ticked by, doubt may have begun to set in, had God forgotten His promise?

Many of us have felt the same way, when we have received a promise from God, or we have been praying for a miracle, but it seemed that maybe God has forgotten us.

Abraham and Sarah were keenly aware of their age and what seemed to be impossible, could God really deliver on His promise? Had He forgotten them?

Finally, when Abraham was almost 100 years old and Sarah was over 90 years old, God blessed them with a miraculous baby boy, and they named him Isaac. God fulfilled His promise and the family line that would lead to Jesus coming as the Messiah had begun.

Isaac was not only a joy for Abraham and Sarah, he was an integral part of God’s plan for the salvation of the world through Jesus who would be born 2000 years later as a fulfillment of many promises.  When God answers our prayers, we thank the Lord for the blessing, but we don’t always see the greater implications of God’s provision. When God blesses us, it is with a plan to bless others as well through that blessing.

When our daughter was born and miraculously given to us, we rightly thought that she was a blessing to our family, but little did we know how much of a blessing she would be to so many other people. God’s blessings are not for us to keep and hold on to, but they are to be given back to the Lord for His purposes so that others can be blessed.

Isaac, the son of the promise was dedicated to God, and through Isaac God would bless the whole earth. Generations later, through another miraculous son in this line, God would keep another promise. That child, Jesus Christ, would forever and finally prove that however slow God seems, his “slowness” is not a sign of his absence (2 Peter 3:9).

God is not slow; He is patient, and His timing is always perfect. That distinction gives us the ability to be patient too, waiting on him to fulfill his promises.

Sometimes, God will act immediately in answer to our prayers, healing an illness, reconciling a broken relationship, or ending an addiction as an example. But on many occasions, God may ask us to wait. Some people are called to carry the cross of pain and heartache for much longer than they anticipated.  

Either way, do we trust God for the outcome? Do we praise God in the waiting and the hoping? If we don’t walk in hope and trust in God, the waiting will discourage us, eating at us, destroying us if we lose hope.

The first candle of the Advent wreath is the hope candle. As we focus on the birth of Jesus in this season, we can look back and see hundreds of promises that God has fulfilled. And we can look forward with assurance, that God will fulfill His promises in the future in His perfect timing. We are a people of hope (Ephesians 2:12-13). And as His children, we have the promise of eternal life with Christ, a promise that is secure by the word of God.

But what about today?

This Advent, do you feel like God is moving too slowly, or not moving at all? Maybe you are in a season where God feels distant, He seems far off, and you wonder if God has heard your prayers. Does God really see you?

The promises of God’s word inform us that He does see you. If you have given submitted your life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, He is intimately involved in working out the perfect plans that He has for your life.  

And as we trust and wait, we must avoid trying to do what only God can do. Our natural tendency is to run ahead of God and not trust Him in the waiting.

We are a people of hope, and we can trust in the immeasurable power and love of God over our lives.

Sermons

Be Thankful in all Circumstances

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Several years ago, I read a book that really challenged me regarding experiencing joy in life. According to the author, Andy Andrews, a grateful spirit is a powerful deterrent against self-pity, writing, “the seeds of depression cannot take root in a grateful heart.”

Often, we find ourselves complaining about seemingly mundane aspects of life when we should really be grateful. For instance, instead of complaining about a sink piled high with dishes, we should be thankful for the shared meal with dear friends. Likewise, household chores and the physical strain of a hard day’s work should be seen as reasons for gratitude, acknowledging the privilege of having a home and the ability to work.

When we really think about it, we have much to be thankful for.

This past summer we were able to go to South Africa. And once again I was challenged by the children. I have been to some of the poorest places in the world. Despite having nothing, the children in these places radiate unparalleled joy. It is humbling to see the depth of true joy and gratefulness.

In our society today, thanksgiving is treated as an interfaith holiday or perhaps even a faith-optional holiday. But looking back to the pages of History, we know that the original thanksgiving celebration was dedicated to thanking God for his provision and protection.

Thanksgiving is all about God, and recognizing who he is and all the blessings he has freely given us (see James 1:17)

“The worst moment for the atheist is when he is really thankful and has nobody to thank”.

Dante Rossetti.

Psalm 105 begins with the line, “O Give thanks to the Lord…”

But true gratitude is more than simply thankfulness, it is acknowledging and praising God for His attributes. The Psalmist is not simply thankful for the blessings, he is thankful for the attributes of the Giver Himself. Spending time thanking God should always lead to worship.

Not only does thanksgiving lead to worship, it also leads to making the works of the Lord known as we read in the second parts of verse 1 and 2. If we are thankful to God for what He has done for us, we will be compelled to share the Good news of salvation with those around us. A heart for missions is driven by a heart of gratitude.

Verses 3 and 4 emphasize that thanksgiving will lead to worship and declaring the attributes of God. We as His children can become so wrapped up in what we need from God and we become so focused on the mighty hand of God that we seldom seek the face of God. James 4:3 is a clear reminder that we need to check our motives before coming to God in prayer.

As we seek the face of God, we see his attributes. To be truly thankful, we need to meditate on the nature and character of God.

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to remember what the hand of God has provided for us and in so doing we begin to praise him and declare his attributes.

God has made a way through the death and resurrection of Jesus for us to know Him. To have a close relationship with Him. The Psalmist encourages us to seek the Lord.

The Psalm continues in verse 5, with a call to remember the works of God. This is not simply remembering the facts of what happened, but it is a call to meditate on the wonders that God has done. The Psalmist is saying to the people, slow down, stop what you are doing and hit the pause button and dwell on what God has done.

Then in verse 6 the Psalmist reminds the people of their identity, as the chosen people of God. And we are included in this reminder. We as followers of Jesus Christ, sometimes forget who’s we are. We have so much to be thankful for because the creator of the universe calls us his own special possession (see 1 Peter 2:9).  

Everything that we have on this earth, all the many material blessings will one day pass away. Only one blessing from God is infinitely more valuable than any other, the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus came to suffer and die on the cross, in order that whoever believes in the risen Lord Jesus Christ will have eternal life. That is something we are grateful for today.

But what if you are suffering today? You might be enduring financial, emotional or physical trials.  How do we live with thanksgiving through hardship?

George Matheson was a well-known Scottish preacher in the mid to late 1800’s. He suffered terribly from poor eyesight and eventually total blindness at a young age. He once wrote the following in response to his suffering. “My God, I have never thanked thee for my thorn. I have thanked thee a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorn. I have been looking forward to a world where I shall get compensation for my cross; teach me the value of my thorn. Show me that I have climbed to thee by the path of pain. Show me that my tears have made my rainbow.”

What thorn do you have in your life today?

To thank God for the thorn takes faith and an eternal perspective. He is making a rainbow out of your tears.

If we as believers are grateful for the suffering Jesus endured on the cross, then we must pray that we would be grateful for the suffering that God allows in our lives, that brings the beauty of the cross to those who watch us endure with thanksgiving.

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Sermons

You Must Be Born Again

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Have you ever noticed that some of the teachings of Jesus are hard to grasp.

Ultimately, what he said led to his crucifixion, and they are still offensive to the world today.

Sometimes we gloss over the hard sayings, or worse yet, we think that they don’t apply to us. But the teachings of Jesus are the Word of God to every generation.

In John 3, we read of a high-ranking Pharisee coming to meet with Jesus.

This well-known account of a senior leader a pharisee coming to Jesus to know more about Jesus. Nicodemus lived sincerely under the law as best as he could. He adhered to the strictest possible religious rules. But he desperately wanted to find out the truth about Jesus.

We see Nicodemus showing up a few times in the Gospel of John, a man who was not afraid to stand against the crowd and be identified with Jesus after his crucifixion. Nicodemus was bold and Jesus took time to meet with him.

Nicodemus doesn’t ask a question, But Jesus jumps right to the heart of the matter in verse 3, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God”.

Jesus knew his heart and the fact that he was seeking truth and cuts to the chase, he jumps into a difficult conversation.

A better translation of verse 3 could read, “unless one is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God”.

Can you imagine poor Nicodemus, he must have been quite confused. Jesus was using language that we are familiar with because we hear it all the time, but Nicodemus was hearing this for the first time, and it made no sense. The familiarity of what Jesus said can also be lost on us.

Obviously, we are by nature flesh, referring to our ordinary humanity. But we are born spiritually dead. We are not spiritually attuned to the things of God.

Ephesians 2 begins with the shocking statement, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sinsin which you once walked, following the course of this world,” Ephesians 2:1-2a.

Until you are born again, you are spiritually dead, you are unable to see or understand the things of God. The problem with spiritually dead people is that they don’t know they are dead.

Spiritually dead people are unable to hear God speak to them, because they do not have the Spirit of God in them, they have no desire to read God’s word, because it makes no sense without the Spirit’s revealing truth to us.

Tragically, spiritually dead people can raise their hands and come forward in a meeting, saying all the right things, get baptized and become good church members. Spiritually dead people can serve on committees and even teach Sunday School or lead a life group.

Sadly, when it comes to eternal salvation, the church might just be a dangerous place. Because you can put on a clean face, clean up your language, give money, even mouth the right prayers, but unless you are born from above, you are not a child of God, and you are destined for an eternity separated from God in hell.

Becoming a Christian is not becoming a better person or cleaning up your act, becoming a Christian is coming alive! Being born from above.

Nicodemus was spiritually dead, but the Spirit of God was drawing him in. That is what the Holy Spirit does, He makes people aware of their desperate situation and leads them to encounter the risen lord Jesus.  

Nicodemus began to wrestle with the beauty of the Gospel, he asked Jesus in verse 4, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

You see, this leader and rule follower, this man of exceptional discipline and obedience, was looking for something to do, but the new birth does not come by a set of accomplishments. It is a free gift.

Jesus says to Nicodemus in verse 5, “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

What does Jesus mean when he says, to be born of water?

Nicodemus would have known Ezekiel 36:25-26. Where God tells the nation of Israel that He will spiritually wash them of their sins, a washing that will come with the new covenant when God puts His spirit inside of believers (see Titus 3:5 and Ephesians 5:26).

Being born of the Spirit means to be filled with the presence of God by the Holy Spirit, it means coming alive spiritually. If you don’t know what it means to be born of the spirit, you will never know what it means to walk in the spirit.

Walking in the spirit affects every aspect of our lives, our decisions and plans are all led by the Spirit of God. How we steward our finances, how we interact with people, where we go and how we spend our time. Being born of the Spirit means that we will begin to display the fruit of the Spirit as described in Galatians 5:22-24.

If someone was to follow you around for the next 7 days, and see everything you do and hear everything you say, would they be able to testify that you are born of the Spirit?

Are you born again? Are you born of the Spirit of God?

Are you daily experiencing the power of the resurrected Christ in your life?

Sermons

In God We Trust

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“In God we Trust”. It is the official national motto, signed into law in 1956.

The sad irony is that in our nation today, few people really trust in God. Many people say that they have faith in God, but their actions and lifestyle show that they do not trust God.

In Psalm 25, David is crying out to God for direction, and in verse 2 he states, “O my God, in You I trust…”. And then in verse 3 he says, “Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame…” Waiting on the Lord is the equivalent of trusting in Him. It is actively trusting the Lord, waiting on Him to reveal His plans. Choosing to wait on the Lord and not run ahead of him, that is trusting in the Lord.

In verse 4 and 5, David asks the Lord to show him the way he should go. He is prepared to wait all day for the Lord. David acknowledges that he doesn’t have the ability to move forward, he is pleading with the Lord for direction. How often do we cry out to God like this for our future? Do we know what it is to wait on the Lord? Or do we offer a 30 second prayer and then rush out and make our own plans, hoping that God will bless it.

We read in verse 9, “He leads the humble in justice, and He teaches the humble His way.”

Now we know that in order to trust God we need come before him humbly and acknowledge our weakness. But the word “humble” in the Hebrew could also mean, afflicted or broken.  

We tend to think of being humble as a posture that we present to God in the way of our attitude, but rather David describes being afflicted and humbled by God. We don’t like the sound of that. David was pleading with God to teach him, and the humbling process was the way God taught David dependence on Him.

By God’s Grace he does that to all of us, when we are brought to the place where we realize we have nothing to offer and are humbled in the presence of the almighty God.

Part of learning to be directed by God, begins with the fear of the Lord (see verses 12,14 and Psalm 111:10). To fear the Lord is a theme throughout the Old Testament.

Fearing the Lord means to be in reverent awe of His holiness, to give Him complete reverence and to honor Him as the God of great glory and majesty. This will bring us into a position of understanding and wisdom, which is knowledge given by God. Only as we truly fear the Lord will we be freed from all destructive and satanic fears.

In verse 15 David declared, “My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for he will pluck my feet out of the net.” David trusted God to deliver him when he was in trouble. Do we know how to trust in God when we face trouble? (See Psalm 91:2).

Jesus died for our sins and rose again from the dead to free us from the power of sin and death. We have a risen savior that rules today at the right hand of the Father. Our struggles today are temporary and fleeting in the light of eternity.

We look around and we see a nation that is very different to the one we knew 20 years ago. However, nothing that is happening today or will happen tomorrow will ever shake God or surprise Him. And along with that, the church, the body of Christ that is built on the foundation of the Word of God will never be shaken.

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8.

In order to put our trust in the word of God, we need to know the word of God and meditate on the word of God. What a privilege we must open the Bible and allow the Holy Spirit to reveal truths to us. The Bible is a sure foundation that will not be shaken in an ever-changing world.

When we see the changes taking place around us, we need to be drawn to our knees to pray for our country. We weep and mourn as we see changes that seem to be out of our control, but we are not a people without hope. If you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, and have a growing relationship with him, you are part of another Kingdom, the Kingdom of Heaven. This kingdom will endure forever (see Psalm 145:13).

Matt Chandler once said, “The Kingdom of God wasn’t born on the Fourth of July.” 

Do you trust in God?

Sermons

Why Worship?

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We have this misconception that worship is the time of our church gathering when we sing songs.

But worship is not just singing, we worship what we give value to.

We worship by the way we use our money, the way we work, the way we share the Gospel with others and even in the way we spend our free time. When we understand worship, we understand that we have the opportunity to worship God with every aspect of our lives.

Everyone worships, but not everyone worships the one true God.

In John 4, we read an account of a woman who had misplaced worship. Jesus was resting at a well in a town called Sychar and a Samaritan woman came to draw water. Jesus spoke first and asks the woman to give him some water.

The woman who came to the well had been searching for love, fulfillment, and purpose all her life and the only person who could fulfill all her desires was sitting right in front of her. She brings up the question of worship in verse 20 when she says to Jesus, “Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, but you say that in Jerusalem is the place where people ought to worship.” One of the big issues of distinction between the Jews and the Samaritans was the question of the location of their worship. She soon discovers that Jesus was wanting to speak about worship all along, this is why he was waiting at the well for her. Jesus directs the conversation to a time when worship will no longer be about a physical location (see John 4:23-24).

Jesus is explaining that only those who receive the Holy Spirit can worship God the Father. It is only in the Spirit, by the Spirit and through the Spirit that we can truly worship God in a way that pleases Him. The issue is not that we need to learn how to worship or where to worship, rather we need to learn who to worship and only by the Holy Spirit are we able to worship God the Father.

By the definition of worship, we are all really good worshippers. In our sinful human nature, we are really good idolaters, we give value to things in our lives above God. We all are tempted with idols such as: security, peace, meaning in life, self-esteem, significance, or any good thing that we elevate to a level of importance above God in our lives.

“Our hearts are a perpetual idol factory.” John Calvin

The problem is misplaced worship, and the consequences are always tragic (see Jeremiah 2:13).

Jesus offered the Samaritan woman living water, she had been trying to satisfy her longings with marriage after failed marriage. At the core of all failed longings is misdirected worship. Worship of God is what we were made for. We will only find true fulfilment in life as we worship the one true God. That is a meaningful life, that is a life of worship. True worship is recognizing the sovereignty of God in all the aspects of my life.

“Worship is my active, all-of-life response to the worth of who He is and what He does.” Matt Heard

One of the most common misconceptions of worship is that it is a relatively passive event. But in the Bible, the Hebrew and the Greek words for worship involve physical activity involving all of life. Every single activity of my life becomes a way of acknowledging the creator God and His worth in my life, that is worship.

But we live in a world that worships false gods, we are living in an age that is described by David in Psalm 63:1. Are you in a dry and weary land? Or are you experiencing the living water that Jesus invited the Samaritan woman to in John 4:14?

This doesn’t mean that you will never experience pain or hardship (see John 16:33), but when you worship God with all your life, you will know peace, joy and complete fulfilment in the midst of your circumstances. You will be able to worship along with the prophet Habakkuk (See Habakkuk 3:17-18).

In the month of June, we are particularly reminded that the world around us does not worship the God we serve. As we see a month dedicated to the worship of self and immorality.

The world has a sin problem, but the real issue is that the world has a worship problem.  Sin is the result of misplaced worship. Thinking that something other than God will bring joy and peace. In Romans 1:28 we read that God will give people over to the objects of their worship.

We are not dealing with people who are confused or struggling with their identity, we are seeing the result of Satan’s demonic power being unleashed on the earth.

Satan has gone after the very root of God’s relationship with the earth. The pride month uses the rainbow, the rainbow is one of God’s original covenants, not just with the Jews or people but with all living creatures (See Genesis 9:12).

The pinnacle of God’s creation was man and woman created in His image, that was His original design, Satan is attacking that.

In Genesis 1:28 God’s original instruction to man and women was to be fruitful and multiply, something that is impossible with same sex relationships.

And then there is the original sin, Ezekiel 28:17 says that Satan’s original downfall was his pride over his beauty. He grew in pride and defied the one who created him.

Pride is at the very root of Satan’s power. Pride is ultimately worshipping ourselves, saying that we know better than God the Father, the one who created us.

So how do we respond?

Ephesians 6 doesn’t say, go and beat up sinners, it says in Ephesians 6:13 that we should simply stand firm. Stand firm, speak the truth in love and allow the Holy Spirit to do what only he can do.

If you have friends and loved ones caught in this deceptive lifestyle, love them enough to speak the truth to them. The Bible is very clear, they are on a pathway of destruction that leads to hell, because they are worshipping a false religion that may bring fleeting and deceptive pleasure for a moment. We must speak the truth, millions of souls are at stake.

Worship of the one true God is essential in the church.

Sermons

Are You Going to the Banquet?

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In Revelation 19 we read about the marriage supper of the Lamb. Jesus the bridegroom will be the focus, and we,  the church, will be the bride. This will be a glorious celebration that includes all the followers of Jesus around the world. People from every nation, tribe, and language. This is the bride of Christ.

However, this banquet requires an invitation.  Are you going to the banquet?

In Revelation 19:6 we read about the sound of a great multitude of angels singing praise to God. A sound unlike any choir we have ever heard; it will make Arrowhead Stadium sound dull in comparison. It is a cry of victory, Babylon is destroyed, our lord God reigns. The heavenly hosts saw all that God has done and they burst into praise.

And then the attention turns to this unusual bride, made up of people from every nation on the earth. How has the bride made herself ready? If you look at the church today, would you say the church globally is ready? The church, this perfect bride will be made up of the followers of Jesus, but it wont look like anything we have seen before.

The direction that God has for the global church is unchartered territory, we have never been this way before. God is constantly refining, transforming, and preparing the church.

What does the bride wear? Verse 8 tells us that the Lamb’s bride is dressed “in the righteous deeds (acts) of the saints.”  We must remember that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). The bride goes to heaven by God’s grace, and not by good works. But once in heaven, believers will be judged at Christ’s judgment seat for their faithfulness in life and in service. Christ will reward us according to our faithfulness, and the rewards we receive will make up the “wedding gown.”

Dr. Lehman Strauss writes, “Has it ever occurred to you … that at the marriage of the Bride to the Lamb, each of us will be wearing the wedding garment of our own making?” What a solemn thought!

Jesus tells a parable of the wedding feast in Matthew 22 and speaks about a man who is not dressed in the wedding garments (Matthew 22:11-14). Here is a man who thinks he is in, but he is not. A man who thinks he is part of the bride of Christ, but he is not wearing the garments of the bride. There are no deeds and no fruit in his life.

If we boil it down to the very basics, there are only two kinds of people. Those in the Kingdom and those outside of the Kingdom. And just because we sit in church every week, it does not mean we are part of the Kingdom of Heaven. It is possible to be members of the visible church and not actually part of the Body of Christ. A person is not saved by being a long-time member of any church. You personally must make a decision regarding the Gospel of Jesus Christ in order to become a member of the invisible church, or the true body of Christ.

Sometimes we see so little evidence of people being a part of the bride of Christ. Why there is such a lack of people who are clothing themselves in the righteous deeds of saints? Sadly, there are many people in the church who prefer the stench of grave clothes (Ephesians 2:1). Many people in churches today are barely on life support, you see no evidence of their new life outside of Sunday morning attendance.

Jesus indicated that even in the visible church there would be those who are not true believers, and thus not members of the invisible Church (Matthew 25:31-46).

In verse 9, the angel says, “…Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” There is a private invitation, are you invited? Have you made Jesus Christ your lord and savior? Are you part of the family? Do you have your invitation to the marriage supper of the lamb?

Before we become Christians, we are blind to the glory of God, we are deaf to the voice of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we have no love for God, we have no sense of a personal relationship with the creator God.

If you don’t have a sense of the presence of God, if you don’t know him as your heavenly father, if you don’t hear the voice of the Holy Spirit guiding your life, you may very well be dead in your spirit.

If you don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you may be a registered member of the church, but you are not a member of the invisible church, and you are not going to spend eternity with Jesus Christ, the head of the church (Matthew 7:21).

Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” God saved us, and prepared works for us to do that become the linens that we will wear at the Marriage supper of the lamb.

We don’t work to be saved, but we joyfully serve because we are saved.  

Our motivation for serving the Lord is to bring glory to the name of Jesus, to serve him out of love and gratitude. That earns us the fine linens.

The church is going to the marriage supper of the lamb, will you be attending?

Focused Thoughts

The Power in us.

This morning I was reading Ephesians 1 and the Holy Spirit began speaking to me through verse 19.

Verse 19 is part of a long sentence written by the apostle Paul beginning in verse 15.

Ephesians 1:15-21, “For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, 16 I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, 17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, 18 having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.”

Verse 19 speaks to the incredible power of God, and the amazing blessings available to us as followers of Jesus. This verse tells us that by the Holy Spirit we have access to the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the dead.

As Christians, it is easy to become complacent, to forget the incredible power that is available to us. We may feel powerless in the face of the challenges that we face in our lives, struggling to find hope and strength in the midst of difficult circumstances. But verse 19 tells us that we have access to a power that is greater than anything we could ever face.

This power is not something that we can earn or achieve on our own, like the Gospel it is a gift from God, made possible through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus conquered sin and death, and made a way for us to be reconciled to God. This is the power that we have access to through the Holy Spirit, a power that is available to us every moment of every day.

But what does this mean in practical terms?

Firstly, it gives us hope. No matter what we are facing, we can trust that God is with us, that He is working all things together for our good (Romans 8:28). We can face the challenges of life with confidence and courage, knowing that we are not alone.

Secondly, it gives us strength. When we are weak, God is strong. He empowers us to do things that we could never do on our own (Philippians 4:13). We can face challenges with perseverance and courage, knowing that we have the power of God within us.

Thirdly, it gives us purpose. When we recognize the power of God within us, we begin to see the world in a new way. We see the needs of those around us and see that God has positioned us to be used by Him. We are called to use our gifts and talents to serve others, to be the hands and feet of Christ in the world (Matthew 5:14-16).

So, how can we access this power? It starts with prayer. We must come to God with open hearts, ready to receive His power and guidance. We must ask for His wisdom and discernment, being willing to follow wherever He leads us.

It also requires faith. We must believe that God is who He says He is (Hebrews 11:6), and that He is able to do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine. We must trust in His goodness and His love for us, even when we cannot see the way forward.

Finally, it requires obedience. We must be willing to follow where God leads us, even when it is difficult or uncomfortable. We must be willing to step out in faith, knowing that God is with us every step of the way.

As we pray, trust, and obey, may we see the power of God unleashed in our lives for His glory.