A Pilgrim's Ponderings

(Some of these thoughts I picked up here and there along the way. If I could remember the authors I'd give credit, but I don't. Most of these are my own reflections and some of these are things I probably should have waited until I retired before I said them. But here they are anyway.)

1. Worship is still the most important business of the church. It always has been, and always

will be.

2. The only way we receive anything from God is through the channel of faith. God cannot be bought off or bribed by gifts, promises, and good works. That is why the most important expression of your faith is the time you spend in prayer. It is faith alone that God honors.

3. If it was sin 2,000 years ago, it is still sin today. God does not change His mind about sin, and the passing of time and changing cultural mores makes no difference to Him.

4. If I overheard Jesus praying for me in the next room, I would feel as though I could resist any temptation, overcome any trial, and forgive any wrong done to me. But He is praying for me in Heaven and mere distance and time makes no difference to Him.

5. The only "fund raisers" a church should be involved in is the voluntary and cheerful giving of our tithes and offerings.

6. Sentiment and emotion are not substitutes for sound doctrine. Sermons must be based in the Word of God alone.

7. It’s just as much sin to sing a lie as it is to preach one.

8. In the Bible God always refers to Himself in the male gender. God is not your heavenly mother, and He doesn’t appreciate being called a girl.

9. When God is degraded to "that God Dude" or "My Buddy" men will not only think less of God, they will also think less of the Bible, the Church, and God's messengers. What we wind up with is not man made in the image of God, but God brought down to the image of man. When anyone in the Bible found themselves in the presence of God, they immediately confessed their sinfulness and worshipped in reverential awe, Isa. 6; Lk 15; Rev 1. The only exception is those who cursed God with bitter hatred, Ps 50:21.

10. Much of what is called "contemporary christian music" is void of any doctrinal content, doesn't even mention God, Jesus, the cross,or the blood and is designed to make the singers feel good rather than to praise God. Boil it all down and you have just so much vain, repititious nonsense.

11. Real Bible study requires time, prayer, and a willingness to change your mind and/or attitude about many things,..including yourself. That's why the average Christian doesn't read the Bible or pray very much.

12. Many pastors and churches are more concerned about getting baptisms than they are genuine converts. The non-resident and inactive membership roles are two scandals the SBC doesn't want to talk about because that's where the majority of our members end up.

13. Real revivals are not scheduled and worked up,...they are prayed down, and sent only in God's timing.

14. God is sovereign over all things which means that there is no such thing as luck, chance, or happenstance. Nothing ever happens anywhere unless God directly causes it, or allows it to happen.

15. Most preachers used to preach what was true. Today, many would rather preach their experience and/or what people want to hear. This explains the huge crowds that gather to hear the word of faith preachers.

16. Worship services ought to be planned for people who can actually worship, i.e. Christians. Unbelievers should be invited to attend, but the service should not be dumbed down, or turned into a non-offensive "seeker service" just to suit them. Unbelievers should be made to feel welcomed by all means, but they should not be allowed to set the tone for the worship service.

17. When a smiling unbeliever shakes my hand after the service and says, "That was a good sermon", either I wasn't preaching the gospel or he wasn't listening. The Gospel of Christ is offensive because it is intolerant of sin, and does not coddle sinners.

18. The closest thing in the New Testament to what is called "slaying in the spirit" is when those thugs who came out to arrest Jesus in the garden fell down backward when He revealed His identity.

19. One reason many of our churches are weak is because a majority of their members believe in the "autonomy of the believer" and the "priesthood of the unbeliever."

20. A New Testament Church will contain no altar which speaks of a sacrifice, but rather a table and chairs which speak of a memorial meal. In the crucifixion, Jesus Christ was the "once-and-for-all-sacrifice" which will never need to be repeated.

21. Rededication is called "confession of sin" in the New Testament, but rededication sounds much more spiritual, so we use that term instead of the biblical term. Besides, we'd rather that people think of us as being spiritual for rededicating our lives to Jesus, rather than to think of us as sinners in need of forgiveness. When the prodigal son returned home he confessed his sin to his father, he did not say "Daddy, I want to rededicate my life."

22. When public demonstration of the Christian faith is outlawed, democracy and basic human rights are sure to follow.

23. Many pastors are more concerned with being nice and inoffensive than they are being scriptural.

24. Gossip disguised as a prayer request is a most heinous abuse of a cherished gift of God.

25. God isn't nearly concerned about a Christian having a glass of wine with their meal as He is some other Christian making it their business to tell everyone about it.

26. God is not limited to the confines of time as we are. God is in eternity where by His omniscience He is as acquainted with the future as He is the present and past. The reason we should be people of prayer is because God has already figured in the prayers we have yet to pray into His eternal, unchanging plan.

27. "Once saved, always saved" does not give any Christian a license to sin. If you're not ready to give up your sinning, you're not ready to be saved. period.

28. If you can live in continous, unconfessed sin and the Holy Spirit does not convict you about it, then you should do a personal spiritual inventory because you're probably not saved.

29. Personally, I prefer the term "Perseverance of the Saints" to "Eternal Security" or "Once Saved, Always Saved." The reason we persevere is because Christ keeps us by His intercession for us before the Father and not because we are "just doing the best we can."

30. Purgatory is a mythical place invented long ago by a pseudo-theologian who did not believe that the suffering and death of Jesus Christ was sufficient to atone for our sins.

31. I'm glad that we have separation of church and state in America, but God would be happier if we had more separation of church and the world.

32. Many pastors ought to put away their books on leadership and church growth and read books on theology and doctrine instead. The Lord will build His church where the Bible is faithfully preached and taught. There is a big difference between a congregation and a crowd.

33. It is better to have one congregation of sixty that is in one accord, than to have six different congregations under one roof.

34. Six different denominations under one roof is not a church but a religious club. A crowd isn't necessarily a congregation.

35. A doctrineless church is like a ship without a rudder...guided only by the changing and often violent wind and waves.

36. I am convinced that Pilgrim's Progress, (by John Bunyan) is the very best book on Discipleship Training ever written.

What’s So Amazing About Grace?

The most famous hymn of the Christian faith is, no doubt, Amazing Grace. This hymn was written by John Newton (1725-1807) in December, 1772. John Newton was taught the Bible by his mother, who died when he was young, but gave up any and all Christian convictions and became a blaspheming sea captain who engaged in the slave trade for England. He was converted during a violent storm at sea when he remembered the things his mother had taught him as a child. He recorded in his journal that when all seemed lost and the ship would surely sink, he exclaimed, “Lord, have mercy upon us.” Later in his cabin he reflected on what he had said and began to believe that God had addressed him through the storm and that grace had begun to work for him. He continued in the slave trade briefly after his conversion, but saw to it that the slaves were treated humanely. Soon he gave up the sea and the slave trade and became a pastor. He was self taught in the Bible, and also taught himself Latin, Greek, and Hebrew. In 1765, at the age of 40, he was ordained became the Bishop of the church in Olney, Buckinghamshire, England. There he met the poet William Cowper and together they started a weekly Bible study and wrote a new hymn for each weekly study. Amazing Grace was probably one of those weekly hymns which was written by Newton after he had been meditating on I Chron. 17:16,17. John Newton later moved to London and became influential in the life of William Wilberforce who was the British politician that led the 20 year campaign to abolish slavery in England. William Wilberforce died three days after the British Parliament voted to abolish slavery. John Newton died in 1807 at the age of 82.

I. Grace Forgives Sins...Rom. 3:23,24; Eph. 2:8-10
Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I’m found, was blind but now I see.
Faith and Grace are both gifts of God and closely linked; the two sides of the same coin. You can’t have one without the other, Rom. 4:3;16
Faith is “confidently trusting and resting in.” Just as the skydiver trusts his parachute alone for a safe landing, we trust in Christ alone for a safe arrival in Heaven. Eph. 2:8,9 makes it plain that we are not saved by our good works, nor do our good works help save us.
If we were saved by our good works we’d never now how much work we’d have to do, how good we had to be, or whether our works were even acceptable to God or not. There is no assurance on a works-based religion.
If works were required, we’d never now if we had done enough works, or if they were good enough to merit Heaven. However, Jesus’ work of redemption on the cross was perfect and sufficient, John 6:29.

If someone could be saved by his good works...
1. ...then he would have reason to brag, but this is impossible because the very nature of faith is that it is a gift, not an ability, Rom. 3:27.
2. ...then the crucifixion of Jesus Christ was unnecessary; the blunder of the ages, but this is impossible because God cannot make a mistake, Gal. 2:21.
3. ...then the person would have two saviors, himself and Christ, but this is impossible because God will not share His glory with another, Isa. 42:8.
4. ...then God would owe it to him, but this is impossible because God can be the debtor to no man, Rom. 11:35.

II. Grace Gives Power...I Cor. 1:27,28
The Lord has promised good to me, His word my soul secures. He will my strength and portion be, as long as life endures.
We trust in Christ not only for a safe arrival, but also for direction and strength for the journey. Direction and strength that we do not naturally have of ourselves. A major theme of great Bible character is their weaknesses. God delights in weakness and inability:
Abraham was 100 years old and couldn’t have children,...but God made him the father of a nation.
David was a shepherd boy,...but God made him a giant killer and King of Israel.
Matthew was a social outcast, hated by his own people,...but God made him an apostle and gospel writer
A little boy had a lunch of only 2 loaves and 5 fishes,...but Jesus fed a multitude with it.
Paul was a terrorist,...but God made him the greatest evangelist and most prolific writer in the New Testament.

Do you see a pattern here? Jesus could have chosen rabbis and priests or the wealthy and powerful politicians to be His apostles, but instead He chose fishermen, tax collectors, and ordinary, run-of-the-mill men and women then He used them to turn the world upside down, Acts 17:6.

III. Grace Makes a Difference in the Believer’s Life…II Cor. 5:17
Through many dangers, toils, and snares, I have already come. ’Tis grace that brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.
The result of salvation is that we become His workmanship. It is the potter, not the clay who has the bragging rights. The change in the life will be evident in the lifestyle the Believer leads. Salvation does not come by our good works, but the person who is saved will do good works. Christians do good works not in order to be saved, but because we are saved.
Believe it or not, those outside the church are watching those inside the church when they are on the outside of the church.
The desire to sin will be gone, but the reality is that the Believer will commit sin from time to time, but this will be the exception to the rule, and not the rule of his or her life.

IV. Grace is Eternally Active in the Believer’s life...Phil. 1:6
When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun. We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we’ve first begun.
The same grace that saves us, also keeps us and takes us home, I Peter 1:5. A Believer may lose their fellowship with God because of sin, but not their relationship.
When the Believer does commit a sin the Holy Spirit will convict his heart and lead him to confess it to God and ask forgiveness, I Jn. 1:9.

We don’t have to work out a plan for our lives, but follow the plan God that God will reveal to us, and to walk through the doors of opportunity opens, Gal. 6:10. The opportunities God gives us is His call on our lives.

In Closing...It may surprise you to learn that Amazing Grace was not the original title of the hymn, but Faith’s Review and Expectation was the title that John Newton gave it. The name of the hymn was changed to Amazing Grace in 1835, 28 years after John Newton’s death.

The Resurrection of The Christ

I Cor. 15:1-4

If the crucifixion is the heart of the Christian faith, then the resurrection is the very life of it.
If it had not been for the resurrection Christianity would have died before it ever got started, and none of us would be here this morning.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is mentioned about 120 times in the New Testament
It was foretold by the prophets,
believed and preached by the apostles,
even to the point of suffering and dying for what they believed.

The resurrection of the Christ is the hope of the Believer, and the basis of our faith.
We do not come here to honor a dead martyr, but the living Lord.
No other Christian doctrine has had the effect on the world in general, and Believers in particular than the resurrection.

This makes the Christian faith unique among all the religions of the world. None of the worlds religions has a living founder.
Mohammad is dead, Buddha is dead, Joseph Smith is dead, Charles Taze Russell is dead,...but Jesus Christ is alive and this is proven by eyewitness accounts and many infallible proofs,

Acts 1:1-4.

THE EVIDENCES OF THE RESURRECTION
The Witnesses
When Jesus’ followers went to the tomb on that first Easter morning, they found the stone rolled back and the body was gone
They weren’t going there to welcome the risen Savior, but to finished preparing the body for a proper burial.
To believe that a small band of scared Jewish men and women could somehow overcome the Roman soldiers, roll back the stone, and remove the body of Jesus is completely illogical.
If they had just started teaching and preaching the resurrection, the enemies of Jesus knew the location of the tomb and they would have wasted no time in producing the body for all to see.
Also, it is evident that the disciples were not a bunch of gullible, starry eyed fanatics willing to believe anything Jn 20:9, 11-15, 25
At first they were disbelieving and slow to catch on and remember Jesus’ own words.
They doubted so we wouldn’t have to.

By the way, The stone wasn’t rolled back to let Jesus out, but to let the disciples in so they could see first hand that it was empty.

The Change in the Disciples
There was then the dramatic change in the disciple’s attitude. Their sorrow and cowardice was changed into joy, bravery, and faith.
They went from disbelieving the resurrection to preaching it even in the face of suffering and death.
If the resurrection was not true they knew it, and it is impossible that 11 men would suffer and die for a lie.

The Change from the Jewish Sabbath to the Christian Lord’s Day
These disciples were all Jewish men who had been taught all their lives to observe the 7th day as the Sabbath.
However, they began to observe the 1st day of the week as their day of rest and worship to commemorate the resurrection. The New Covenant supersedes the Old.

THE PURPOSE OF THE RESURRECTION
It Proves That God Keeps His Promises...Acts 13:32,33
Jesus said that He would die in Jerusalem at the hands of the religious rulers and government officials
He also said that He would rise again. We can believe His other promises such as: The Forgiveness if sins and His 2nd Coming and future judgment

It Established The Identity Of Jesus Christ...Rom. 1:4
For Jesus to make the claims He did leaves us with only three options concerning Him; lunatic, liar, or Lord.
There have been other lunatics and liars like Jim Jones, who led more than 900 of his followers to commit suicide, and David Koresh whose cult perished with him
Jesus is so much more than a human spiritual leader, He is the Son of God. Jesus made fantastic claims for Himself, but He backed them up with proofs.
Now, 1/3 of the world’s population claims to be followers of this man from Galilee.

It Furnishes Justification For Believers...Rom. 4:24,25
The basis of our salvation is not our baptism, church membership, nor our good moral behavior.
The basis upon which God forgives our sins is the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
That alone is the proof that God the Father accepted Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross as full payment for the penalty of sin.

It Assures Every Believer Of Their Own Personal
Resurrection...I Cor. 15:51-57; II Cor. 4:14
It is hard to say good bye to a loved one at a funeral, but if that person is a Believer too it is made so much easier by faith in Christ and His resurrection.
It eases the pain of parting if we know we’ll see them again because of the promise of the resurrection.
Jn 14:9...Because I live, ye shall live also.

It assures the future judgment of all...

Acts 17:11

The Crucifixion of The Christ

Matthew 27:33-37

In this series of sermons I have tried to hit all the high points of the birth, life, and ministry of Jesus Christ. Today we come to the real purpose of Jesus’ coming into the world which was to make an atonement for sin by His death on the cross.
Of all the doctrines of Jesus Christ the two most opposed by the world are His incarnation and His atonement. Not only are they opposed, they are also misunderstood.

People love to hear about the parables and Jesus’ miracles and acts of kindness, but speak of the incarnation and the death of Christ and the world reacts bitterly.
Many are offended by a “Merry Christmas” and are angered about the necessity of Christ’s death on the cross.
“I don’t see how the death of a Jew 2,000 years ago could possibly impact my life” they say.

As far back as the Garden of Eden in Genesis 2:15-17 we learn that the penalty for sin involves death.
God has decreed that someone must bear it,...either the sinner or a Savior. God’s justice must be satisfied, and the cross is His vindication. Jesus was born to die.

The blood atonement of Jesus Christ is the very heart of the Christian faith
It is the only thing that answers the sin problem of mankind, and without it there is no ray of hope.

The death of Christ on the cross alone fulfills and answers the prophecies of the Old Testament: Isa. 53: 6-11; Dan. 9:26
Peter made this plain I his first sermon on the Day of Pentecost, Acts 2: 23.
In fact, the crucifixion was the central theme of the preaching of the apostles in the New Testament.
“Remission” means forgiveness; nothing more and certainly nothing less.

Atonement is an Old Testament word which means “a covering for sin” Lev. 17:11
“Atonement” is used 77 times in the OT, but only once in the NT in Rom. 5:11

When Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper He took the cup, gave thanks, and said, Drink ye all of it, for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins, Matt. 26:28.

It must be made plain and understood that the death of Christ was a voluntary and substitutionary atonement.
The Bible makes it plain that Jesus was not a victim of His circumstances and He was not a mere martyr dying for a cause.
He chose to take the place of sinners and pay our sin debt on the cross to satisfy the justice of God.
The innocent takes the place of the guilty before the legal bar of God.

Now we begin to see the meaning of “The love of God.”
Many stumble at this because of all the suffering in the world. “If God is a God of love, why is there so much suffering?” they ask. Why do we have wars, famines, disease, and death?
Those who have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to understand is bound up in the cross.
God’s love for us was settled once and for all by the cross of Calvary, that is where the love of God was demonstrated and purchased our deliverance.

There are many notable mounts in the Bible; such as Mt. Sinai, where Moses received the 10 commandmenst; Mt. Ararat, where Noah's ark came to rest after the flood; Mt. Carmel, where Elijah defeated the false prophets of Ba'al; and Mt. Moriah, where Abraham almost sacrificed Isaac, and where Solomon built the temple of God.

But without question the most notable is Mt. Calvary. Mt. Calvary was outside Jerusalem and an obscure, infamous place where criminals were executed.
It was relatively unknown and unlovely,...that is until Jesus went there.
His purpose for going there turned this awful place into a place that we now sing about; where Mercy there was great and grace was free, pardon there was multiplied to me, there my burdened soul found liberty at Calvary.

Now we sing and preach about Calvary because who went there and why.

What Happened At Calvary?

I. At Calvary, everyone in the world was offended, I Cor. 1:22-24; Gal. 5:11
People are fond of asking, “Why do I need Christ in my life? I’m as good as anyone else”
No, you are as bad as everyone else Rom. 3:10-12, 23
That church member, deacon, preachers are all sinners.

II. At Calvary, bad theology and false doctrines were
corrected, Rom. 5:8
- Universalism; all will be saved
- Many ways to God, Gal. 3:26
- The apostles were not persecuted for preaching the Purpose-Driven Life, Prosperity, etc.

III. At Calvary, the work of redemption was completed. Jn. 19:30…”It is finished!” (Literally, paid off)
We cannot earn or merit our own salvation by our good works and moral behavior because we cannot add anything to the finished work of Christ on the cross.
All we can do is receive it as a gift freely given by our faith in Christ, Rom. 6:23.

Now we see the importance of the crucifixion, and now that you know what will you do with Jesus Christ?

The Passion of The Christ

John 13:1-15

The Christ Event Series, Part Eleven

John chapters 13-19 is commonly called the Book of Passion. This section begins in the Upper Room and ends at the Garden Tomb. Here, like no other place in the gospels, Jesus is baring His very soul to His disciples.
This is the most reverent, intimate, and sacred experience that they would share with the Savior.
This is their “burning bush experience” because here we truly are on holy ground.

Passion has been defined as “a strong desire coupled with a deep emotional drive”.
Passion is not the emotion itself, it is the thing that fuels the emotion. We can either love or hate with a passion.

All the events of Chapters 13 through 19 (The Last Supper through the Burial of Christ) takes place in less than 24 hours.

The Book of Passion begins with Jesus and His disciples about to observe the Passover together for the last time.
Jesus is about to leave them and go back to His Father in Heaven, but first He needs to teach them a few more lessons.
He had been telling them that He would have to die and rise again, but evidently they thought this was another parable.
Actions speak louder than words, and besides, they hadn’t been paying much attention to Jesus’ words anyway.
The disciples were arguing about who would be the greatest in God’s Kingdom, Lk. 9:46f.
Washing the disciple’s feet called to their minds what The Lord wanted them to do for one another.
- Unconditionally Love and Forgive one another
- By love Serve one another
- It is the perfect example of going the 2nd mile.
Now, with the cross less than 24 hours away, Jesus has withdrawn from the crowds and has decided to spend His last hours with just His disciples (Ch. 13-16) and His Heavenly Father (Ch. 17).
V. 1...The Book of Passion begins with two statements of fact and here is where we see the Passion of Christ demonstrated:
A. JESUS KNEW (Greek is “had full knowledge”) that the time for His crucifixion was at hand.
He knew where He came from Why He was here, and where He was going.

He was not taken by surprise when they came to arrest Him, nor was He an unwilling victim or martyr.
He knew He was in control,...He could have called ten thousand angels but He didn’t.
He chose to lay down His life for the redemption of many.

B. JESUS LOVED His disciples unto the end. The Greek is “to the fullest extent.”
He knew that at that very table was a man who would betray Him, another who would deny Him three times, and the rest except one would desert Him.
No matter what they did, or were about to do,...He loved them anyway. That is unconditional love.

Jn. 13:3-11...Everything that happened between verses 4-12 is a perfect picture of Christ laying aside His glory, assuming the form of a servant, then taking His glory back again as we read in Phil. 2:5-11.

In that day everyone either wore sandals or went barefooted. There were very few paved roads then and one’s
feet would become dirty and require frequent washings.
Everyone used the public baths back then and then walked the dusty roads. When they arrived home or at the home of their host their feet would be dirty and tired.
A good washing would cleanse and refresh them.
Washing feet was the task of the lowest servant in the house. If there were no servants, water would be provided by the host so the guests could wash their own feet.
Until now, the disciples were not in one accord: Mk. 8:31-33; 9:31-34; 10:33-37
Their thoughts and words must have made Jesus wonder if they had ever paid any attention to anything He ever said to them.
This passage illustrates the truth of Mk 10:45. Jesus’ passion was to minister and give His life as a ransom for many and to teach His disciples the importance of a holy walk or lifestyle.
They weren’t willing to take on the role of a servant, so Jesus decided to show them Himself. Imagine their shock.

Jn. 13:8-10...The action explained.
V.8…”No part with me” means communion, fellowship. In order to enjoy our fellowship with Christ we must be cleansed of our daily defilement by confessing our sins, and only Christ can do that for us.
Along the way in our Christian walk, sometimes we become guilty of committing certain sins.
When God saves us He bathes us all over and brings about our union with Christ, which can never be broken.
However our communion depends on our living in a right relationship with Him
We don’t need to take another bath (be saved) but we do need to have our feet washed (confess it to God.)
If we allow unconfessed sin in our lives it will hinder our communion with Christ: No joy, no witness, no power in prayer, no help in temptations and trials.

Daily confession is how the fellowship is maintained with God through Christ, I Jn 1:9. Our Lord is passionately concerned about our holiness.

The Promises Of The Christ
II Cor. 1:20
The Christ Event Series, Part Ten

Notice first of all the enormity of all this verse encompasses. Paul speaks of all the promises of God.
When I began putting this sermon together I must confess that I was overwhelmed because I found out that there were over 7,000 promises of God in the Bible.
In fact, one author, who had to have a lot of time on his hands, went through the Bible and found that there were 7,487 promises made by God to his people in the Old and New testaments.
Did you realize that when you sang Standing on the Promises?
No, I didn’t bother to count them myself to see if he was right or not,...I’ll just take his word for it.
A Promise is a statement from God that we can depend on with absolute confidence.
And all of God’s promises are kept in Jesus Christ.
There are so many promises that cover every aspect of life we can’t possibly cover them all,..so we will zero in on four of the most important.
They are:
The Promise of Salvation, The Promise of Answered Prayer, and The Promise of the Holy Spirit.

I. The Promise of Salvation..Jn 5:24
How can I be forgiven of my sins? What does it mean to be "saved?"
Jesus tells us that it is a matter of believing (or trusting) God.
Hear ...means not only to listen, but to believe and obey.
I haven’t heard the words of Jesus until I have accepted them as true and obeyed what He said.
Many people come to church week after week, hear a lot of sermons and leave in their unbelief.
We must believe what Jesus says, or we call God a liar.
and believeth on him that sent me... It isn’t enough just to believe that there is a God, that a divine being exists.
Would you believe me if I said that one could believe in God and still not be a Christian,...and not be saved?
"I believe in God" is not enough, James 2:19
We must believe in God, but also that this God sent Jesus to be the Savior.
We must believe what God believe about Jesus; that He is the only Savior for the whole world and He dealt with our sins on the cross when he died as our all sufficient substitute.

hath everlasting life...Notice Jesus is speaking in the present tense here. Everlasting life is not something we get when we die; it is a present possession.
them as true and obeyed what He said.
Many people come to church week after week, hear a lot of sermons and leave in their unbelief.
We must believe what Jesus says, or we call God a liar.

and believeth on him that sent me... It isn’t enough just to believe that there is a God, that a divine being exists.
Would you believe me if I said that one could believe in God and still not be a Christian,...and not be saved?
"I believe in God" is not enough, James 2:19
We must believe in God, but also that this God sent Jesus to be the Savior.
We must believe what God believe about Jesus; that He is the only Savior for the whole world and He dealt with our sins on the cross when he died as our all sufficient substitute.
We may feel conviction for sins we commit and God wants us to confess, but never condemnation, Rom. 8:1.

II. The Promise of Answered to Prayer...Jn. 14:13
Contrary to popular opinion, this is not a blank check on the Bank of Heaven. Jesus is not saying that we can have anything we want just by praying in His name.
First of all our Lord is assuming that one doing the praying is a believer who is walking in close fellowship with Him, and not someone who is backslidden, selfish, and greedy.

Praying "in Jesus’ name" means several things:
1. Asking for things according to God’s revealed will
2. Asking for that which will glorify God
3. Asking for things which will be for my own spiritual good. The reason many prayers go unanswered...Jas. 4:3

We need to read the fine print and compare scripture with scripture, I Jn. 3:22,23 and 5:14,15
If our heart is right with God we will want only what He wants, knowing that He knows what is best.

III. The Promise of the Holy Spirit...Jn. 14:16
"Another" is another of the same kind, or another Jesus.
This Comforter would be with them forever.
Whereas Jesus had to leave and go back to the Father, to prepare a place for them (and us), the Holy Spirit would never leave them
V. 17...He would dwell with them and be in them.
That’s where His ministry would be carried out, in the lives of Christians.

What does the Holy Spirit do for us?
He teaches us and reminds us of God’s Word...Jn 14:26
He never draws attention to Himself, but always points us to Jesus Christ...Jn 15:26, 16:14a
In fact, the Holy Spirit had to wait until Jesus was glorified in the resurrection before He could descend and empower the church, Jn 7:38,39
He would guide the apostles into all truth, even revealing the future to them...Jn 16:13

This is how we know the NT is trustworthy.
In the matter of salvation, it is the Holy Spirit that:
Convicts us of our sins...Jn 16:8-11
Convinces us of our need of the Savior...Jn. 16:10
Converts the sinner to faith in Christ...Jn 3:3,5

The Transfiguration of The Christ
Luke 9:28-36
The Christ Event, Part Nine

About a week before the transfiguration, Jesus had foretold the disciples of His death and resurrection which would take place at Jerusalem, v. 22.
In v. 31 we are told this would happen in Jerusalem, and evn though the elders, chief priests, and scribes were the culprits, the crucifixion would be Jeus’ accomplishment, not theirs. The Bible is clear that Jesus gave His life as a ransom for many; they did not take it from Him.
The Christian faith is neither magical, nor mythical which was the basis of all the other religions of that day.
Magic...The Bible never condones magic nor magicians, but exposes them for the fakes and phonies they are.
In Egypt the court magicians could not reveal the meaning of Pharoah’s dream, but Joseph could because it was revealed to him by God, Gen 41:8, 24.
In Babylon the court magicians could not reveal the meaning of King Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, but Daniel could because it had been revealed to him by God, Dan. 2:27,28.
In Samaria, a sorcerer named Simon wanted to buy the power of the Spirit to bewitch people and become rich, Acts 8:5
In Paphos, a sorcerer named Elymas was condemned by Paul, Acts 13:6ff
Magic is meant only to deceive by trickery and sleight of hand.

Myth...All religon in that day was pure paganism, i.e. the worship of the gods of Greek and Roman mythology.

The Christian faith however did make use of mystery and metaphysics however.
Mystery...a divine truth that had been hidden until, at the proper time, it was revealed by God. Man could have never figured or discovered these truths by himself.
Mk. 4:11...Because they were interested and wanted to know, Jesus revealed to His disciples the mystery of the Kingdom of God
I Cor 2:7-10...the wisdom of God was another mystery; what He has prepared for them that love Him
I Cor. 15:51,52...The mystery of the nature of the resurrection
Eph. 3:2-5...The Jews thought that they alone were the recipitants of God's grace But God revealed to Paul that the Gentiles would also be included in God’s plan of redemption
Col. 1:25-27..."Christ in you, the hope of glory" was another mystery revealed buy God about the indwelling nature of Christ in the Believer. (See also Jn 17:23,26)

So, what is the mystery revealed in our text?

The thing they did not understand, and the most important one of all,...the necessity of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, v. 22, 31.
V. 21...When Jesus first told them about this they couldn’t believe it because they didn’t understand it. In fact Peter tried to deny and reject that his Lord would suffer and die, Matt. 16:21,22. Jesus had to rebuke Peter in the strongest possible terms. That is why Jesus told them to tell no one about it; they didn’t know enough about it yet. They had to learn more.
What greater way to teach them than to give them a foretaste of glory in the greatest Bible conference ever held with Moses, Elijah, and Jesus on the program.
Imagine, the greatest speakers expounding upon the greatest subject,...the death of Christ.

V. 31..."Decease" is the Greek word for Exodus and refers to Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension.

Just as Moses led the Hebrews out of Egyptian bondage, Jesus would lead Believers out of their slavery to sin.
Our Exodus from earth, is our Genesis of Heaven

This passage also gives us a look at the "other side."
Forget about John Edward and all the other phony psychics who claim to be able to communicate with the dead. Believe the Bible instead.
Jesus was transfigured in the presence of Moses and Elijah. Moses representing the Law and Elijah representing the prophets.
They were easily recognized by Peter even though they had never met because they had been dead for hundreds of years, and no photographs of them existed.
Moses and Elijah lived a half a millenium and hundreds of miles apart, but they knew one another, and more importantly had one mission.
The great lawgiver and the great prophet came together in Jesus Christ, the voice of God came from heaven again and said "This is my beloved Son: hear him."

This must have reminded Moses of Deut. 18:15...Moses knew that this was the one God had told him about.

Then, Moses and Elijah were gone, and Jesus stood alone. Prophets and preachers come and go, but Jesus Christ abides forever and shares His glory with no one.
II Peter 1:16-18...Peter, an eyewitness of Jesus' glory never forgot this experience on the mount with Jesus.

For we have not followed cunningly devised fables,

when we made known unto you the power and

the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were

eyewitnesses of his majesty. For he received

from God the Father honour and glory when there

came such a voice to him from the excellent glory,

"This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

And this voice which came from heaven we heard

when we were with him in the holy mount.

The glory of God is the only hope of the world, I Peter 2:24

Jesus Christ came into this world to give His life as a sacrifice for sin. His death on the cross is the ground of our salvation.
He rose from the dead to demonstrate His power and authority over sin and death.
He ascended back to Heaven to prepare a place for us
And He is coming again to receive us to Himself and share His glory with us.

Jesus Christ came into this world to transform our lives as well, II Cor. 3:18.

The Preaching of The Christ
Luke 4:16-30
The Christ Event Series, Part Eight

Only Luke records this episode of when Jesus returned to His home town of Nazareth. His fame had grown to such an extent that many came out to hear this preacher and miracle worker. It was the "Home town boy makes good!"
I. The first thing to notice is that it was Jesus’ custom and regular habit to go to church.
He could have said that the synagogue was full of hypocrites, and it was.
He could have said, "I don’t need it" and He’d be right.
He could have said, "The Sabbath is the only day I have to sleep in, play golf, or go to the lake."

But He went to church on a regular basis, and as in all the other Christian disciplines, He set the example for us and knew it was best for God’s people to assemble regularly for worship, rest, and a change of pace, Heb. 10:25.
A service in the synagogue was very similar to our worship services. It was not like the temple at all,...no sacrifices were offered there, there was no need for a priest, or an altar in the synagogue.

A synagogue could be started in any town that had ten or more Jewish families to support it.
The service would be conducted similar to this:
1. Invocation for God’s blessing
2. Recitation of the Hebrew confession of faith,
Deut. 6:4-9; 11:13-21
3. Prayer
4. Readings from the Old Testament Law and Prophets
5. A brief sermon given by one of the men present or a visiting rabbi (teacher)
6. Benediction (if a priest was present)

7. Closing prayer by one of the men present.

Often, a visiting rabbi was asked to read and make a few appropriate remarks on the Scripture text.
On this particular day, Jesus was asked to read the scripture and deliver the sermon which he did reading from the prophet Isaiah 61:1,2.
The other rabbis and everyone else present knew that this text referred to the Messiah. Imagine their shock when Jesus said that the words applied to Himself, that He was the Messiah who had come to usher in "the acceptable year of the Lord".
They were thinking in political and economic terms, but Jesus was speaking in spiritual terms.

Jesus was here referring to the "Year of the Jubilee:
Every 7th year was a "Sabbatical Year" when the ground was to lie fallow and untilled. The people and the soil was to rest and trust God for enough to eat of the surplus of the previous years.
Every 50th year was the "Year of Jubilee" when the economic system was balanced:
- Slaves were set free and returned to their families,
- Land that had been sold out of the tribes to which they were given was reverted back to the original owners,
- all debts were canceled,
- the land lay fallow as man and beast rested and rejoiced in the Lord.

The Jubilee was an object lesson to remind them of the character of God; Sharing and Caring were the order of the day, and not getting and hoarding.
If a fellow Jew found himself in trouble, God’s system said that you were to help him out, not take advantage of him. You could not loan money at interest, nor could you sell him food for a profit. (We hear of price gouging even n time of disaster. God knows the nature of man, sinful.)
A man could sell himself into slavery, but it was to be treated like a hired worker with dignity. He was to be set free in the Year of the Jubilee.

What’s the meaning of the Year of Jubilee? Pretend it is you who had to sell the family farm, and maybe even yourself into servitude. How would you want to be treated? This is a once in a lifetime experience, and it provides for the children of those who fell on hard times. (Remember, there was no social security or welfare programs then.)
The Year of the Jubilee was God’s way of balancing the economy and reminding them that the land belonged to God, they were just stewards of it
It also kept the rich and powerful from exploiting the poor.
It also provided than everyone would have an inheritance
But there is a more important lesson involved here. The Sabbatical Year and the Year of the Jubilee were also intended to remind Israel of God’s goodness to them and us.

If you are a Christian you are living in the Year of Jubilee.
You have been set free from the bondage of sin, your sin debt has been cancelled fort all time, and you have been given a fresh start,...sort of like being born again.
No wonder Christians have so much to sing about and praise God for!
The grace and promises of God all extend to everyone. But they only come to those who have the faith to believe that Jesus Christ is the Messiah, the fulfillment of Scripture and the Savior of men.

The Authority of The Christ
Matthew 28:18-20
The Christ Event Series,
Part Seven

Don’t make the mistake of thinking that when Jesus spoke these words He was only thinking about missions and evangelism. These verses are called the "Great Commission" and are almost always used to preach on soul winning and missions and while that certainly is included, it’s not the only thing Jesus had in mind.
We see also that He is talking about assurance and comfort, but first of all He mentions His own power and authority.
...and just like all the other attributes of Christ, we can’t possibly overstate the power and authority of Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ came into the world to overthrow the authorities that had taken over.
Since the Garden of Eden, sin had its rule in the world and Satan was its ruler.
Matt 4:8-10...In the wilderness temptation When Satan offered Jesus the kingdoms of the world, he actually had them to give.
- Satan is the "Prince of the power of the air", Eph 2:2
- Jesus Himself called Satan the "Prince of this world", Jn 12:30,31
It would be by the cross that the power of Satan would be defeated.

The whole point of the temptation in the wilderness was to keep Jesus from going to the cross.
Contrary to popular opinion, Satan did not rejoice and throw a party when Jesus was crucified because he knew that the cross of Christ would spell out his defeat.
Now comes Jesus along and makes a fantastic claim that He has been given all power and authority in heaven and earth. If this is true, He has to prove it.
If He has all authority, it means He has power and freedom to do what He wants to do.
Over Satan and his demons; including the authority to forgive, Mk 1:21-26
Over the natural elements; the stormy Sea of Galilee, Mk 4:35-41
Over sickness, and sin; Mk. 2:1-12
Over doctrine and teaching; "I say unto you"
As in the Sermon on the Mount...Matt 5:20,22,28,32,34,39,44
See also Matt 7:28,29
Over the powers that be; at His trial and crucifixion, Matt 26:53; Jn 19:10,11
At the crucifixion Jesus was in control, and everyone else was on trial, including Satan and his demons. Jesus never has been and never will be the victim of his circumstances

For all these reasons and demonstrations of His divine authority Jesus could say, "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth"
When Jesus speaks on a subject, any subject, the issue is decidedly closed for all time. His authority is absolute, supreme, and eternal. Being omniscient, He never changes His mind.

And Jesus has delegated some of that authority to His followers, Matt 28:18-20.
For example, we are to teach only what He has commanded, v. 19a,20.

Most Christians don’t even use the God given authority we have, and others abuse it. To think that we can add one word to the words of Jesus,or add one work to the works of Jesus is the height of pride and hypocrisy.
In doing so, it brings Jesus down to our level, and exalts us God’s level.

In a day when the world is trying to dismiss the Bible and claim that it was just written by mere men, and is full of mistakes, and unreliable;
Christians must reiterate their stand and say we still believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and the Savior of all who place their faith in Him.

And furthemore we still believe that the Bible is God’s Word; it is holy, infallible, inspired, and inerrant. We believe this because Jesus endorsed it as authoratative,

Jn 5:39...Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

According to the World Christian Encyclopedia, (2002 ed.) there are over 9,900 organized religions in the world.
The authority Jesus has given to His church is to preach salvation from sin in His name alone, Acts 4:10-12.
The church has the authority to pray to God,...but only in Jesus’ name, Jn 14:13.
We have the authority to baptize new believers, but only in Jesus’ name

There will be one final demonstration of Christ’s power and authority one day when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Phil. 2:9-11

The Temptations of The Christ
Matthew 4:1-11
The Christ Event Series, Part Six

This message picks up exactly where we left off last week. Immediately after Jesus was baptized, He was then led of the Holy Spirit into the wilderness in order to be tempted of the devil.
No sooner had He been identified by John as the Lamb that takes away the sin of the world, (the Savior) and baptized, and declared to be the Son of God with whom the Father was well pleased was Jesus tempted.
Jesus was not tempted so the Father would know whether He’d be obedient or not. He already knew He would.
Jesus was tempted:
- to show every creature in heaven and earth that He was the Conquerer.
- to expose Satan and his tactics. Satan tempted Adam & Eve in the garden, and the Hebrews in the wilderness. He uses the same tactics today.
- to prove that temptation in itself is not a sin. It is more of an affliction to be endured to be tempted, but it becomes sin when we give in to it.
- to show us the value of knowing the word of God.
Jesus answered every temptation with scripture
- to show us that we don’t have to give in to temptation, it can be resisted, I Cor. 10:13
- to show us there is a reward for resisting temptation. Since Jesus overcame the tempter, He can help us to do the same, Heb. 2:18

While Jesus was in the desert, He fasted 40 days and nights. And after that 40 day period he was hungry. It was when Jesus was at His weakest and most vulnerable that Satan came a tempted Him to turn rocks into bread.

V. 3..."If" is used three ways in Greek;

(1.) If, and the case is true

(2.) If,and the case isn’t true, and

(3.) If, and the case s unknown.
Here, Satan is using the first instance. He was saying, Since you are the Son of God,...There was absolutely no doubt on Satan’s part that Jesus was God’s Son, Mk. 1:23,24

No one can blame their sin on their environment and their circumstances. Adam and Eve sinned in a perfect place where they had their heart’s desire.
Jesus resisted sinning in a desolate, lonely wilderness where He had been denied food and companionship.
No person nor place is so holy that the devil wouldn’t dare enter in and tempt God’s choicest vessels.
No Christian will ever reach such a spiritual plateau that he or she will not be tempted to sin against God.

Jesus did not use His divine power to get Him out of the circumstances. He only used the same spiritual resources that we have available to us today.
1. The power of the Holy Spirit, v. 1; Lk. 4:1
2. The power of the Word of God, "It is written."

1st Temptation...v. 3,4
"Since you are the Son of God, turn these stones into bread."
Answer: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by the Word of God, Dt. 8:3.
Same as Eve (Gen 3:1-5) Jesus was tempted to doubt God’s love and care. "God is holding back on you."
There are two kinds of life: Physical and Spiritual. Most people attend to just their physical needs and neglect the spiritual.
God allows us to be tempted to show us the strength of our faith, and areas where we need work. In this case, temptation is good for us.
Nothing tests our character more than the hour of temptation when no one will ever know.

Jesus’ calling was to be a suffering servant, and not a famous magician dazzling crowds and satisfying everyone’s wants and desires.
We are called to walk by faith, not by sight.

2nd Temptation...v. 5-7
Now Satan quotes scripture, but out of context.
Ps. 91:11,12...The devil left out "in all thy ways."
We can prove almost anything by the Bible, if we are willing to take it out of context like the devil did.
ILLUS...The Bible says, "There is no God" Ps. 14:1.
But the first part of that verse reads, "The fool hath said in his heart,..."
Answer: "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God" Dt. 6:16
Only the evil and the ignorant try to manipulate God’s promises for their own amazement, Matt. 27:40-43.
Herod only wanted to see a miracle, Lk. 23:8,9
ILLUS...For the same reasons, modern day "prayer experiments" are as deceptive because we cannot manipulate God; He is not a genie in a lamp waiting to do our bidding. We certainly should pray for sick people, but not with a view to testing God.
Or, pray something like this, "God if you will do this for me, I’ll be good for the rest of my life!" Ours is not to test God, but to trust God.

3rd Temptation...v. 8-10
"I’ll give you all the kingdoms of the world if you will worship me."
Answer: "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve" Dt. 6:13
Our worship and service belongs only to God.
Now we see the real purpose of the temptations. Satan tried to get Jesus to take the easy way out and by-pass the cross. To go for the crown without the cross; glory without suffering. (Satan left defeated, but he didn’t give up, Matt 16:21-24 he kept on trying to prevent the crucifixion.)
Having defeated Satan, Jesus was now ready to begin His ministry.
Jesus proved Himself the sinless Son of God who is worthy of our worship and obedience

The Baptism of The Christ
Matthew 3:13-17
The Christ Event Series, Part Five

As our Lord begins His active public ministry, we are privileged to read in all four gospels of the account of the baptism of Jesus Christ. However, as we will see, the main subject of these accounts is not the baptism or John the Baptist at all. The writers are very careful to emphasize that that the main subject is Christ Himself.

First of all, let’s take a look at what baptism is. There are four types of baptisms mentioned in the Bible.
1. The baptism of the Jews...A ritual cleansing whereby non-Jews could become proselytes (or, converts to the Jew’s religion.

2. The baptism of John...which was conditioned upon repentance and prepared them to receive the Messiah and the Kingdom of God. John’s baptism was not the same as the Christian baptism we know it (Acts 19:1-7). The Jews baptized Gentiles who wanted to accept the Jew’s religion, but John was baptizing Jews!

3. The baptism ordained by Christ...which identifies the convert with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. It is by immersion only for Believers only and can certainly include children but not infants who are not old enough to be aware of their sin and need for redemption and unable to decide for themselves.

4. The baptism of the Holy Spirit... Inaugurated in Acts 2; it is not a second work of grace giving the gift of speaking in tongues reserved only for "super-Christians", but a work of God that happens to all Believers at their conversion which places them into the Kingdom of God.

John 1:6,7...John the Baptist was sent by God to prepare the way for the coming of Jesus Christ. He did this by preaching repentance for the remission of sins, and by preparing the world to receive the Messiah.

If Jesus was the sinless Son of God, why did He have to be baptized by John?
V. 15...At first John balked at Jesus’ request to be baptized by him. But Jesus said that it was proper that he should be set apart by his forerunner:

1. To show his approval of John’s ministry.
There were many who were baptizing in that day, but Jesus walked 30 miles or more to be baptized by the right man (John), in the right way (immersion), and for the right purpose, (to fulfill all righteousness).

2. To identify with the fallen human race...II Cor 5:21

3. To announce the beginning of His own ministry...John 1:29
It was a foreshadowing of His own death, burial, and resurrection for the sin of mankind.

4. To set the proper example Believers to follow.
The Bible knows nothing of unbaptized Believers except the thief on the cross who had no opportunity to be baptized.

5. To prove that Jesus was the Son of God.
Immediately the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit descended, and the Father spoke, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." v. 17
Jesus didn’t need baptism for sin, but He accepted it in obedience to the Father.

John’s baptism was made obsolete by Jesus’ baptism...Acts 19:1-7.
John’s baptism was a sign of repentance from sin only, and not a sign of the Believer’s identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection and the operation of the Holy Spirit.
They believed in Jesus as the Messiah, but did not understand the full significance of the gospel message and His atoning work on the cross. Nor had they ever even heard of the Holy Spirit, much less received Him.
It was important that they know this because the filling of the Holy Spirit sealed them as saved and secure Believers, Eph. 1:12,13.
Besides, this was part of John’s message. He said that the Messiah would baptize them with the Holy Spirit and with fire, Matt. 3:11.

Now we see who the true baptizer is, Jesus Christ who takes away the sin of the world and begins the work of molding me into the image of God. Christ is the only one who can make me like Himself; and a child of God. The baptism of John could never do that.

It’s true, I’m not what I ought to be.
But it’s equally true that I’m not what I used to be.

I Jn. 3:1,2...Salvation was never meant to make us perfect and flawless.
v. 2 tells us what we are,...the Sons of God and what we shall become,...we shall be like him, Phil. 3:20,21. We will have new, glorified spiritual bodies outfitted for Heaven.

Baptism does not save or even help save us, but by it we identify with Christ, in our death to the old way of life and resurrection to a new life.
God’s love for us doesn’t stop with His merely forgiving our sins. God then sets about to conform us to the image of Christ, Rom. 8:29.

I Jn. 3:3... Tells us what we should be now. In view of what God has done and will do for us we should live pure lives in the present.
When and unbeliever sins, it is a creature sinning against the creator. But, when a Believer sins, it is a child sinning against their father. A true child of God who has experienced and understood the love of God has no desire to sin against that love.