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When “Yes, Lord” Means A Trial

Posted on February 14, 2017 by bibleteacherorg

great post!

*Today, we are pleased to publish a guest post by another one of our good friends!*

“Natalie! Please! Make it stop, it hurts too much!” my phone read as the screen illuminated, thus throwing shadows against my wall and near my bed. Still awake, my eyes struggled to focus on the text notification in my blackened bedroom. After a few minutes of talking to my friend, I had given the best encouragement I could and was virtually holding her until my body crashed for the night and I had fallen asleep. Never before had I felt heart break over my friend…..“Why her? God, what is your plan with this pain she’s in?” As these questions repeated themselves in my mind, I was hit with one answer…..”Why not?”

After waking up a few hours later and rereading our conversation, I sat there. Pondering on that answer, I thought back…

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Self Denial Is Necessary

Posted on February 13, 2017 by bibleteacherorg

Preached to the Saints of Riverview Baptist on the evening of February 12, 2019
798 Santa Fe Pike, Columbia, TN

Matthew 6:16-34 Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. [17] But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; [18] That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. [19] Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: [20] But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: [21] For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. [22] The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. [23] But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! [24] No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. [25] Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? [26] Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? [27] Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? [28] And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: [29] And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. [30] Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? [31] Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? [32] (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. [33] But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. [34] Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

If I were to summarize this portion of our Lord’s “Sermon On The Mount” then it would be by saying:

Faith Grows When We Practice Self Denial

In chapter Six Jesus speaks expecting that every believer in him will (1) Give To The Poor:

Matthew 6:2 Therefore WHEN thou doest thine alms ….

Jesus said “WHEN you give”. Not “IF” but “WHEN”. Giving is what Christ Followers do. We who are saved by the wonderful Gift of Grace do not only GIVE, but we (2) Pray For All.

Matthew 6:6 But thou, WHEN thou prayest …

Again Jesus does not say “If” but “WHEN”. When you pray. Christ Followers should pray daily, pray without ceasing, for we live in a dangerously fallen world. But we also (3) Practice Self Denial. Jesus said:

Matthew 6:16 Moreover WHEN ye fast …

A lot of people have no idea what a FAST is. In our day FAST is the name of a movie where they stole cars (FAST and Furious). In our day FAST is how we expect our burgers and “Happy Meals” to be delivered. In our day FAST is how we like to travel down the highway. But FAST used to not mean speedy, but it used to mean to STOP DOING SOMETHING SO YOU COULD FOCUS ON GOD. To FAST is to deprive yourself for a time so that you can focus on God’s Glory. The word:

BreakFAST

something we use for the first meal of the day means that we allow ourselves to eat after an involuntary 8 hours of NOT eating. You “Break the Fast”. Jesus tells His disciples:

WHEN you FAST
Not IF but WHEN

Which means He expected us to Fast. Jesus Fasted for 40 days in the wilderness before His ministry began. Does He expect us to fast 40 days? I don’t think so. But He does expect us to practice self denial, to deprive the flesh for short times while we focus on God.

WHEN We Fast Do Not Do It To Be Seen Of Men, But Of God

Matthew 6:16-18 Moreover WHEN ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. [17] But thou, WHEN thou fastest, anoint thine head, and wash thy face; [18] That thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

Jesus commanded that our Fast – whether it be one meal, one day, or one whatever (for a “Fast” can be a voluntary giving up of one thing while you focus on God.

Let me chase rabbits for a moment…

You can give up a meal while you focus on Scripture and prayer, looking Godward.
You can give up a day (or even a week) of TELEVISION while you read His Word.
You can break down and forsake Sunday and Wednesday night television
… and COME WORSHIP THE LORD.
You can give up a vacation trip home to go on mission oversea for Jesus.
You can give up your fancy Starbucks coffee and give that money to a worthy cause.
A FAST can be anything for any duration where you focus on GOD rather than YOU.

Fasting – a form of self denial – is necessary because the flesh is greedy. If you give yourself EVERYTHING and do nothing that is UNCOMFORTABLE then you eventually will not serve God at all. A Fast does not have to be a horrible or torturous thing, but it is done to draw you closer to God. While Fasting you focus on God, not on self.

The Pharisees and Sadducees made Fasting a show for all to see. They “disfigured their faces” so as to look pitiful. They were looking for the praise of men rather than closeness to God. Jesus said “when you Fast anoint your head and wash your face”. Groom yourselves just as if you were NOT Fasting. Don’t go around telling people “I’m Fasting this week”. Just do it, and do it in secret.

Self Denial Is The Very Heart Of Our Faith

When we Fast, when we Give, when we Pray and take time looking upward we are practicing self denial. Self denial is the very heart of the Christian faith. In America we don’t realize this because of the number of “Cultural Christians” in our country, but in Christ’s day and in many countries around the world it is dangerous to be a Christian. The Muslim who comes to Christ risks being shunned, disowned, or martyred for the faith. It is easy to be a Christian in America because Christians founded America. But Christians suffered to found America. Of the original group of 132 on the Mayflower, 49 died. Christians suffered in founding America, and Christians suffered in the Revolutionary War. The American Constitution was written in the blood of Christians and those who were friendly to the Christ.

Our country was founded by believers who sought to establish Christ’s Kingdom on the earth. That is what has given us so many freedoms, freedoms that will erode under the tide of sin if we do not stand up for Christ.

Today the Gospel is preached as Easy Believism, but it was not so from the beginning. Jesus did not promise sweet nothings to His followers in order to inflate the numbers at His Church. He told us:

Luke 14:26-33 (KJV) If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. 27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 29 Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him, 30 Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. 31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

Jesus calls His people to Him willing to forsake all. Nothing is to be held back from Christ. Nothing! Our Treasures are not to be the relationships and the things we have on this earth, but our treasures are to be what God has for us in Heaven. That’s what Jesus is preaching. Listen to Him. Listen to Him!

Matthew 6:19-21 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: [20] But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: [21] For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

You can tell where a person’s “treasure” is by what they do. For some, the weather has got to be just right for them to come to Church. If it’s too sunny they stay home or go to the Park because, after all, God wants them to rest on Sunday. If it’s too rainy or cold they stay home or go out to eat because, after all, God wants them to take care of themselves.

Does a person treasure God or Heaven?
What they treasure is seen in their outward lives.

Many of those who were in the crowd at the Sermon on the Mount were there because Jesus healed them or someone they knew. Yet it was His disciples that came to Him, who knelt at His feet, who clung to His words, who loved Him more than all else. The crowds seeking blessing stayed in the valley, but the disciple – the truly saved – were willing to brave the mountain and sit uncomfortably in the dirt to hear Christ.

To trade their recliner for a rock.
To trade their bed for a slope.

When you seek Christ and suffer discomfort to get to Christ you are “laying up for yourselves treasures in Heaven”. There will be a Judgment Day for everyone, whether Christian or Unbeliever. The Unbeliever will stand before a Great Whote Throne (Revelation 20:11-15) and the Christian will stand before The Judgment Seat of Christ:

2 Corinthians 5:10 (KJV) For we MUST ALL APPEAR BEFORE THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

Everything we do is laid up in Heaven’s vault. The unbeliever’s actions are stored up – there will be a Judgment Day. The believer’s actions are stored up – there will be a Judgment Day.

On Judgment Day the Child of God will give an account of the things done in his or her body.

On Judgment Day Christ will not ask which denomination you belonged to.

Christ will ask if you acted as if you belonged to Him, and honored Him in this life.

On Judgment Day I do not think Christ will judge how fine a suit you wore to Church.

Christ will ask if you “put off the old man and put on the new” (Ephesians 4:22ff)

On Judgment Day Christ will not ask if we loved others..

But He will ask “how did you SHOW you loved others?” Did people see Christ in you?

On Judgment Day we will not be examined to see how religious we were.

But God will look at our relationship to Him and to others.

Did we behave as Children of God?

On Judgment Day Jesus will ask not how sincere we were,

But we do the truth? Did we go against the crowd and DO what He said do?

On Judgment Day I will not be able to point to someone else to try and deflect my fault on another. On Judgment Day I and I alone will be judged, and each shall give an account to their Savior. Those who lived for Christ and loved for Christ shall have treasure in Heaven. Live for Judgment Day!

Choose Where You Will Focus. Choose Your Master.

Matthew 6:22-23 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. [23] But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!

The eyes are the windows of the soul. Yes, I know there are some born blind, but very few. Most people are born with eyes. Where you focus your eyes will effect what happens to your soul.

If your eye be single – ἁπλοῦς haplous – SOUND, WHOLE, or GOOD – focused on the Godly thing – then your whole body will be good. This is what television has done. Things could be insinuated on the radio, but are shown on television.

Adrian Rogers said years ago that it is the Television Sitcom that will destroy the morality of our nation. His words have proven to be prophetic. We have let our eyes linger on television sexuality so much so that adultery no longer offends us and homosexuality is just a lifestyle choice. God says such things are death, that the Wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), but in America today it is but another word for freedom. Where your eye is focused is what will effect your choices. Sin begins with the eye. In Eden what was that which led Adam and Eve to perdition? The eye!

Genesis 3:6 (KJV) And when the woman SAW that the tree was good for food, and that it WAS PLEASANT TO THE EYES, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

The Prophet Job gave some great advice on avoiding sin. He said:

Job 31:1 (KJV) I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid?

This is what Jesus is telling His disciples. Control where your eyes are looking. Look Godward. Look toward the Light of God, not toward sin. If you dwell on the wrong, it won’t be long before you are doing the wrong. When you focus on the evil, you flood your body with evil. No one starts out a murderer or an adulterer or a child molester or a kidnapper. It begins with a look. It begins by giving the devil a toe hold in your life, by focusing on the wrong thing. Then in time what happens?

The light that is in thee be darkness, and how great is that darkness!
Choose to follow Christ

When Moses came down off of Mount Sinai he saw all of Israel gathered around a Golden Calf to worship it. Moses cast down the Tablets of the Law and cried out:

Exodus 32:26 (KJV) …. Who is on the LORD’S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.

God’s people came together and stood together with Moses, and so Satan and the Goden Calf was defeated. Joshua would later lead the Children of God into the Promised Land. Joshua told the people:

Joshua 24:14-15 (KJV) Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. [15] And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.

Joshua told the people “Make a choice. Choose who you are going to serve. If you’re going to serve the devil, do so. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”.

I recently read of a man who died – Leslie Ray Charping– who when he went his family celebrated. Mr. Charping made a choice – he followed the devil wholeheartedly, so much so that in his obituary (according to the New York Post):

The family wrote that Charping “leaves behind two relieved children,” in addition to “countless other victims including an ex wife, relatives, friends, neighbors, doctors, nurses and random strangers.” …. “Leslie’s life served no other obvious purpose, he did not contribute to society or serve his community and he possessed no redeeming qualities besides quick [witted] sarcasm, which was amusing during his sober days,” the obituary read. No services will be held for him. They wrote “Leslie’s passing proves that evil does in fact die and hopefully marks a time of healing and safety for all”.

The man chose. We should choose who we will serve. Just as Moses and Joshua challenged the people, Jesus challenges those who will hear Him. Jesus said:

Matthew 6:24 (KJV) No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.

Some translations change Jesus statement to “You cannot serve God and Money”, but that is not what Jesus said. The word translated “Mammon” is the Greek μαμωνᾶς mamōnas which is the Idol of Materialism. People who worship at the altar of Materialism store up for themselves treasures on the earth while ignoring Heaven’s vault. They are like the rich man of Luke 12 who had much, but wanted more. The man who worshiped Materialism said …

Luke 12:18-20 (KJV) … This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. [19] And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. [20] But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

God’s Children are not to chase after and be focused on getting rich, but are to be rich in faith. Material possessions are wonderful, but we are to be careful not to be possessed of our possessions. The Apostle Paul said:

1 Timothy 6: 6–10 (ESV) … godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

Be content with what God has given you. What has God given us?

His love.
His care.
His presence.

Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 5:10 (ESV) He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.

The God of Materialism never satisfies, but the God Who loves you does. This is why Jesus ends this section with …

Matthew 6:25-34 (KJV) Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? [26] Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? [27] Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? [28] And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: [29] And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. [30] Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? [31] Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? [32] (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. [33] But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. [34] Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

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After This Manner Pray

Posted on February 13, 2017 by bibleteacherorg

Preached to the Saints at Riverview Baptist on the morning of February 12, 2017
At 798 Santa Fe Pike, Columbia, TN

Last Wednesday we continued looking at Jesus’ Sermon On The Mount in Matthew chapter 6. Jesus addressed (1) Giving to the poor, and (2) Prayer. Both Giving as well as Prayer are to be God glorifying. We are neither to Give nor to Pray so as to be “seen of men”.

God Is To Be Glorified In All We Do

As Jesus prayed before He went to the Cross He felt the strain of what was coming. Jesus prayed:

John 12:27 (KJV) Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.

Jesus was coming to the hour of death. Calvary was in view. He knew the beating, He knew the humiliation that was coming – but Christ would not withdraw. He prayed:

John 12:28 … Father, glorify thy name.

Jesus showed us that what matters most is that we glorify God our Father. Even with the Cross in view the “Beloved Son in Whom the Father is well pleased” does not pray for relief, but that God be glorified. Immediately after His prayer – a public prayer that all heard – The Father spoke from Heaven, saying:

“I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again.”

God will answer any prayer that glorifies His Name. He is to be glorified, to be magnified, to be lifted up. In Matthew 6 Jesus gave His “Sermon on The Mount”. His disciples – those who have received Him as Master – are sitting at His feet. And as we saw last Wednesday Jesus scorches the “hypocrites” who do “religious” things to be seen of men.

We give to glorify God.
We pray to glorify God.

Prayer is communication between a loving Heavenly Father and His Child. Public prayer is not forbidden, for as we have seen, Jesus often prayed publicly. But prayer is never for show. If you NEVER pray publicly that is all right, but NEVER pray publicly to be seen of men. Let’s say the Lord’s Prayer together:

Matthew 6:9-13 (KJV) After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. [10] Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. [11] Give us this day our daily bread. [12] And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. [13] And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

There Is No “I” Or “Me” In The Lord’s Prayer

When we make our first overview of the Lord’s Prayer we notice first of all that there is no “I” or “Me” in the entirety of this prayer. Every pronoun tied to man used is plural. Everything is:

Our
Us
We

There is a reason for that. The basis of the Lord’s Prayer is LOVE, and LOVE never stands alone. Love always involves at least two parties. In eternity past before mankind was ever created God loved. God is One, but three Persons, Father, Son, and Spirit. Each member of the Godhead loves the other. God has designed us with self love, but a person who loves self and never extends outward to love others is either a sociopath or a narcissist. Jesus was oner time asked …

Matthew 22:36-40 (NASB) … “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” 37 And He said to him, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ 40 On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

The Entirety Of Scripture Is Hung On The Heavenly Nail Of Love.

It is no wonder the Lord’s Prayer would emphasize Love. Those sitting at Christ’s feet are those who have been saved by Love. They have heard that “God so loved the world that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16). Those kneeling at Jesus’ feet have believed that Christ gave Himself for them. They have “confessed with their mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believed in their hearts that God raised Him from the dead, and are saved” (Romans 10:9). They are now “Children of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:26).

The Prayer that God expects from His Children is not to be “I” and “Me” but “Us”. We are His Family. I want you to notice also:

This Prayer Is A Pattern

Jesus says “After this manner you pray”. The three words translated “after this manner” is the Greek οὕτω(ς) houtō(s), which means “in this way” or “in this fashion”. What Jesus was teaching was a pattern of prayer. When I was little my daddy, an upholsterer, would take customer’s couches or chairs and put new material on them. Daddy was quite good. I found out that daddy would take the old material off of the furniture then flatten it out and trace around it, using the old as a pattern to cut out the new material. Jesus gives us a pattern of prayer. Jesus never wanted us chanting this Lord’s Prayer but following the outline He gave us.

Our Father

The first two words of proper prayer is to recognize our relationship to God. “Our Father”. Prayer is the privilege of the Child of God. God expects to hear from us if we are His. If you are saved by faith in Christ you are EXPECTED to pray. Jesus did not say …

“IF you pray”, or
“When circumstances make you pray”, but
“After this manner YOU PRAY”

If you love God as your Father then you should want to pray. Prayer should not be an effort. When I was young my parents used to get mad at me and my wife because we couldn’t go home every Christmas. We had lives, and distance separated us. Though I tried to call momma on special days there were times when I missed calling her (and regretted doing so). But God is with you no matter where you are, dear Christian. Jesus has said “I will never leave you nor forsake you” but Scripture doesn’t stop there, but goes on to say:

Hebrews 13:6 (NASB) … so that we confidently say, “The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?”

The Bible tells us to “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). Prayer should not be occasional, for our Father is with us no matter where we go. We should pray conversationally with our Lord, trusting Him Who loves us so. When we pray “Our Father” we are reminded that

Father is our Provider
Father is our Sustainer
Father is our Heavenly Parent

The Jews were frightened of God, so much so that they would not say His Name out loud lest they offend Him. But Yahweh loves us, and Jehovah fights for us. We are His, and He is ours.

Which Art In Heaven

We have fathers and parents who we love and honor on this earth, but our Perfect Father is in Heaven. He is above us. He knows what is best for us. The Psalmist wrote:

Psalms 139:1-5 O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. [2] Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. [3] Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. [4] For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. [5] Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.

God is pure, and holy, and just. He is infinite, both in knowledge and in power. He is “our Father in Heaven”, and watches over us. What a Great God He is!

Hallowed Be Thy Name

This doesn’t say that we are to “Hallow” God’s Name, but we recognize that God’s Name is Hallowed. The word “Hallowed” is the Greek ἁγιάζω hagiazō, which means “holy, pure, consecrated”. When we come to God in prayer we are to remember that God is Holy and Righteous.

He will not answer nor even hear a prayer that is unholy, loveless, or evil. The Bible says:

John 9:31 Now we know that GOD HEARETH NOT SINNERS: but if any man be a WORSHIPPER OF GOD, AND DOETH HIS WILL, him he heareth.

1 John 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, HE HEARETH US:

God will not answer sinful prayer, nor does He answer prayers that are outside of His will. God is Holy. He will not bless unrighteousness, but He will hear and save the lost if they cry out to Him. When the Christian comes to God in prayer it should be with the understanding that God is Holy. If we are in sin then we “should confess our sin, for He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done, On Earth As It Is In Heaven

Any prayer that God blesses is directed first and foremost to building His Kingdom and accomplishing His Will. The Kingdom of God was central to Christ’s teaching and preaching ministry. Jesus said:

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Any prayer that does not “seek first the Kingdom of God” will not be blessed. We are to pray that God’s influence INCREASES on the earth. We are to pray that WHAT IS UP THERE COMES DOWN HERE. We are to pray that God’s Kingdom comes to this earth, and that people realizer that our Father is King of THIS earth. King David prayed …

Psalm 74:12 (ESV) Yet God my King is from of old, working salvation in the midst of the earth.

And King David prayed in 1 Chronicles 29:11-12 (ESV) Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. 12 Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all. In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all.

Where man reigns there is chaos, but where God reigns there is peace and blessing. This world will never get better on its own.

Nihilism has proved to be an empty void

Atheism has brought only godless behavior

Humanism has fed greed and selfishness

Feminism has given us ashes for beauty

Pro-Choice has murdered millions

This broken nation – nay, every nation, needs God. People need the Lord. People need THE LORD. Not a buddy, not a religion, but a pure and holy LORD GOD to serve and magnify.

Give US This Day Our Daily Bread

What does “Daily Bread” represent?

Bread Represents Work. Some people do nothing, expecting the world to take care of them. This is welfare gone mad. The Apostle said:

2 Thessalonians 3:10-12 For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. [11] For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. [12] Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and EAT THEIR OWN BREAD.

Bread is the fruit of a person’s WORK. God expects His Children to work. When Israel was given MANNA in the wilderness (see Exodus 16), that “bread from Heaven”, each person had to go out and gather what they were allowed to eat. The Bible says:

Proverbs 14:23 (ESV) In all toil there is profit, but mere talk tends only to poverty.
Bread Represents God’s Word. When tempted of the Devil to turn stones into bread Jesus told that old dog:

Matthew 4:4 …. Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

Pastor Rick Warren said “Real life comes by feeding on every word of the Lord. You don’t just need physical nourishment; you also need spiritual nourishment.”
Bread Represents The Saved In Fellowship With God And With One Another. Jesus said we are to pray “Give US this day our daily bread”.

1 Corinthians 10:16-17 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? [17] For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

If you are born again by the Grace of God you are brothers and sisters together. It is not the name on the membership roll that gets you into Heaven, but whether your name is on that “roll up yonder”, the Book of Life. Heaven is the place where God’s Children go. The Bible says:

Revelation 21:27 And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

If you have eaten of the Bread of Heaven, then you are the Bread of Heaven. You are part of a Family that will last forever, the Family of God.

And Forgive Us Our Debts As We Forgive Our Debtors

Forgiveness of sin is contingent on our forgiveness of others. Jesus continues this thought at the end of the Lord’s Prayer, just after the “Amen”. He said:

Matthew 6:14-15 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: [15] But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

“If you forgive MEN”. Jesus doesn’t use Adelphos here (“Brothers”) but ἄνθρωπος Anthrōpos which means “Mankind”. We are not called to just forgive our brothers or sisters in Christ who offend us, but ANYONE regardless as to race, sex, or religion. Those who pray are not to carry grudges. This doesn’t mean we FORGET the offense, but we FORGIVE the offense, releasing the offending party unto God. The Bible says:

Romans 12:17-21 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. [18] If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men. [19] Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. [20] Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. [21] Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

God will sort everything out. He is, after all, our Heavenly Father. I saw a movie one time where a married couple decided to take vengeance on the drunkard who ran their son over, killing him. They captured him, beat him, nearly killed him … then found out later they had the wrong man. They ended up in jail for no good reason. The Bible says to let God deal with the situation. Regardless of emotion, do good to those who have done bad to you. Release the grudge, and be Children of Light. Then you can pray “Forgive Us Our Debts, As We Forgive Our Debtors”. We have all failed God many times, and He has and will forgive us. Let it go. Let it go!

Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

As the prayer is closed we pray that God will deliver us from Evil. We pray that God will draw us away from anything that will not glorify Him. Then we close the prayer as we began the prayer, giving glory to God.

Thine Is The KINGDOM

The POWER

And The GLORY
Forever!

We live for God’s Kingdom. We live for God’s glory. We live in His power, magnifying Him. This is what the Christ Follower does.

We glorify God.
We magnify our Father.

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Watch Your Motivation

Posted on February 9, 2017 by bibleteacherorg

Preached To The Saints Of Riverview Baptist on Wednesday, February 8 2017
At 798 Santa Fe Pike, Columbia, TN

Matthew 6:1-8 (KJV) Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. 5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

Two of the most “religious” things that religious people do is give to the poor and pray. And it is good to give to the poor. The Bible says:

Proverbs 19:17 (KJV) He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.

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

God has given us much, so we give much in return. But a group of religious people in Jesus’ day made a show of giving. They were not giving to honor God, but were giving to honor themselves. Jesus didn’t name the religious group in our text today but they heard what He said – and were not pleased with it. Nonetheless, what Jesus said was true.

We Are To Give To Glorify God, Not Ourselves

Many people give. If you go into the Maury Regional Hospital you will see a wall with pictures of people who have given to the hospital. There’s nothing criminal in that. But when you give to God you should do so to glorify God. Jesus said:

Matthew 6:1 (KJV) Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, TO BE SEEN OF THEM: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.

Now Jesus didn’t say you couldn’t give publicly. Jesus gave publicly. He healed people in public, and was known for healing. But Jesus didn’t do what He did to be seen of men. That is key to what Jesus said. The religious crowd – the Scribes and Pharisees – made a show of giving. Jesus said:

Matthew 6:2 (KJV) Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not SOUND A TRUMPET BEFORE THEE, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

The religious crowd wanted you to know they were religious. They “sounded a trumpet” when they gave both in the Synagogues and in the streets. They drew attention to their giving. They wanted to be known as generous people, as good people, as people who cared for others. But Jesus called them:

“Hypocrites” is the Greek ὑποκριτής hypokritēs which means “to have two faces”. In the Greek Theater actors were often called Hypocrites for they had one face when they acted and another in real life. The Pharisees, Sadducees and Scribes all made a show of giving so that others would say how “godly” they were. But in reality they were motivated to give not to honor God but to honor THEMSELVES.

The motivation condemns or blesses the act. God sees our hearts when we do things. People see the exterior, but God sees our hearts.

Jesus was watching the giving at the Temple one day. We read:

Mark 12:41 (KJV) And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much.

People were giving. In Jesus’ day when you gave you walked into the Temple and put money in a slot called the treasury. Money collected in the treasury was later gathered by the priests. As people cast money in Jesus noticed that the rich gave much. There’s nothing wrong with that. “To those whom much is given, much is expected” we are told in Luke 12:48. Those with much should give much. But then we read:

Mark 12:42 (KJV) And there came a certain poor WIDOW, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing.

The “farthing” or the Roman quadrans was worth about a half a penny. I don’ty know how much that is in modern money, but it was the least amount thatr could be given in Jesus’ day, perhaps as little as a penny to us Americans. Jesus watched this woman publicly put this tiny amount in. Then the Bible tells us that Jesus …

Mark 12:43-44 (KJV) …. called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: 44 For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.

Jesus did not criticize the widow for giving in public, but commended her for giving “even all her living”. This woman gave till it hurt. The rich who cast in gave from their excess, but she “did cast in all that she had”. Her motivation was to glorify God. This is what the Bible tells us that we MUST do. Jesus was asked one day “What is the Great Commandment in the Law?”.

Matthew 22:37 (KJV) Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

The widow was worshiping God with all she had. And she was doing this publicly.

Do Not Show Off To Be Seen Of Man

Matthew 6:3-4 (KJV) But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.

Jesus said “don’t let your rightr hand know what your left hand is doing”. Keep your giving to yourself. Don’t show it off to others. Don’t toot your own horn. Give, but give to glorify God and not yourself, and God will reward you for it.

Do not pray to be seen of men. Jesus said:

Matthew 6:5 (KJV) And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they LOVE TO PRAY STANDING in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, THAT THEY MAY BE SEEN OF MEN. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

The religious hypocrites prayed not to God, but “to be seen of men”. This was their motivation. They wanted to be seen of man, not of God. This is not good. Again, there is nothing wrong with praying publicly. Jesus prayed publicly for His Church:

John 17:1ff (ESV) …When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. …

When you look through the Bible you will find mighty people of faith praying in public.

When Peter and John were beaten and released, told not to speak of Jesus, they gathered with the Church and prayed together in Acts 4:24-30.
When God released Peter from prison he came to the house of Mary the mother of John where many were gathered together praying (Acts 12:12).
We are told that King Solomon prayed at the dedication of the Temple (1 Kings 8:22-23).
The Prophet Elijah prayed on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 17:36-37).
The Priest Ezra prayed before a great congregation of people” (Ezra 10:1), and as he prayed “a very large gathering of men, women and children” gathered with him and wept bitterly.
King David not only prayed publicly, but wrote his prayers down to be read (see Psalm 51)
Hannah the mother of the Prophet Samuel regularly went to the Temple to pray that God give her a child (1 Samuel 1:1-6).
The Prophet Daniel made a point of praying openly, even when warned that doing so would lead to his being cast in a lion’s den (Daniel 6:1-3)

Public prayer is not condemned, but praying “to be seen of men” is. Prayer is conversation between a person and the Infinite God Who is our Father. When we pray it should not be show, but to touch the heart of God. Public prayer should be:

God honoring
Selfless
Based on a desire to communicate to God

If you cannot pray publicly without being puffed up by it, DO NOT PRAY PUBLICLY. The hypocrites “love to pray standing in the Synagogue (the Church) and in the streets TO BE SEEN OF MEN”. They are not talking to God – they are putting on a show for others to see. Jesus says “Don’t do it”.

When I or my wife are in a restaurant we pray over our meal. But I do not stand up and shout “look at me”. Pray, but let your focus be God not yourself. There are some people who do not pray publicly. There is nothing wrong with this. If you pray publicly for the public but not for God Jesus said:

Matthew 6:6 (KJV) But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.

The focus of prayer is to communicate with God, not to make a show of what you’re doing. Talk to God. Focus on God. Love God. He is, after all, your Heavenly Father.

Do Not Use Vain Repetitions

When I was a child I was taught to pray by my mother and grandmother. They taught me to pray:

Now I lay me down to sleep.
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake.
I pray the Lord my soul to take.

This was a little rhyme I was taught. Momma taught me to add on “And God bless …

Momma and Daddy
Grandma and Grandpa
Aunt Dot
My brother and sister
My dog Lightening
Santa Claus
and the Easter Bunny

then I whispered …

and make me a good little boy!

This was what I prayed while I was a child. But when I became a man, I put away childish things. When I came to know Christ as Savior and Lord my prayers began to be more one on one to God my Father. And this is what prayer is to be. Jesus said:

Matthew 6:7 (KJV) But when ye pray, USE NOT VAIN REPETITIONS, AS THE HEATHEN DO: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

The “Heathen” or as we call them “The Unsaved or Lost” believe that by repetition they will be heard of God. Jesus said:

Matthew 6:8 (KJV) Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

Prayer is to God. Prayer is to honor God. God our Father will meet our needs. As His Children He cares for us. But we pray to honor Him. We pray to commune with Him. We don’t have to chant the same thing at God over and over again to be heard in prayer. We don’t even have to use our lips. All we need to do is pray, and God will care for us.

Sunday morning we will look at Christ’s pattern of prayer.

May God touch your hearts with His Word.

A Final Word

I want to say how much I appreciate our Church. It was a cold, windy, rainy night, and I expected few. 30 people showed up, worshiped, and God was in the house. Praise Him for the faithful!

Posted in General, Glory To God, Sermons Preached | Leave a comment

Blaming God

Posted on February 7, 2017 by bibleteacherorg

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I’m recovering from a bad fall.

This past Sunday our Church (Riverview Baptist) and St Luke’s Methodist came together to collect soup for the hungry. Together we raised over 7000 cans of soup to distribute through the local non-profit Harvest Share. I think Christ followers ought to do good. Jesus tells us to do good. He said:

Galatians 6:9-10 (KJV) And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

We do good by reaching out to those in need in the name of Jesus. So as community Churches we are trying to feed our community in Christ’s name and for His glory. We met together at the local Community Center following our respective Church services, fellowshipped together, and worshiped our Lord. At the end of the meeting we had to put up the tables and chairs, cleaning the center before we left.

That’s when I fell.

The tables and chairs had to be returned to a store room, and on the floor of the room someone had placed strips of wood to keep items from sliding on the floor. That’s what took me down, gravity and a wood slat. My right heel caught on a slat and I went down face first onto the hardwood floor. Both my arms were under my body when I hit, and I sprained my man-falling left elbow and my right wrist. Sunday night I could not go to bed, but had to sleep in a recliner, pillows tucked about me to keep me from rolling over on my hurt arms. Two days later my right hand is puffed up like a balloon, my left arm cannot be bent. OUCH!

And God is not to blame.

We all like to blame God when something bad happens, but God is not to blame. Just before I fell another person tripped over one of these slats. I saw her trip. I warned her, “Be careful, don’t fall”. Then two minutes later I ignored the warning. I did the same thing, only worse. I tripped but did not catch myself. God showed me what could happen, but I didn’t pay attention.

God is not to blame.

God is not to blame for HIV or AIDS. He tells us to be sexually chaste, but as foolish people we don’t listen. We make excuses. We shake our fist at Heaven. We ignore His warnings, and do the wrong thing. We play with matches, and set our homes on fire.

God is not to blame.

God is not to blame because we have no cure for cancer or Alzheimer’s or any number of horrible diseases. God tells us that life is precious and comes with great potential. So we abort babies. We as a nation have killed over 50,000 lives, many of which could have grown up to be a Pasteur or a Schweitzer or a Curare, a person who could have cured our diseases. We ignored the Sovereign wisdom of God in His Word and are paying for it.

God is not to blame.

God is not to blame when have an accident because we drove our cars impaired by alcohol, drugs, or by texting on our cell phones. He is not to blame when someone is killed because we operate a vehicle impaired by age long past the time we should be driving and run a child over. This happened to an older lady I knew years ago, a lady now with Jesus. She ran an eight year old child over with her car while the child was checking the mailbox for his mother. She didn’t even know she had run him over until the Sheriff came to the door of her home. She didn’t see the child, and shouldn’t have ben driving. Think about this if you are in your 80s and arguing with your children that you must keep driving at night though you can barely see in the daylight.

God is not to blame.

911 God is not to blame for terrorists, or for 9-11. We let people come into our country without vetting them because of some strange sense of “we’re all refugees and immigrants and want to let EVERYONE into the country because WE JUST LOVE THEM”. I suspect there isn’t a day that goes by that a Native American doesn’t wish his or her ancestors hadn’t have better vetted the Europeans that came to these North American shores. When people come in they make changes, and those who hate American freedoms will try and destroy that freedom. Terrorists learn to fly in our schools then, hijacking aircraft, kill nearly 4000 of our people. We cry out “God, where were You? How dare You allow this to happen?” and yet riot and hinder when the President wants to control and vet the unknown. We have lost our American minds.

God is not to blame.

We are to blame. I am to blame for my fall. I saw the slats and ignored the warnings. Now I thank God that He didn’t allow me to break my fool neck, or my arms and legs. I thank God that there was nothing sharp in the way when I fell. I thank God that I can still type and feed myself with this ballooned up hand. Thank You, Lord, that I didn’t have to take a $1000 ride to the hospital on a screaming ambulance. And God …

Give us all as Americans the sense to stop blaming You and start being accountable for our own lives. Give these people rioting the “sense God gave a billy goat” as my momma used to say. It’s time we wake up, look up, and heed Your good Grace. Thank You, Lord, for loving us all and for this great Country we live in. Thank You for today. And Lord, make me cautious, make us ALL cautious of the slats and the cracks in the floor of life.

In Jesus’ Name. Amen!

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Leave me in the mess – please!

Posted on February 7, 2017 by bibleteacherorg

Love this. Great post!

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What In The World Are You Doing?

Posted on February 6, 2017 by bibleteacherorg

I’ve thought about this for many years, and I can see no biblical basis for it.
Pastors, why are we doing silly things? What is our justification for it?

A pastor I know told his congregation if they invited their friends to Sunday School and reached 150 in attendance that he would “paint my toenails John Deere green and preach in sandals”.

Another pastor told his Church that if they brought in a certain number on a Fall Festival that he would “dress up like Donald Duck and preach in costume the next Sunday”.

Another pastor said if his Church brought in over 175 for Sunday services they could “hit him in the face with pies”, while another allowed himself to be “slimed” and “doused with Gatorade”.

Again I ask, why are we doing these things?
How is Christ glorified by it?
Who is the center of attention when you do these things?
Did God call you to be a circus clown, or a pastor?

Let’s step away from opinion now, and go to that the Scripture says. The Bible tells us:

Colossians 3:17 (ESV) And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

WHATEVER we do, we are to do it IN THE NAME of Jesus Christ. Did Christ authorize the foolishness? No. What Jesus authorized was what He said in Matthew 28:18-20. He said

(NASB) “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

C.H. Spurgeon, that Prince of Preachers, wrote many years ago:

“An evil is in the professed camp of the Lord, so gross in its impudence, that the most shortsighted can hardly fail to notice it during the past few years. It has developed at an abnormal rate, even for evil. It has worked like leaven until the whole lump ferments. The devil has seldom done a cleverer thing than hinting to the church that part of their mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with a view to winning them.

From speaking out as the Puritans did, the church has gradually toned down her testimony, then winked at and excused the frivolities of the day. Then she tolerated them in her borders. Now she has adopted them under the plea of reaching the masses.

My first contention is that providing amusement for the people is nowhere spoken of in the Scriptures as a function of the church. If it is a Christian work, why did not Christ speak of it? “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). That is clear enough. So it would have been if He had added, “and provide amusement for those who do not relish the gospel.” No such words, however, are to be found. It did not seem to occur to him.

Then again, “He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some evangelists; and some pastors and teachers .., for the work of the ministry” (Eph. 4:11-12). Where do entertainers come in? The Holy Spirit is silent concerning them. Were the prophets persecuted because they amused the people or because they refused? The concert has no martyr roll.

Again, providing amusement is in direct antagonism to the teaching and life of Christ and all his apostles. What was the attitude of the church to the world? Ye are the salt” (Matt. 5:13), not the sugar candy—something the world will spit out not swallow. Short and sharp was the utterance, “Let the dead bury their dead” (Matt. 8:22) He was in awful earnestness.

Had Christ introduced more of the bright and pleasant elements into his mission, he would have been more popular when they went back, because of the searching nature of His teaching. I do not hear him say, “Run after these people Peter and tell them we will have a different style of service tomorrow, something short and attractive with little preaching. We will have a pleasant evening for the people. Tell them they will be sure to enjoy it. Be quick Peter, we must get the people somehow.” Jesus pitied sinners, sighed and wept over them, but never sought to amuse them.

In vain will the Epistles be searched to find any trace of this gospel of amusement! Their message is, “Come out, keep out, keep clean out!” Anything approaching fooling is conspicuous by its absence. They had boundless confidence in the gospel and employed no other weapon.

After Peter and John were locked up for preaching, the church had a prayer meeting but they did not pray, “Lord grant unto thy servants that by a wise and discriminating use of innocent recreation we may show these people how happy we are.” If they ceased not from preaching Christ, they had not time for arranging entertainments. Scattered by persecution, they went everywhere preaching the gospel. They turned the world upside down (Acts 17:6). That is the only difference! Lord, clear the church of all the rot and rubbish the devil has imposed on her, and bring us back to apostolic methods.

Lastly, the mission of amusement fails to effect the end desired. It works havoc among young converts. Let the careless and scoffers, who thank God because the church met them halfway, speak and testify. Let the heavy laden who found peace through the concert not keep silent! Let the drunkard to whom the dramatic entertainment has been God’s link in the chain of the conversion, stand up! There are none to answer. The mission of amusement produces no converts. The need of the hour for today’s ministry is believing scholarship joined with earnest spirituality, the one springing from the other as fruit from the root. The need is biblical doctrine, so understood and felt, that it sets men on fire.”

Jesus did not tell us to entertain goats, but to feed the sheep. We are to “Make disciples”, to “teach them to observe all that Jesus commanded us”, to “baptize”. When was Jesus pied in the face? When did Jesus get slimed? Jesus came preaching the Gospel, telling people to repent, tell us that we are to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, all our souls, all our being, and to love our neighbor as ourself. The Bible tells us to:

1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV) So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Do ALL to the glory of God. We who minister, like the Apostles, are “like men sentenced to death, because we have become a spectacle to the world, to angels, and to men” (1 Corinthians 4:9). Pastors around the world are being imprisoned, martyred, their families murdered for preaching the Cross. We dishonor our calling when we put on the circus makeup. Glorify God. Make God in Christ the reason that we ask our people to do.

Not slime.
Not pies.
Not bright green toenails.
Not Donald Duck.

But for the glory of Christ. And lest you say “Well, the Apostle Paul said that he became all things to all men so that he might win more to Christ”. Here is what Paul did:

2 Corinthians 11:25-27 (NASB) Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I have spent in the deep. 26 I have been on frequent journeys, in dangers from rivers, dangers from robbers, dangers from my countrymen, dangers from the Gentiles, dangers in the city, dangers in the wilderness, dangers on the sea, dangers among false brethren; 27 I have been in labor and hardship, through many sleepless nights, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure.

That s God glorifying. Let us live for Him. Time is short. Live for Him.

Posted in Glory To God | Leave a comment

What Do You Do When The Worldly Take Advantage Of You?

Posted on February 6, 2017 by bibleteacherorg

good-samaritan It seems like it happens too often.

A man was forced to leave his home. My wife and I open our home to him, allowing him to stay in our guest bedroom for 6 months. While with us he contributed $200 per month for full rent, board, WIFI, etc. He contributed absolutely nothing else. In fact, he often invaded my office in the morning, monopolizing my time with chatter. He refused to contribute either at home or at the Church. At the end of 6 months he abruptly left, and I’ve not seen him since. People ask “Whatever happened to …?” I have no idea. He promised to be back in Church but instead he is gone like a puff of smoke. POOF!

I am at the Kroger gas pumps on January 3rd 2017. On my van are two signs that read “Look up – Jesus loves you”. A man walks up and asks “Do you believe what’s on those signs?” I tell him I do. He then tells me he had been out of work, just got a job, but needs steel toed boots if he’s going to go to work. So I put $20 in his car (he was, he said, on his last 2 dollars) and gave him $50 for boots. I invited him to Church and gave him my card after praying for him, and he promised to be in Church Sunday. About 8:30 that night I get a call from the same man. His boots will cost about another $100. So I leave home, go to the bank ATM, and head to another city to take him the money. While trying to get to him he calls me 4 times asking “Where are you?”. When I meet up with him I give him the money, he thanks me and says he’ll be at Church Sunday. Sunday comes and goes, but he doesn’t. Like a whiff of smoke he’s gone. POOF. Then about 1:30 am one morning that next week he calls again. He needs money for a plane ticket to Chicago. His daughter has been shot, and he needs to get to her. I don’t give him money because I don’t have it. POOF! He’s gone.

A month passes.

I get a call on February 3 2017 from this man’s brother. The man, I am told, tried to kill himself, and will get out of the hospital the next day. The brother found my card in his wallet, and the man will only talk to me. So I go to another city to see the man. He is going to be evicted out of his home the next day, and his car is in the shop. If he could get his car he could look for work. “What do you need?” I ask. “I need $47 to get my car back”. I knew he was in need, so I had purchased a $50 Kroger Gift card on my way to his home. I give him the $50 card and the $47 I had in my wallet, the exact amount he said he needed for his car. I took him to an apartment complex where his “mechanic” lived. He took the money to his mechanic while I waited. Then I took him home. EXACTLY as he did in January he calls me at 8:30 pm. He still owes the mechanic $120, can I give him $60 of that? So I go to my bank ATM, then drive to another city to take him the money. Once more I drive him to his mechanic’s apartment so he can pay the man, then take him back home. I get home about 9:30 pm, and try to go to sleep. The phone rings at 12:30 am – yes, just after midnight. It’s the man’s brother. The car I just finished paying for to be repaired is broken down on the highway. Will I go get the man? Will I go give him more? Will I give him more time, more money, more resources? I’m sorry, I cannot do any more. Is this for real, or just a scam to rob me? How much is enough? I tell the brother that I’m sorry, but I’ve given all that I can give.

But I feel bad about it.

Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan.

Luke 10:30-37 (NASB) Jesus replied and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. 31 And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 32 Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, 34 and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ 36 Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” 37 And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.”

When I read this parable I don’t want to be the priest or the Levite. Too many people walk down the road, passing by on the other side. I want people to know Jesus, to see Jesus, to come to Him and be blessed. That’s what I want with all my heart. I want to be the Good Samaritan of Jesus’ parable. I’ve tried to show mercy to my neighbor. But when is enough?

The man in Christ’s story had been beaten up by the dark forces of life. The Good Samaritan took the man to a safe place. He bound his wounds with oil and wine. He told the innkeeper “take care of him. Whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you”. But Jesus,

what if the man NEVER leaves the inn?
what if he keeps on taking advantage of the situation?
what if he builds up a bill ordering room service,
costing the Samaritan hundreds of dollars?
The truth is, in Jesus’ day most people were raised to not stay on perpetual welfare.

The Apostle Paul wrote:

2 Thessalonians 3:7-12 (NASB) For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example, because we did not act in an undisciplined manner among you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with labor and hardship we kept working night and day so that we would not be a burden to any of you; 9 not because we do not have the right to this, but in order to offer ourselves as a model for you, so that you would follow our example. 10 For even when we were with you, we used to give you this order: if anyone is not willing to work, then he is not to eat, either. 11 For we hear that some among you are leading an undisciplined life, doing no work at all, but acting like busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to work in quiet fashion and eat their own bread.

Too many in our great country have become so self focused that they are not the people of Jesus’ Good Samaritan parable but are those who will not focus on work. They are looking for the easy way out. They have made bad decisions. They do not belong to a community of faith, but perpetually call the local churches every week with welfare requests.

“The Electric Company is going to turn off my power tomorrow
if you don’t pay my bill today”.

“I have a wife and two small children, and my land lord is going to
evict us tomorrow if you don’t pay my rent”.

“My wife is bipolar manic depressive. I left the bank card with her, and she emptied our bank account. We’ll be homeless tomorrow if you don’t help.
(This one cost me $500 I didn’t have, putting it on a charge card)

I have a lady who comes by our Church at least once a month. She needs gas, food, and money. I tell her to sit through the Church service and I’ll put $20 in her gas tank after Church, and give her food from our pantry. The last time I gave her what she called “much needed gas” the tank would not hold but $16 – it was that full.

I pumped the gas myself. When is ENOUGH?

So when is enough? I don’t know, and I don’t think you know either. The liberal thinks that we should give perpetually, without end, that welfare ad nauseam is the way to go. The Bible doesn’t support that. As a Church and as Christians we have given above and beyond. At present we are collecting soup for the homeless, and have about 3000 cans gathered. We are collecting money for the local Pregnancy Support Center. We give to missionaries. Giving is good, and God loves a cheerful giver. … But we have been ripped off by many. We took up money for a struggling family only to hear them later brag that they bought the latest X-Box equipment for their kids for Christmas. Or the lady who is out of money, but smokes $5 a pack cigarettes and needs us to pay her cell phone bill. I had one lady run into my office in a bikini. She was on the way to the beach with her three kids, and needed money for rent. When I tried to tell her about Jesus she said “I don’t have time for this. I’ll try another Church”. Or the family who lost a loved one, and when our Church carried food to the family stood at the door, took the food, then slammed the door in our face. When do we say “No!” “Enough!”

So what do we do? I pray we do not become cynical. I pray that our hearts are not hardened. And I try to remind myself daily that I have taken advantage of Christ my Lord many times, yet He continues to show me mercy. I despised Him when I was lost, and let Him down as we all do now that I am saved.

I do feel better blogging this out. So I think I’ll keep giving, and ask you to do the same. Maybe we will be taken advantage of, dear Christ Followers. But one day we will inherit the world. So let’s give as we can for God’s glory, and pray for those who take advantage of us. Maybe they will see Christ in us, or maybe they will see us as just a mark. Either way I will glorify God and prayerfully give.

For Christ’s sake. Amen.

Posted in General, giving, Strictly Blog, Taking Advantage Of or Bullying | 1 Comment

The Law Is Good

Posted on February 6, 2017 by bibleteacherorg

A Sermon preached at Riverview 798 Santa Fe Pike Columbia Tn
On the Evening of February 5 2017

matthew_5_17t20_sermon_otm_law_is_good

Since the start of His Church many people have made many mistakes about the Law of God. Some have even started teaching that you can be saved by Grace in Christ and then can violate God’s Law with impunity. Jesus was very clear, though. He said:

Matthew 5:18 (KJV) For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Until Heaven and earth passes away not even the smallest part of the Law will cease to be. Jesus speaks of a jot or tittle that will not pass from the Law. The word “Jot” is the Greek ἰῶτα iōta a word we brought into the English language to mean “an extremely small amount”. In the Hebrew language the “Jot” is the smallest Hebrew letter, the ninth letter of their alphabet. The “Tittle” is the tiny horn that was part of the Hebrew letter. In our example the lack of a “Tittle” – a tiny extension – changes the Hebrew letter “Beth” to the Hebrew letter “Kaph”. I know this is early in the morning to expect you to have to think (grin) but what Jesus was emphasizing was that the Law must be fulfilled – it cannot be nullified. This is what Jesus told John the Baptist at His Baptism. John did not want to baptize Jesus because he said “I am not worthy to do so”. Jesus told John:

Matthew 3:15 (ESV)… “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for US TO FULFILL ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS.”

The Law MUST BE FULFILLED.

WE must fulfill the Law.

The Law of God – His Commands – can only be circumvented by God Himself.

Jesus declared …

Matthew 5:17 (KJV) THINK NOT THAT I AM COME TO DESTROY THE LAW, OR THE PROPHETS: I am not come to destroy, but to FULFILL.

Jesus came to this earth to fulfill the Law and to fulfill Prophecy. He did not come to wipe out the Law. He never said He did.

Misunderstanding Number 1 – The Law Is Negotiable

There has always been a Law of God. When God put man in a perfect Eden – where the weather was always so nice you walk around nekkid (that’s Southern for “naked”).

Eden, where food was plentiful.
Eden, where there was no killing.
Eden, where Adam worked at cultivating a Garden that never grew weeds.

Eden. Paradise. How beautiful it would be to be in Eden. And yet there was God’s Law in Eden. God gave man everything, but told man:

Genesis 2:16-17 (ESV) … “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

The Law said to Adam “You can have everything BUT the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil”. Adam, you can tend it. But Adam, you cannot eat it. This is non-negotiable. The devil slithered into the Garden and told Adam and Eve:

Genesis 3:5 (ESV) For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

“God is trying to keep something good from you. He knows if you eat of that tree you’ll be just like Him. He’s trying – jealously trying – to rob you of your fun.” The devil convinced Adam that the Law given was negotiable, that man could somehow redefine what God had said. But when man defied the Law man lost Eden.

We always lose Paradise, the blessing of God, when we break His Law. Sin is the breaking of God’s Law (1 John 3:4) and the Wages of sin is ALWAYS DEATH (Romans 6:23)

The Law is not Negotiable.

You Are Saved By Faith In God, But Breaking The Law Can Kill You

The Law was never meant to be a means to salvation.

You cannot be saved by keeping the Law, but you can die from not keeping it.

God illustrated this with Israel. God placed Israel in Egypt, giving His chosen people time to grow into a mighty nation. Israel and his twelve sons went from a small tribe to a mighty nation over a period of four hundred years (Genesis 15:13). God raised up Moses and had Moses go to Pharaoh. God told Pharaoh:

Exodus 5:1 (KJV) … Let my people go, that they may hold a feast unto me in the wilderness.

Exodus 8:20 (KJV)… Let my people go, that they may serve me.

Pharaoh refused to let Israel go. Then God gave Moses a Law to give to the people. Exodus 12:3-13 is a Law from God, and it is not negotiable.

Take a Lamb without spot or blemish.
Keep the Lamb in your home from the tenth to the fourteenth day of this month.
Kill the Lamb in the evening.
Put it’s blood on the side and top posts of your doorways.
Roast the flesh of the Lamb and eat it all.

None of this is negotiable. None of this is debatable. This is God’s Law. God said:

Exodus 12:12-13 (KJV) For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. [13] And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.

Israel was Israel whether they obeyed this Law or not BUT if they disobeyed they would have died with the unbelievers. God never gave the Law as a means of salvation. Even in the Old Testament Law the Bible tells us:

Habakkuk 2:4 (NKJV) “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.

A person who considers his own law to be greater than God’s Law is proud, unrighteous, not right with God. Those who love the Lord live by faith. The Bible tells us that the Law tells us what God considers right or wrong – and shows the lost person WHY THEY ARE LOST.

The Law Diagnoses The Unbelieving Sinner

The Apostle Paul declared in Romans 3:9-12 (NKJV) … For we have previously charged both Jews and Greeks that they are all under sin. 10 As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. 12 They have all turned aside; They have together become unprofitable; There is NONE WHO DOES GOOD, NO, NOT ONE.”

The Law says that ALL ARE SINNERS, that ALL have violated God’s Law. The Law said “Do this and live” but gave no power to “do this”. Paul declared:

Romans 3:19-20 (NKJV) Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that EVERY MOUTH MAY BE STOPPED, AND ALL THE WORLD MAY BECOME GUILTY BEFORE GOD. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

The Law shows that we are all guilty, that we all fall short. The only Man Who has ever perfectly kept the Law of God is Jesus Christ. Jesus came to fulfill the Law.

Romans 10:4 (NKJV) For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

We who are fallen humans could not fulfill the Law of God. We fall short. The Apostle said:

Galatians 3:21-26 (NKJV) Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. 22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore THE LAW WAS OUR TUTOR TO BRING US TO CHRIST, THAT WE MIGHT BE JUSTIFIED BY FAITH. 25 But AFTER FAITH HAS COME, WE ARE NO LONGER UNDER A TUTOR. 26 FOR YOU ARE ALL SONS OF GOD THROUGH FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS.

The Law was a Tutor, given first to Israel at Sinai then given to the whole world. The Law started with Ten Commandments written on two Tablets of Stone. The First through the Fourth Commandments were on the first Tablet, telling us that we must love God. The Fifth through the Tenth Commandments were on the second Tablet, telling us that we must love our neighbor. The Commandments were given, but God gave us no help in fulfilling these commandments.

Christ Fulfilled The Law And Died In Our Place
So That We Can Become Children Of God

When you receive Christ as Lord and Savior, you receive everything that Christ did for us. We were law breakers, due to be punished, but Jesus took our punishment. We were dead in trespasses and sins, but Jesus died so that we could be made alive. The Law diagnosed as sinners showing us that we needed the Savior. Christ is that Savior.

The Blood Sacrifices Of The Law Are No Longer Necessary. Christ is the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29). Christ is the Atonement or covering for sin (1 John 2:2). The Bible says that Jesus Christ …

1 Peter 2:22-25 (KJV) Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: [23] Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: [24] Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. [25] For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
The Priests Of The Law Are No Longer Necessary. Under the Law the children of Aaron were High Priests and the other priests were the descendants of Levi. When Christ fulfilled the Law He became the High Priest for His people.

Hebrews 7:23-27 (NKJV) Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. 24 But {Jesus}, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.

Jesus is not just our High Priest, but we who believe are now “Kings and Priests unto God” (Revelation 1:6). We have direct access to God our Father through Jesus Christ our Lord any time we want.
The Physical Temple Ceased To Be The Only Place Of Worship. The Jew had to go to the Temple to worship God. Today we worship God not just in Church, but where ever we are, for …

1 Corinthians 3:16 (KJV) Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NKJV) .. do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.
The Food Laws That Set Israel Apart Are Now No Longer Necessary. Jesus said:

Mark 7:18-19 (NASB) And He said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, 19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” (THUS HE DECLARED ALL FOODS CLEAN.)

and God showed Peter …

Acts 10:11-15 (NASB) … an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, 12 and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. 13 A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” 14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.” 15 Again a voice came to him a second time, “WHAT GOD HAS CLEANSED, NO LONGER CONSIDER UNHOLY.”

By when Jesus died on that Cross and rose again He opened the door to Heaven. When you receive Christ as Savior you are no longer UNDER the Law. The Law does not crush you. The Law does not step on you. The Law does not condemn you. The Law does not bring you guilt. When the Law says “thou shalt” and “I cannot” then I cling to Jesus.

Jesus paid it all.

All to Him I owe.

Sin left a crimson stain.

He washed it white as snow.

If I Am Not UNDER The Law, Does This Make Me Lawless?

The Apostle Paul said in Romans 3:31 “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, WE ESTABLISH THE LAW.”

WE who are saved ESTABLISH THE LAW. Now that God’s Holy Spirit lives in me I am more lawful. The Law is the Word of God. Though you are not saved BY the Law but BY faith in Christ. God told Israel through the Prophet Jeremiah ….

Jeremiah 31:33 (ESV) For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

Israel had the Law of God written on tablets of stone, but not written on their hearts. God promised that He would one day “put My Law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. AND I will be their God and they will be My people”. Those who are save by faith in Christ have God the Holy Spirit inside. God writes His Law on our hearts.

Under the Law God was to be first. God said (Exodus 20:3) “You shall have no other gods before me”. That has not changed. Saved, you are not free to worship other gods. God said (Exodus 20:4) “You shall not make for yourself an idol to worship or serve it”. That has not changed. God said (Exodus 20:7) “You shall not take the name of the Lord in vain”. Just because you’re saved you are still to love God and not curse Him. This has not changed.

You are still to set one day in seven apart to worship God.

You are still to honor your parents.

You are not free to murder anyone because you are saved.

Stealing and adultery are still just as evil as they ever were.

Bearing false witness is still a violation of God’s Law.

And no one should try to take what their neighbor has.

The Christian is not lawless, but a Law abiding Child of God.

What was evil in the Old Covenant is still evil under the New Covenant.

C.H. Spurgeon wrote: “I should like to say to any brother who thinks that God has put us under an altered rule, “Which particular part of the law is it that God has relaxed?” Which precept do you feel free to break? Are you delivered from the command which forbids stealing? My dear sir, you may be a capital theologian, but I should lock up my spoons when you call at my house. Is it the command about adultery which you think is removed? Then I could not recommend your being admitted into any decent society. Is the law as to killing softened down? Then I had rather have your room than your company. Which law is it that God has exempted you from? That law of worshipping Him only? Do you propose to have another god? Do you intend to make engraved images? The fact is that when we come to details, we cannot afford to lose a single link of this wonderful golden chain, which is perfect in every part as well as perfect as a whole. The law is absolutely complete, and you can neither add to it nor take from it”

The Difference Is That Now The Law Is Simplified For The Saved

Someone asked Jesus “What is the Great Commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied:

Matthew 22:37-40 (KJV) …. Thou shalt LOVE THE LORD THY GOD WITH ALL thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. [38] This is the first and great commandment. [39] And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR AS THYSELF. [40] ON THESE TWO COMMANDMENTS HANG ALL THE LAW AND THE PROPHETS.

You do not need to memorize the Ten Commandments to keep the Law.
You need to love as you have been loved by God!

The Law told a loveless people “Do this and live”,
But Jesus tells us “If you are alive by faith in Me, do this”.

Preach This Love sent Jesus to Bethlehem to be born in a manger.

Love sent Jesus to Nazareth to grow up.

Love sent Jesus to John to be baptized.

Love sent Jesus to walk among us, suffering as we suffer.

Love sent Jesus to surrender to sinful men.

Love sent Jesus to stand before Pilate and be condemned.

Love sent Jesus to carry His Cross, beaten and shamed.

Love sent Jesus to Calvary, nailed to that Tree.

Love held Jesus suffering, crying, pleading.

Love said from the bloody Cross “Father forgive them, for they know not what they do”. Love said “It is finished”, then gave up the ghost.

Love was laid in a borrowed grave, guarded and alone.

Love rose on the Third Day, triumphing over the grave.

Love redeemed us.

Love justified us.

Love sent us the Spirit of God.

God’s Law is Love.

The Law is all about love. If you are saved, born of His Spirit, then you WILL keep the first Table and Love God with all you have. You WILL love your neighbor, keeping the second table. Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law being made a curse for us. The Law is not a curse, but now what we do in love toward God and others. The Apostle Paul said:

Romans 13:8-10 (NASB) Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. 9 For this, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and if there is any other commandment, it is summed up in this saying, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

God has written love on the heart of the Christ follower. Jesus said:

Matthew 5:19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he SHALL BE CALLED THE LEAST in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall DO AND TEACH THEM, THE SAME SHALL BE CALLED GREAT IN THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

To break God’s Law is to lose reward in Heaven, and those who are loveless and lawless may actually be unsaved. Jesus declared:

Matthew 5:20 (KJV) For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

The Scribes and Pharisees loved neither God nor their fellow man. They loved THEMSELVES. They outwardly kept the Law, but inwardly had a heart of stone. Keeping the Law will not save you but if you are saved you love God and love others – and are not lawbreakers.

A Quick Example, Then We Close

Matthew 5:21 (KJV) Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

This is the Sixth Commandment. “You shall not kill”. This is what is written on the Stone Tablets of the Law. But Jesus takes this one step further:

Matthew 5:22-24 (KJV) But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. [23] Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; [24] Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.

It is uncontrolled anger that leads to murder.

Love demands that we forgive our brother, that we reconcile to him, THEN serve God.

We who are saved by love are to love.

We who are children of Grace are to extend Grace to others.

Do you know Him? Do you know my Jesus? Have you received Him as Lord and Savior? Then love as you have been loved.

Posted in General, Law Of God, Sermons Preached | Leave a comment

God Calls Us To Be Like Him

Posted on February 6, 2017 by bibleteacherorg

Preached the Morning of February 5 2017 at Riverview, 798 Santa Fe Pike, Columbia, TN

beyeperfect

Matthew 5:48 (KJV) Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

The Pharisees and Sadducees thought that they were perfect. They dressed perfectly. They prayed perfectly. They gave perfectly, and made sure that everyone knew that they gave, for they had a trumpet played every time they gave.

I attended a Church once where – if I remember correctly – rather than pass the collection plate the Praise Band started playing. One by one the members walked down the aisle to the collection box at the front and then, with a flourish, put their money in the box. People clapped and shouted all the while. It was quite a spectacle.

But was it Holy?

We don’t hear much about holiness anymore. The television preachers talk about love and how God is there to help you in your pain. He is, very much so. God loves you. But what of holiness? Jesus said

“Be ye perfect as your Father in Heaven is perfect”

That’s what holiness is – It is Being Like God. The word “Holiness” also called “Sanctified” or “Separated Unto God” means “to be like Him Who made you”. God calls His children to be like He is, to be loving like He is.

The Christian Is Given More, So We Should BE More

Everyone on the face of the earth has been blessed by God. How much have you paid for air lately? God gives us life. Our hearts beat, though we sleep. God has given us good lives. We as Americans are particularly blessed. We have unprecedented freedoms in this country because God has blessed America. But if you are a Christian, God has given you more.

Everyone in this room was born once, but the Christian is twice born. You were born of earthly parents, and you are born of Heavenly Parents. Jesus told Nicodemus, a Pharisee who thought himself perfect as all Pharisees did:

John 3:3 (ESV) “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Nicodemus asked “How can you be born twice? Can you enter your mother and be born again?” Jesus told Nicodemus, and us, that …

John 3:5-7 (ESV) “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. [6] That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. [7] Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’

Everyone in here has been “born of water”. Your mother’s water broke, and you came forth. But to enter the Kingdom of God you MUST be born of the Spirit.

That which is flesh is flesh

and that which is Spirit is Spirit

You must be born again!

If you are a Christian you are

1 Peter 1:3 (ESV) … caused … to be born again to a living hope
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

You are promised a place in eternity where the Son of God dwells because you are sons of God by faith in Christ (Galatians 3:26; Romans 8:14). You are

1 Peter 1:23 (ESV) … born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable,

through the living and abiding word of God;

Our first birth is corruptible, dying because of sin. But you are saved by God’s Spirit, indwelt of the Holy Spirit of God, a living Temple of God. God did not make you so that you can become one with the Darkness, but that you be RADICALLY THE LIGHT.

Be ye perfect a your Father in Heaven is perfect!

The Christian Is Called To Love As God Loves

God has given us so much more. He called us to salvation, and gave us a salvation we have neither deserved nor earned. You are born again of God because God died for you. You are born again of God because you received Christ as both Lord and Savior. He died for our sins.

Romans 5:8-10 (NASB) But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

Do you see Him? Do you see Christ. He stands before Pilate. Pilate finds no fault in Him. Shall I release Jesus and let Him go – He is innocent? The crowd cried “Crucify Him. Release Barabbas and crucify Jesus”. Tied to a pillar, two soldiers beat Jesus with whips. Blood and flesh fly, staining the ground. Dragging Him to His feet they place His Cross on His raw back. Carrying the Cross – dragging it – the crowd mocks and jeers. “If you’re the Son of God save Yourself” the devilish crowd cries.

Jesus would not turn stones to bread in the desert to save Himself.

Jesus will not save Himself now.

Nailed to that Tree, Jesus paid for our sins. The Bible says that God …

2 Corinthians 5:21 (KJV) …. hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Christ gave the most for us on the Cross.

The Father gave the most for us on Calvary.

We are saved “to be made the righteousness of God in Him”.

Practical Applications From Jesus

When we hear these words we cringe, for we know we are not perfect. But God knows we are not perfect – yet that does not stop us from striving to imitate our Father.

We are to imitate God in His love.

We are not to imitate the Scribes and Pharisees.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:20 “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

The Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees all had an outward righteousness that looked good, but at heart they were dead. They had never come to Christ for salvation. They were make believe Christians. Jesus declared that they were …

Matthew 23:27-28 (KJV) … like unto whited {mausoleums}, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. [28] Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.

Their lips spoke of God. Their clothes spoke of religion. But their hearts were far from God for they had nothing to do with Jesus. God saves His Children through the Blood of Christ and the operation of His Spirit. Saving us, He expects us to BE more and to DO more. Jesus said:

Matthew 5:21 (KJV) Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:

“Thou shalt not kill” or literally “Do no murder” is an easy commandment to keep. As long as I do not take someone’s life by murder – and I doubt there is a murderer among us today – then I have kept the Sixth Commandment. But Jesus calls us not to the same standard the world has, but to the standard of God’s Child. He went on to say:

Matthew 5:22 (KJV) But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

Love is the driving force of the Child of God. Love saved us. Love purchased us. Love gave us position in God’s family. Therefore we are to love our brothers and sisters in Christ. To be angry at a brother WITHOUT A CAUSE is to bring you in danger of the judgment of God. To mock or spit on your brother is terribly wrong, something that could have brought you before the Jewish Judges in Christ’s day. But to declare a brother a Fool – Godless – is to put yourself in danger of hell fire. Christ saved you as He saved me. We are brothers and sisters together, and love is the standard by which we operate.

Seek reconciliation within His Kingdom. Forgive as you have been forgiven. You cannot serve God with hatred and divisiveness in your hearts.

Matthew 5:27 (KJV) Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery:

It is not hard to avoid breaking the Seventh Commandment. I pray there is no one in this place today who is living in sexual sin, taking another person’s spouse. Yet Jesus went further and said:

Matthew 5:28 (KJV) But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

The Child of God not only doesn’t commit adultery, but we do not linger and fantasize on that which may lead to the wrong. We do not compromise with the darkness, but do as the Scripture says and …

Hebrews 12:1-2 (KJV) … let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, [2] Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Do not give sin a toehold in your life, or Satan will climb that ladder and burn your house down! Love is to be our driving force. “By this shall all men know you are My Disciples in that You love one another”.

Love Your Enemies Like God Loved Us

We are to love as we have been loved.

Matthew 5:38-40 (KJV) Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: [39] But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. [40] And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also.

Offenses will come. People will attack us. We however are to resist not evil, but to love. We are to ..

Matthew 5:44-47 (KJV) But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; [45] That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. [46] For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? [47] And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

Judgment day is coming, and God will avenge us on that day. Until that day we are to be perfect as our Father in Heaven is perfect. Do we fail? Yes. I fail every day. But when I fail, I confess my fault unto My Jesus, and He lifts me back up. The Apostle Paul said:

“I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” 2 Timothy 4:7

Dr. Adrian Rogers said: “Do you know the way to finish the course? Keep looking to Jesus. I’ve been preaching the Gospel for over 50 years, and God knows I have my faults and sins. He also knows I have repented and aim to get right with Him each and every day. I am far from perfect, but I can say that this same God has kept me on course. He has kept me preaching the Gospel. Finishing the course that God has planned for us is never easy. It takes discipline and hard work. It takes picking ourselves up, dusting ourselves off, and starting over. One of these days you are going to have to look back on your life. And I hope you will be able to say that you fought as a warrior and finished as an athlete. “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…” (Hebrews 12:1b-2a). Keep short accounts with God. Confess quickly. Get back on the track.”

As we come to the Lord’s Table let us prepare our hearts. Confess your sins to God. Place them under the Blood of Christ. Look to your Perfect Heavenly Father and praise Him for Christ our Lord.