TEXT: Titus 2:11-15
INTRO: When was the last time you stopped and simply thanked God for wonderful stories? Stories come in many fashions, shapes, and sizes. Some are in the present (Ex. Tiger Woods), some are from years past (Ex. childhood), some are perpetual (stood test of time).
ILLUS: The following story of errors actually appeared in a newspaper several years ago. First Day: FOR SALE—R.D. Jones has one sewing machine for sale. Phone 958-3030 after 7 p.m. and ask for Mrs. Kelly who lives with him cheap. Next day the ad was “corrected” to read: NOTICE—We regret having erred in R.D. Jones’ ad yesterday. It should have read: One sewing machine for sale. Cheap. Phone 958-3030 and ask for Mrs. Kelly who lives with him after 7 p.m. That correction was “corrected” the day after. It read: R.D. Jones has informed us that he has received several anonymous telephone calls because of the error we made in his classified ad yesterday. His ad stands corrected as follows: FOR SALE—R.D. Jones has one sewing machine for sale. Cheap. Phone 958-3030 after 7 p.m. and ask for Mrs. Kelly who loves with him. Finally, the day after, Mr. Jones “corrected” the ad himself with a second ad: NOTICE—I, R.D. Jones, have no sewing machine for sale. I SMASHED IT. Don’t call 958-3030 as the telephone has been taken out. I have not been carrying on with Mrs. Kelly. Until yesterday she was my housekeeper, but SHE QUIT!
PROP. SENT: The Bible teaches us that the story of God’s grace is amazing. Why? It is the saving grace of God that breaks the penalty of sin, power of sin, and eternally the presence of sin as we will abide with the Lord forever. The amazing grace of the Lord Jesus Christ that brings salvation to our lives as sinners also brings transformation into our lives making us more like the Savior!
I. IT IS THE STORY OF A GREAT SAVIOR – (Line 1)
A. Great in His Graciousness – Grand Titus 2:11a
1. Titus was a man whose life had been changed by God’s grace – everyone is in need of “saving grace.”
2. Titus had heard of the amazing grace of the Lord Jesus Christ through the preaching of the Apostle Paul.
3. We know that Titus took God’s call on his life very seriously because he was willing to leave behind everything – serving with the Apostle Paul in the gospel ministry.
4. BY FAR the greatest story in the history of this world is the story of God’s amazing grace – demonstrated personally and perfectly in the Lord Jesus Christ.
a. John 1:14, 16-17, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace. For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.”
5. There are many definitions of grace that have talked about for years.
a. GRACE – God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense
b. God giving us what we do not deserve (No one deserves God’s love, mercy, forgiveness, Holy Spirit, heaven, etc.)!
c. The unmerited favor of God
6. These definitions are all wonderful for grace helps us to see that a right standing with God does not depend on who I am or what I’ve done, but on who God is and what God has done!
ILLUS: J. Vernon McGee tells the story of a certain man who wanted to join the local Baptist church. The deacons were unsure of his character and began asking him questions. Their last question was regarding his personal salvation. They asked, “How did you get saved?” His answer was, “God did His part, and I did my part.” They thought there was something wrong with his doctrine, so they questioned further, “What was God’s part, and what was your part?” He said, “God’s part was the saving, and my part was the sinning. I ran from Him as fast as my sinful heart and rebellious legs could take me. He ran after me till He ran me down.”
B. Great in His Goodness – Gift Titus 2:11
1. God’s grace is amazing because it extends to all people!
2. The people of Crete that Titus was called to minister to were not the classiest of people on the block.
3. To call someone a “Cretian” was a great insult in these days!
4. They were known to have the character of:
a. Liars
b. Cheaters
c. Gluttons and Drunkards
d. Unfaithful and untrustworthy
5. This is the story of God’s amazing grace!
6. It wasn’t the goodness of these folks that qualified them for God’s grace, it was totally 100% the goodness of God.
7. Perhaps some of you feel there is no way God could relate to you by His grace this morning.
a. You’ve been unfaithful sexually
b. You’ve lost your temper one too many times
c. There is an addiction that you can’t seem to find victory over.
d. You feel everyone else could be blessed by God – but you are so unworthy because of sin, guilt, shame.
ILLUS: Your worst days are never so bad that you are beyond the reach of God's grace. And your best days are never so good that you are beyond the need of God's grace. —Jerry Bridges
5. Salvation is not a matter of your goodness, but of God’s grace.
6. Titus 3:4-5, “But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy HE saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.”
ILLUS: Salvation is a gift and you can't boast about a gift. You can only be thankful. —D. James Kennedy
II. IT IS THE STORY OF GREAT SINNERS – (Line 2)
A. Great in Our Guilt Titus 2:12a
1. Saving grace is also “strengthening grace.”
2. From the time you receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior until the day He takes you home, you will face spiritual struggles.
3. One of the greatest spiritual struggles you are going to face is which place God is going to have in your life.
4. Another is by the constant pull of worldly pleasures, passions, pursuits.
a. You may have wonderful clothes – the world will not want you to enjoy them – but desire better.
b. You may have a cell phone that works just fine – the world will tell you that you must have one with phones, radios, high speed internet, etc.
c. You may have a wonderful family – the world will tell you that you deserve something much better – and try to lead you into a lifestyle of being unfaithful to the Lord and family.
4. It is natural state for those who do not love God to love the world, for this is their home.
5. It is not normal for the child of God to live a life dominated by sin and worldliness– they have another home they long for in which Jesus reigns.
6. Victory is won because of God’s strengthening grace!
7. What kind of difference would it make in this world if every pastor longed to live holy before God and led His congregation to live holy and righteous in the Lord, too!
a. Too many churches are seeking to be “happy” without being “holy.”
b. God desires that each of us look to Him first – as our relationship with the Lord is strengthened – the things of this world begin to lose their stronghold on our lives!
ILLUS: Could the United States be headed down a path similar to that of ancient Rome? Let’s look at the five reasons for Rome’s downfall, as set forth by Edward Gibbon in his classic work The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. They are: 1. The undermining of the dignity and sanctity of the home. 2. Increasing taxes and spending of public money for bread and circuses. 3. The mad craze for pleasure, with sports becoming more exciting and more brutal. 4. The building of gigantic armaments, when the real enemy is the decadence of the people. 5. The decay of religion, with faith fading into mere form. See: Revelation 3:1-5,
B. Great in Our God Titus 2:12b
1. To deliver us from sin and bring us into God’s kingdom we need saving grace.
2. To help us say no to sin and its continual pull we need that strengthening grace of God.
3. To help us look more like Jesus in this present age we need God’s sanctifying grace – the total process of becoming more and more like Christ!
4. Too many Christians think of victory in Jesus as something that will only happen once they reach heaven – but victory in Jesus is what everyone of us needs in the nasty and now!
5. Beth Moore had a book out not too long ago called, “When Godly People Do Ungodly Things.”
6. Remember, God doesn’t work overnight to make you more like Himself…He’s at work on you all the time…this is a process!
ILLUS: Grace seeks to help people reach their potential. Grace does not condemn those who have not arrived. Grace focuses on solutions – not just the problems. Grace is the lubricant that eases friction in any relationship. Grace celebrates success and keeps no record of wrongs. – Henry Blackaby, Gracisms
7. Through God’s sanctifying grace we are separated not only from sin…but unto a living, loving relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ that begins to make us look less like the world and more like Him!
8. Embrace God’s call to total devotion to holiness and godliness!
9. Jesus prayed, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” John 17:17 - In Ephesians 5:25, we read, “Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for her, that HE might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the Word.”
ILLUS: E. Stanley Jones, Methodist doctor and missionary to India, writes: The early Christians did not say in dismay: “Look what the world has come to,” but in delight, “Look what has come to the world.” They saw not merely the ruin, but the Resource for the reconstruction of that ruin. They saw not merely that sin did abound, but that grace did much more abound. On that assurance the pivot of history swung from blank despair, loss of moral nerve, and fatalism, to faith and confidence that at last sin had met its match. —Leadership, Vol. 19, no. 4.
III. IT IS THE STORY OF GREAT SATISFACTION – (Line 3)
A. Great in Guidance Titus 2:13
1. God’s saving, strengthening, sanctifying grace is also…Second Coming grace.
2. The “blessed hope” belongs to every child of God and focuses our attention on the truth that we will see the Lord Jesus Christ one day and we’ll be with Him forever.
3. That blessed hope gives us strength and confidence to live our lives with purpose and meaning – a better day is coming!
ILLUS: In his book Winning Life's Toughest Battles, psychologist Julius Segal told about the 25,000 American soldiers who were held in POW camps during World War II. Some died, some survived. There was no reason to believe that there was a difference in stamina between the two groups, but there was one major difference: Those who survived were the ones who held on to the hope that they would someday be released. They talked about the jobs they would have, the kind of person they would marry, the homes they would build. Many of them drew pictures on the wall to illustrate their dreams. Segal goes on to say that researcher have found that a hopeful attitude can lead to physiological changes that improve the immune system -- the body's ability to fight disease.
5. Knowing we have this hope in God does not lead us to just sit back in our pajamas and wait on the Lord like children wait for Santa on Christmas Eve!
6. This hope in Jesus leads motivates and encourages us to live our lives for His honor and glory now!
7. Aren’t you thankful today your hope is not built on:
a. A Political leader or party
b. Never encountering any problems
c. The hope of winning the lottery
d. Perfect religious system
8. The difference between the world’s hope and biblical hope is that worldly hope is unsure of what it hopes for (Hope I’ll find the right person, hope it doesn’t rain on my day off, hope I’ll make more money next year) – Biblical hope is sure of what it hopes for – because God has promised!
ILLUS: The Holman Bible Dictionary defines our blessed hope as...
"Trustful expectation, particularly with reference to the fulfillment of God's promises. Biblical hope is the anticipation of a favorable outcome under God's guidance. More specifically, hope is the confidence that what God has done for us in the past guarantees our participation in what God will do in the future. This contrasts to the world's definition of hope as “a feeling that what is wanted will happen.”
B. Great in Glory Titus 2:14
1. Think of the various forms of God’s grace we’ve mentioned – saving, strengthening, sanctifying, second coming…think now of serving grace.
2. When you truly begin to understand what God’s done for you, it will motivate you to serve the Lord with fresh passion!
3. While we were here in the muck of sin, headed straight for hell and death, God came and brought rescue and everlasting life!
4. Knowing how much God loves and cares for you leads you out of the lifestyle of living for self only…now you are living for the Savior!
ILLUS: Bo Barredo, a missionary who advocates an indigenous missionary strategy, shares the following about his family life: I belong to a relatively prosperous family of lawyers. My mother died of cancer at age 45. Our family buried her a few days before Christmas. My father was never the same again. He turned his back to the world, left his business and law practice and became a full-time missionary evangelist among our own people. To date, per written decision slips, God has used my father to bring to His feet more than 200,000 souls. Seeing our father’s great love for God and God’s beautiful love for him, three of my brothers and I and our wives, plus our youngest sister also became missionaries, pastors and evangelists. God gave us much grace. Where before as lawyers we represented the criminals before the judge, now as missionaries, we represent the Eternal Judge before the “criminals.” —A Mission Letter, from Advancing Native Missions, P.O. Box 5036, Charlottesville, Va 22905.
CONCLUSION: The story of God’s amazing grace brings salvation that leads to total transformation of our lives. The Lord Jesus paid the ultimate price by laying down His life for each of us…now He has freed us to live new lives in passion and purpose unto Him! 1 Corinthians 6:20, “For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are God’s.”
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Thursday, December 24, 2009
The Grinch That Tried to Steal Christmas
TEXT: Revelation 12:1-11
INTRO: It is so reassuring and confidence building to know that God and good will ultimately triumph over Satan and evil. Satan’s mission has always been to steal, kill, and destroy – while the Lord Jesus came that we might have life to the full (John 10:10). We cannot trust in what we see only with our physical eyes in order to determine victory or defeat. In the present time, it appears that Satan has the upper hand and that he will triumph. Yet, we know on the testimony and truth of the Word of God that Jesus has already overcome through His coming to this earth as baby in Bethlehem – death on the cross – ascension to the Father and ultimately He is returning as Victorious King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Don’t let anything take away the joy of victory in Jesus this Christmas or any other time of year!
ILLUS: "Christmas day is in our grasp so long as we have hands to clasp." The Grinch could hardly believe his ears. He begins to get furious, but then something happens. He suddenly “puzzles” how Christmas came. "It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes, or bags." Suddenly the Grinch realizes that Christmas is about more than presents, or decorations, or a feast. He has a thought he’s never thought before: "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn’t come from a store; Maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more." SOURCE: "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" by Dr. Suess
PROP. SENT: The Bible teaches through God’s plan, providence, and power the Lord Jesus Christ and His followers will have eternal victory while Satan and his demons will be utterly vanquished. Make sure you are on the winning team by belonging totally to the Lord!
I. THE OVERSEEING OF THE SOVEREIGN
A. Great Sign Rev. 12:1-2
1. Throughout the years there have been many speculations as to the identification of the woman.
a. Mary, the mother of Jesus. We know from the Scriptures Mary gave birth to the Son of God, but this is not Mary in Revelation 12.
b. The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ – the Church did not give birth to the Lord Jesus, rather the Lord Jesus gave birth to His church!
c. Mary Baker Eddy – founder of the Christian Science movement claimed she was the woman in Revelation 12 and the dragon was “mortal mind of man” which was ready to devour her new teachings.
2. The woman in Revelation 12 is a picture of Israel.
3. In Genesis 39, God gave Joseph a dream that Israel would be saved from destruction through him. Genesis 39:9, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.”
a. Jacob – the sun
b. Rachel – the moon
c. Eleven stars are the sons of Israel – in Rev. 12, Joseph is included in the tribes of Israel.
4. In Romans 9:4-5 we find, “…Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed of God. Amen.”
5. Dr. Grant Richardson explains, “Israel birthed Jesus in His first coming (Romans 9:5). Satan has always attacked the line of Judah, the line of the Messiah. The Devil did everything in his power to prevent the first coming of Christ.”
6. The picture in Revelation 12 is also concerning the Second Coming of Christ – Israel rejected the Lord Jesus as Messiah the first time He came. At His Second Coming, many will receive Him as Messiah and Lord!
ILLUS: “Down the years (Israel) has failed repeatedly, she has failed miserably, but that does not diminish the fact that she belongs to God. He has not written off the nation, he has not eliminated her from his prophetic agenda. Her glory is the glory of the heavens and that explains why Abraham’s seed is likened to the stars in Genesis 15:5. It is not wonder the old devil hates this nation for she is a powerful reminder to him of all that once was his and of the dizzy heights from which he fell.” - Sam Gordon, A Walk through Revelation
7. How many times have we failed repeatedly and miserably – yet God still claims us as His own!
B. Gruesome Satan Rev. 12:3-4
1. The picture Revelation gives us of Satan is of murderous, ferocious dragon. Red, perhaps, symbolizes his murderous motives.
2. Jesus said of Satan in John 8:44 that he was a murderer from the beginning.
3. In 2 Corinthians 4:4 and 1 John 5:19, Satan is described as the “ruler” and “god of this world.”
4. 1 Peter 5.8 describes him as prowling about as a great lion seeking whom he may devour.
5. If you were to ask the average person about Satan, they would probably tell you about a red man with pointed ears, long tail, with some kind of pitch-fork in his hand. That is man’s invention and is not a biblical description of him at all!
ILLUS: “The Bible teaches that the devil is a real person and that he controls the affairs of this evil world. His great objective is to defeat the will of God in the world, in the church, and in the Christian.” – Billy Graham
5. While we must understand that Satan does have power, it is a limited and he is in no way as powerful and strong as the Lord Jesus Christ!
6. No matter how strong Satan’s attempts have been to destroy the Lord Jesus Christ, they have always failed!
a. Satan led Cain to kill Abel – yet God gave brought forth Seth.
b. Satan led Pharaoh to kill all the male babies in Egypt, yet God gave Moses.
c. Satan led King Herod to kill all the babies under the age 2 in Bethlehem – yet God told Joseph and Mary to escape with the newborn Son of God.
d. Satan led the people of the world to put the Lord of Glory, our Savior Jesus Christ, on the cross to die – yet God raised Him from the dead!
7. Everlasting victory belongs to our God and victory also belongs to the child of God.
8. Through the Spirit of God’s indwelling, the Apostle John reminds us in 1 John 4:4, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
ILLUS: American writer Wilson Mizner was himself a talented fighter. One night he and boxer "Mysterious" Billy Smith visited a San Francisco bar, where Mizner started a fight with some sailors. At the end only one sailor was left standing. This sailor would not go down, in spite of the fact that Mizner was hitting him hard constantly. Suddenly, Billy Smith noticed what was happening. "Leave him alone, Wilson!" he shouted. "I knocked him out five minutes ago." On investigation it turned out that a punch from Smith had indeed knocked the sailor out cold, but had also wedged him vertically between two pieces of furniture. Here's an accurate picture of our already-defeated but still standing enemy Satan! Today in the Word, April 3, 1993
9. It ought to fill us with joy and confidence in the Lord today God is greater than the devil and is always victorious.
10. We reverently worship with thanksgiving and awe the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
II. THE OVERTHROWING OF THE SERPANT
A. God’s Son Rev. 12:5-6
1. These verses summarize the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. Verse 5 tells us that the devil has failed to overpower the Christ-child in history past.
3. Verse 6 enlightens us to the fact that the devil will fail to overpower the Christ-child in the future as well, particularly the future time of the Tribulation.
4. Satan will once again unleash his fury and wrath attempting to destroy the Jewish people during the second half of the Tribulation period, but God will protect the nation of Israel.
5. God’s continual power over the devil is a matter of historical record.
6. The world in which we live needs this reminder constantly, because we know that destruction, disease, depression, defeat, and discouragement are real foes.
ILLUS: “If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. But since our greatest need was forgiveness, God sent us a Savior.”
7. Let me urge you to receive the free gift of salvation the Jesus died and rose again to give you.
a. If you are without Jesus Christ before the Rapture of the church – Hell will be your home.
b. If you are alive after the Rapture of the church – you will face tribulation like you’ve never known on this earth - and there is no guarantee of eternal life.
c. “Today is the day of salvation,” 2 Cor. 6:2
B. Great Struggle Rev. 12:7-9
1. These verses are showing us a preview of future events – a great battle will take place during the period of the Tribulation.
2. Michael and his angels vs. the Satan and his angels.
3. Archangel Michael is one of the highest ranking angels is God’s army and in the Scripture is seen as coming to the aid of the people of God.
4. Michael’s name means, “One like God.”
5. Satan has always wanted to be God and Isaiah 14:12- 14 tells us this is what God him kicked out of heaven; His selfishness and pride, wanting to take the place of God.
6. No believer can afford to grow weak in their walk with God, because spiritual warfare is very real today!
7. Positionally we are already more than conquerors through Him (the Lord Jesus) who loved us – practically we must also put on the armor of God daily (Romans 8:35-39, Ephesians 6:10-18).
ILLUS: The devil is an artist. He paints sin in very attractive colors.
8. The Bible speaks of Satan presently having access to God – yet there is coming a day when he and his angels will be cast out of heaven once for all.
9. Satan is known as the “accuser of the brethren,” constantly bringing up our sins and failures to God.
10. When he reminds you of your past – you remind him of his future! (Rev. 20:10)
III. THE OVERCOMING OF THE SAVIOR
A. Glorious Shout Rev. 12:10-11
1. Just as you get excited when something wonderful happens in your life – salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ is truly something to shout about!
2. Because of Jesus – Satan is on the way down and we are on the way up!
3. Note how the victory is won, “by the blood of the Lamb and the word their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”
4. If you and I are to live in the victory Jesus brings, we’ll need these three victory guarantees – the cleansing (blood), the confession (Jesus and what He’s done for us), & the courage to tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love!
ILLUS: There is a saying among Italian sculptors, who often miss the chisel and hit their own hands with the hammer: “When the blood flows out, the mastery enters.” It was so with Jesus Christ. It was his death on Calvary that made him the master of our souls. “There is power in the blood.”
B. Gift of Salvation Rev. 12:10
1. God has a plan for every man, woman, boy, and girl and that plan is to know Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior.
2. Of all the gifts you could receive in your lifetime, this is the most important and necessary.
3. The name of Jesus Christ is the only name by which we must be saved!
4. HE is the One who was born of a virgin, suffered on the cross of Calvary, is risen and alive today!
ILLUS: A little girl was helping to nurse a sick gentleman whom she loved very much. He said to her, “Ellen, it is time I should take my medicine; measure just a tablespoonful, and put it in the glass.” She quickly did so and brought it to his bedside. He made no attempt to take it from her, but said, “Now, dear, will you drink it for me?” “Me drink it! What do you mean? I am sure I would in a minute if it would make you well all the same; but you know it won’t do you any good unless you take it yourself.” “No, I suppose it will not. But if you cannot take my medicine for me, I cannot take your salvation for you. You must go to Jesus, and believe in him for yourself.” Each human being must seek, repent, believe and obey for himself. —Rev. Elon Foster, New Encyclopedia of Prose Illustrations
CONCLUSION: Don’t just look outwardly to see if there is victory available today. The outward look will tell you all hope is lost, doom and gloom! However, take the inward look to the Word of God and the upward look to the Son of God! This Christmas remember that although there is a grinch who tries to steal Christmas…there is a God who sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ who longs to give you life to the full. Nothing and no one can stop His plan. Today, His plan is to give you a new life if you call upon the saving name of the Lord Jesus Christ!
INTRO: It is so reassuring and confidence building to know that God and good will ultimately triumph over Satan and evil. Satan’s mission has always been to steal, kill, and destroy – while the Lord Jesus came that we might have life to the full (John 10:10). We cannot trust in what we see only with our physical eyes in order to determine victory or defeat. In the present time, it appears that Satan has the upper hand and that he will triumph. Yet, we know on the testimony and truth of the Word of God that Jesus has already overcome through His coming to this earth as baby in Bethlehem – death on the cross – ascension to the Father and ultimately He is returning as Victorious King of Kings and Lord of Lords! Don’t let anything take away the joy of victory in Jesus this Christmas or any other time of year!
ILLUS: "Christmas day is in our grasp so long as we have hands to clasp." The Grinch could hardly believe his ears. He begins to get furious, but then something happens. He suddenly “puzzles” how Christmas came. "It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes, or bags." Suddenly the Grinch realizes that Christmas is about more than presents, or decorations, or a feast. He has a thought he’s never thought before: "Maybe Christmas," he thought, "doesn’t come from a store; Maybe Christmas perhaps means a little bit more." SOURCE: "How The Grinch Stole Christmas" by Dr. Suess
PROP. SENT: The Bible teaches through God’s plan, providence, and power the Lord Jesus Christ and His followers will have eternal victory while Satan and his demons will be utterly vanquished. Make sure you are on the winning team by belonging totally to the Lord!
I. THE OVERSEEING OF THE SOVEREIGN
A. Great Sign Rev. 12:1-2
1. Throughout the years there have been many speculations as to the identification of the woman.
a. Mary, the mother of Jesus. We know from the Scriptures Mary gave birth to the Son of God, but this is not Mary in Revelation 12.
b. The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ – the Church did not give birth to the Lord Jesus, rather the Lord Jesus gave birth to His church!
c. Mary Baker Eddy – founder of the Christian Science movement claimed she was the woman in Revelation 12 and the dragon was “mortal mind of man” which was ready to devour her new teachings.
2. The woman in Revelation 12 is a picture of Israel.
3. In Genesis 39, God gave Joseph a dream that Israel would be saved from destruction through him. Genesis 39:9, “Look, I have dreamed another dream. And this time, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars bowed down to me.”
a. Jacob – the sun
b. Rachel – the moon
c. Eleven stars are the sons of Israel – in Rev. 12, Joseph is included in the tribes of Israel.
4. In Romans 9:4-5 we find, “…Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the service of God, and the promises; of whom are the fathers and from whom, according to the flesh, Christ came, who is over all, the eternally blessed of God. Amen.”
5. Dr. Grant Richardson explains, “Israel birthed Jesus in His first coming (Romans 9:5). Satan has always attacked the line of Judah, the line of the Messiah. The Devil did everything in his power to prevent the first coming of Christ.”
6. The picture in Revelation 12 is also concerning the Second Coming of Christ – Israel rejected the Lord Jesus as Messiah the first time He came. At His Second Coming, many will receive Him as Messiah and Lord!
ILLUS: “Down the years (Israel) has failed repeatedly, she has failed miserably, but that does not diminish the fact that she belongs to God. He has not written off the nation, he has not eliminated her from his prophetic agenda. Her glory is the glory of the heavens and that explains why Abraham’s seed is likened to the stars in Genesis 15:5. It is not wonder the old devil hates this nation for she is a powerful reminder to him of all that once was his and of the dizzy heights from which he fell.” - Sam Gordon, A Walk through Revelation
7. How many times have we failed repeatedly and miserably – yet God still claims us as His own!
B. Gruesome Satan Rev. 12:3-4
1. The picture Revelation gives us of Satan is of murderous, ferocious dragon. Red, perhaps, symbolizes his murderous motives.
2. Jesus said of Satan in John 8:44 that he was a murderer from the beginning.
3. In 2 Corinthians 4:4 and 1 John 5:19, Satan is described as the “ruler” and “god of this world.”
4. 1 Peter 5.8 describes him as prowling about as a great lion seeking whom he may devour.
5. If you were to ask the average person about Satan, they would probably tell you about a red man with pointed ears, long tail, with some kind of pitch-fork in his hand. That is man’s invention and is not a biblical description of him at all!
ILLUS: “The Bible teaches that the devil is a real person and that he controls the affairs of this evil world. His great objective is to defeat the will of God in the world, in the church, and in the Christian.” – Billy Graham
5. While we must understand that Satan does have power, it is a limited and he is in no way as powerful and strong as the Lord Jesus Christ!
6. No matter how strong Satan’s attempts have been to destroy the Lord Jesus Christ, they have always failed!
a. Satan led Cain to kill Abel – yet God gave brought forth Seth.
b. Satan led Pharaoh to kill all the male babies in Egypt, yet God gave Moses.
c. Satan led King Herod to kill all the babies under the age 2 in Bethlehem – yet God told Joseph and Mary to escape with the newborn Son of God.
d. Satan led the people of the world to put the Lord of Glory, our Savior Jesus Christ, on the cross to die – yet God raised Him from the dead!
7. Everlasting victory belongs to our God and victory also belongs to the child of God.
8. Through the Spirit of God’s indwelling, the Apostle John reminds us in 1 John 4:4, “You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.”
ILLUS: American writer Wilson Mizner was himself a talented fighter. One night he and boxer "Mysterious" Billy Smith visited a San Francisco bar, where Mizner started a fight with some sailors. At the end only one sailor was left standing. This sailor would not go down, in spite of the fact that Mizner was hitting him hard constantly. Suddenly, Billy Smith noticed what was happening. "Leave him alone, Wilson!" he shouted. "I knocked him out five minutes ago." On investigation it turned out that a punch from Smith had indeed knocked the sailor out cold, but had also wedged him vertically between two pieces of furniture. Here's an accurate picture of our already-defeated but still standing enemy Satan! Today in the Word, April 3, 1993
9. It ought to fill us with joy and confidence in the Lord today God is greater than the devil and is always victorious.
10. We reverently worship with thanksgiving and awe the King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
II. THE OVERTHROWING OF THE SERPANT
A. God’s Son Rev. 12:5-6
1. These verses summarize the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ.
2. Verse 5 tells us that the devil has failed to overpower the Christ-child in history past.
3. Verse 6 enlightens us to the fact that the devil will fail to overpower the Christ-child in the future as well, particularly the future time of the Tribulation.
4. Satan will once again unleash his fury and wrath attempting to destroy the Jewish people during the second half of the Tribulation period, but God will protect the nation of Israel.
5. God’s continual power over the devil is a matter of historical record.
6. The world in which we live needs this reminder constantly, because we know that destruction, disease, depression, defeat, and discouragement are real foes.
ILLUS: “If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent us an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. But since our greatest need was forgiveness, God sent us a Savior.”
7. Let me urge you to receive the free gift of salvation the Jesus died and rose again to give you.
a. If you are without Jesus Christ before the Rapture of the church – Hell will be your home.
b. If you are alive after the Rapture of the church – you will face tribulation like you’ve never known on this earth - and there is no guarantee of eternal life.
c. “Today is the day of salvation,” 2 Cor. 6:2
B. Great Struggle Rev. 12:7-9
1. These verses are showing us a preview of future events – a great battle will take place during the period of the Tribulation.
2. Michael and his angels vs. the Satan and his angels.
3. Archangel Michael is one of the highest ranking angels is God’s army and in the Scripture is seen as coming to the aid of the people of God.
4. Michael’s name means, “One like God.”
5. Satan has always wanted to be God and Isaiah 14:12- 14 tells us this is what God him kicked out of heaven; His selfishness and pride, wanting to take the place of God.
6. No believer can afford to grow weak in their walk with God, because spiritual warfare is very real today!
7. Positionally we are already more than conquerors through Him (the Lord Jesus) who loved us – practically we must also put on the armor of God daily (Romans 8:35-39, Ephesians 6:10-18).
ILLUS: The devil is an artist. He paints sin in very attractive colors.
8. The Bible speaks of Satan presently having access to God – yet there is coming a day when he and his angels will be cast out of heaven once for all.
9. Satan is known as the “accuser of the brethren,” constantly bringing up our sins and failures to God.
10. When he reminds you of your past – you remind him of his future! (Rev. 20:10)
III. THE OVERCOMING OF THE SAVIOR
A. Glorious Shout Rev. 12:10-11
1. Just as you get excited when something wonderful happens in your life – salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ is truly something to shout about!
2. Because of Jesus – Satan is on the way down and we are on the way up!
3. Note how the victory is won, “by the blood of the Lamb and the word their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.”
4. If you and I are to live in the victory Jesus brings, we’ll need these three victory guarantees – the cleansing (blood), the confession (Jesus and what He’s done for us), & the courage to tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love!
ILLUS: There is a saying among Italian sculptors, who often miss the chisel and hit their own hands with the hammer: “When the blood flows out, the mastery enters.” It was so with Jesus Christ. It was his death on Calvary that made him the master of our souls. “There is power in the blood.”
B. Gift of Salvation Rev. 12:10
1. God has a plan for every man, woman, boy, and girl and that plan is to know Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior.
2. Of all the gifts you could receive in your lifetime, this is the most important and necessary.
3. The name of Jesus Christ is the only name by which we must be saved!
4. HE is the One who was born of a virgin, suffered on the cross of Calvary, is risen and alive today!
ILLUS: A little girl was helping to nurse a sick gentleman whom she loved very much. He said to her, “Ellen, it is time I should take my medicine; measure just a tablespoonful, and put it in the glass.” She quickly did so and brought it to his bedside. He made no attempt to take it from her, but said, “Now, dear, will you drink it for me?” “Me drink it! What do you mean? I am sure I would in a minute if it would make you well all the same; but you know it won’t do you any good unless you take it yourself.” “No, I suppose it will not. But if you cannot take my medicine for me, I cannot take your salvation for you. You must go to Jesus, and believe in him for yourself.” Each human being must seek, repent, believe and obey for himself. —Rev. Elon Foster, New Encyclopedia of Prose Illustrations
CONCLUSION: Don’t just look outwardly to see if there is victory available today. The outward look will tell you all hope is lost, doom and gloom! However, take the inward look to the Word of God and the upward look to the Son of God! This Christmas remember that although there is a grinch who tries to steal Christmas…there is a God who sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ who longs to give you life to the full. Nothing and no one can stop His plan. Today, His plan is to give you a new life if you call upon the saving name of the Lord Jesus Christ!
Friday, December 4, 2009
Praising God From Whom All Blessings Flow!
TEXT: Luke 1:5-25, 57-80
INTRO: It’s easy to get caught up in the “busyness” of the Christmas season that we fail to appreciate the “blessings” of our Wonderful Counselor and Mighty God! We tend to take for granted the incredible gift of salvation God brought down to mankind in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. We can get so wrapped up in all our “Christmas duties” that we neglect the “consistent devotion” in worship that belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ alone.
ILLUS: Someone has written that people use Xmas and it means Xhaustion, Xcuses, Xchanges, Xcesses, Xtravagances, Xasperations, Xhibitions and worldly Xcitement. How much better to make the Lord Jesus Christ the very center of our Christmas observance. Let’s keep Christ in Christmas!
PROP. SENT: The Bible teaches that Christ followers are a “chosen generation,” a “holy nation,” “His own special people,” that we might proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2.9). Christians must be known for their lifestyle of worship to the King of Kings and Lord and Lords!
TRANS. SENT: A look into the life, struggles, faith of priest Zacharias, his wife, Elizabeth, and their miraculous/mission called son, John the Baptist, will give us great inspiration to continually “praise God from whom all blessings flow!”
I. ANSWERS TO PRAYER
A. Faultless Devotion Lk. 1:5-6, 8-10
1. Just one look at Zacharias and Elizabeth and you can tell this is one married couple with a heart for God and the things of God.
a. Zachariah’s name means “Yahweh remembers” and Elizabeth’s name means “God is my oath” or “worshipper of God.”
2. To say they are “righteous” does not mean they were perfect or sinless – rather their lives were totally devoted to serving the Lord.
3. They loved and obeyed God…doing what He willed, not what they willed for their lives.
4. That’s where worship of the Lord really begins!
a. It’s not about me…It’s about HIM!
b. Understanding that God has sent His Son the Lord Jesus Christ – to be the total Lord and Savior of your life should lead you to worship and serve Him!
c. Romans 14:7-9, “For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died (crucifixion) and rose (resurrection) and lived again (exaltation), that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.”
d. The word “worship” is shortened from the old word “worth-ship” - showing God the worth He deserves from your life!
B. Fortitude Developed Lk. 1:7, 25
1. In spite of the fact that Zacaharius and Elizabeth loved God with all their heart, soul, and strength…they still had problems in life!
2. Ex’s: They lived under and oppressive government, Elizabeth was barren, they were both well advanced in years.
3. The Bible teaches that children are a gift from the Lord.
a. Many people in these days believed that being barren meant God’s frowning displeasure was upon you.
b. Think of the pain and shame Elizabeth felt.
Perhaps other ladies of faith looked down on her because they had been blessed by God and Elizabeth had not.
c. Be aware of attributing your blessings to your own personal godliness!
d. God in His grace gives us what we do not deserve. God in His mercy does not give us what we do deserve!
4. Perhaps this morning, you find it hard to praise the Lord because of difficult circumstances, guilt, pain in your life.
5. Let’s remember we praise Him first and foremost because He is GOD…not because life is always GOOD from our limited standpoint!
ILLUS: I shall meet tomorrow bravely, I am stronger now, The disappointments that befell me Strengthened me somehow. The dawn shall find my face uplifted, Serene, in the sun, And with Him my problems sifted, One by one.
C. Fears and Doubts Lk. 1:11-25
1. God came to Zacharias in the form of the angel, Gabriel with good news and answer to their most heartfelt prayer!
2. God would supernaturally enable them to conceive a son whose name would be “John.”
3. Lk. 1:15-17 tells us John would bring “gladness,” be “great,” “godly,” and “gifted.” Ultimately, His life would bring much GLORY TO GOD!
4. Zacharias and Elizabeth were so blessed of God! Answer to prayer! A godly son who would serve the Messiah!
5. Instead of being overcome with praise, Zacharias us overloaded in unbelief!
6. Because of his unbelief, he would have to go a full 9 months before he would be able to speak again!
ILLUS: Once, an unbeliever visited Isaac Newton, the great English scientist and Christian. Newton had a mechanical model of the solar system in his study. The unbeliever asked, “Who made this?” “Nobody,” Mr. Newton replied promptly. “You must think I am a fool!” the unbeliever said, “It would take a genius to make this.” Newton said, “This is only a puny imitation of a much grander system. I cannot convince you that this mere toy is without a designer, yet you profess to believe that the great original from which this design is taken has come into being without a Designer or a Maker.”
7. Hebrews 11:6 reminds us that, “without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God MUST BELIEVE that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
8. You and I have God’s Holy Word to build our faith upon – yet we must believe and act upon His Word to enjoy the full benefits of it!
II. ASSURANCES FROM THE PAST
A. Family Feud Lk. 1:57-66
1. Time came for Elizabeth to bring forth her son.
2. The neighbors and relatives got all happy for Elizabeth, but then they tried to take control by forcing her to name the baby after Zacharias!
3. They can’t make Elizabeth change her mind, so they go to John! John’s been waiting 9 months for this day and he writes down on the tablet, “HIS NAME IS JOHN!”
4. Family is one of life’s greatest blessings from God, but don’t let them keep you from being obedient to the will of God!
5. Think of the sheer joy and happiness that Zacharias had as the Lord opened his mouth miraculously and he began to praise God!
B. Filled and Focused Lk. 1:67
1. Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit to speak God’s praises and to tell glad tidings of salvation for all people!
2. The purpose of the Holy Spirit filling our lives is not mainly for an emotional experience where we go into some kind of trance and fall out!
3. The purpose of the Holy Spirit filling our lives is that we will be witnesses unto the Lord of glory, the Lord Jesus Christ!
ILLUS: Dr. Jack Graham is one of my favorite pastors and in a sermon recently he said, “Far too many of us are more interested in the “feeling of the Spirit,” over the “filling of the Spirit!”
4. Ephesians 5:18, “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
5. Being filled with God’s Spirit is for every single child of God…not just “the elite.”
C. Forever Faithful - Our Fortress Lk. 1:68-73
1. Zacharias praised God for visiting and saving His people!
2. The Jews were primarily interested in a “political deliverer” – one who would free them from the oppressive Roman government - Yet the primary purpose of Jesus was not political in agenda, rather personal, peaceful, and powerful in assuring us that our sins have been forgiven by a Holy God!
3. The coming of the Baby Jesus through the lineage of David, in a lowly manger in Bethlehem to be our Savior is certainly reason for praise to God!
5. As the Prophet Isaiah tells, “…of His kingdom there will be no end!
6. Zacharias also recalls God’s covenant promises to Abraham.
7. Genesis 22:16-18 - Abrahm was faithful to obey God to the point of being willing to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice to God. God promised by Himself that Abraham and all his descendents would be forever blessed and Zacharias is rejoicing in God’s
forever faithfulness!
7. Looking back at the faithfulness of God in times past brings great assurance to our hearts that He is just as faithful now!
ILLUS: A missionary returned to the little village which had been destroyed by the enemies of the gospel. He found the people weeping over the ashes which were previously their thatched roofs. One of the natives said to him, “They even burned my Bible and my hymn book!” And then in the ruins he saw a little white paper not totally burned. He picked it up and read it. The only thing that remained was “Joy to the World, the Lord is come.” He stopped for a moment and then he said, “That’s enough for me.”
III. ANCHORS IN THE PRESENT
A. Anchor #1 - Freedom from Fear Lk. 1:74
1. With Zachariah, we can praise God today because in the coming of Jesus we’ve been “delivered from the hand of our enemies,” (Sin, Satan, Death) that we might “serve Him without fear.”
a. Because you have a Savior in the Lord Jesus Christ – without fear you can look at people in the eye and say, “Merry Christmas!” rather than Happy Holidays.
b. Because of Jesus - You can go to bed at night without fear that whatever “bad news” you’ve heard through the day will over take the “good news” that Jesus is Lord
and you belong to Him!
c. Because of Jesus - You can look at death without fear and say, “I know the One who was dead, yet now is alive and I will reign with Him through all eternity!" Rev. 1:17-18
2. Does fear or faith control you today? Fear is a choice and faith is a choice and the only way to break free of fear is to know the love and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ!
ILLUS: One writer said it this way: “The greatness of our fears shows us the littleness of our faith.”
B. Anchor # 2 - Forgiveness of Sins Lk. 1:77
1. John the Baptist would preach about salvation and remission of sins.
2. As sinners what we need more than anything else is a Savior.
3. There is nothing that you and I can do to become good enough or somehow “earn” God’s forgiveness.
ILLUS: One of my pastor friends, David Lyle, recently wrote in our evangelism blog that the one thing he must never forget is that he is a sinner in need of a Savior. It’s so true, but so easily forgotten!
4. Have you come to Jesus for forgiveness of your sins and an everlasting salvation?
5. Jesus is the “horn of salvation” for us.
6. The word “horn” has come to signify a figure of beauty, power, and dominion.
a. One has said, “In speaking of Christ as a Horn of Salvation, Zechariah meant to emphasize the glory and beauty of the Savior, His supreme and universal dominion and His infinite and divine power. It is coronation, singing, “Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all.”
C. Future that is Bright Lk. 1:78-80
1. We look at our world today and these words seem more real than ever before.
2. It is a world full of “darkness” and “death.” People need the light of Jesus Christ today just as much as they ever did.
3. Aren’t you thankful this morning that no matter how dark it gets…no matter how real death is…that there is the “light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
5. Malachi 4:2, “But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings.”
ILLUS: As the ship moved across the ocean, the old missionary said to his wife, “Dear, something is wrong. Why should we have given our lives in faithful service for God in Africa all these many years and have no one care a thing about us? Here this man comes back from a big game hunting expedition and everybody makes much of him, but nobody gives two hoots about us…If God is running this world, why does he permit such injustice?” When the ship docked, a band was waiting there to greet the president. The mayor of New York was there, along with other leaders of the nation. The papers were full of the president’s arrival, but no one even noticed this missionary couple…that night the man’s spirit just broke. He said to his wife, “I can’t take this; God is not treating us fairly.” His wife replied, “Why don’t you go in the bathroom and talk to the Lord about this whole thing?” A short time later he came out from the bedroom, but now his face was completely different. His wife asked him, “Dear, what happened?” “Yes,” he said, “the Lord has settled it with me…I told him how bitter I was that the president should receive this tremendous homecoming, who no one met us when we returned home. And you know, when I finished, it seemed as though the Lord put his hand on my shoulder and simply said, “But you’re not home yet!” –Ray Stedman, Talking to My Father
5. It’s so easy to get caught up in the momentary pains and strains of life…sometimes even to the neglect of how great our hope in the Lord Jesus is!
CONC: The Bible teaches that Christians are called to continually be “praising God from whom all blessings flow. This is not always easy because our circumstance or struggles can make it difficult to worship Him faithfully. However, God has answered prayer, assured us of His work in the past, and anchored us in freedom, forgiveness, and a forever future with Him. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
INTRO: It’s easy to get caught up in the “busyness” of the Christmas season that we fail to appreciate the “blessings” of our Wonderful Counselor and Mighty God! We tend to take for granted the incredible gift of salvation God brought down to mankind in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. We can get so wrapped up in all our “Christmas duties” that we neglect the “consistent devotion” in worship that belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ alone.
ILLUS: Someone has written that people use Xmas and it means Xhaustion, Xcuses, Xchanges, Xcesses, Xtravagances, Xasperations, Xhibitions and worldly Xcitement. How much better to make the Lord Jesus Christ the very center of our Christmas observance. Let’s keep Christ in Christmas!
PROP. SENT: The Bible teaches that Christ followers are a “chosen generation,” a “holy nation,” “His own special people,” that we might proclaim the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2.9). Christians must be known for their lifestyle of worship to the King of Kings and Lord and Lords!
TRANS. SENT: A look into the life, struggles, faith of priest Zacharias, his wife, Elizabeth, and their miraculous/mission called son, John the Baptist, will give us great inspiration to continually “praise God from whom all blessings flow!”
I. ANSWERS TO PRAYER
A. Faultless Devotion Lk. 1:5-6, 8-10
1. Just one look at Zacharias and Elizabeth and you can tell this is one married couple with a heart for God and the things of God.
a. Zachariah’s name means “Yahweh remembers” and Elizabeth’s name means “God is my oath” or “worshipper of God.”
2. To say they are “righteous” does not mean they were perfect or sinless – rather their lives were totally devoted to serving the Lord.
3. They loved and obeyed God…doing what He willed, not what they willed for their lives.
4. That’s where worship of the Lord really begins!
a. It’s not about me…It’s about HIM!
b. Understanding that God has sent His Son the Lord Jesus Christ – to be the total Lord and Savior of your life should lead you to worship and serve Him!
c. Romans 14:7-9, “For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died (crucifixion) and rose (resurrection) and lived again (exaltation), that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.”
d. The word “worship” is shortened from the old word “worth-ship” - showing God the worth He deserves from your life!
B. Fortitude Developed Lk. 1:7, 25
1. In spite of the fact that Zacaharius and Elizabeth loved God with all their heart, soul, and strength…they still had problems in life!
2. Ex’s: They lived under and oppressive government, Elizabeth was barren, they were both well advanced in years.
3. The Bible teaches that children are a gift from the Lord.
a. Many people in these days believed that being barren meant God’s frowning displeasure was upon you.
b. Think of the pain and shame Elizabeth felt.
Perhaps other ladies of faith looked down on her because they had been blessed by God and Elizabeth had not.
c. Be aware of attributing your blessings to your own personal godliness!
d. God in His grace gives us what we do not deserve. God in His mercy does not give us what we do deserve!
4. Perhaps this morning, you find it hard to praise the Lord because of difficult circumstances, guilt, pain in your life.
5. Let’s remember we praise Him first and foremost because He is GOD…not because life is always GOOD from our limited standpoint!
ILLUS: I shall meet tomorrow bravely, I am stronger now, The disappointments that befell me Strengthened me somehow. The dawn shall find my face uplifted, Serene, in the sun, And with Him my problems sifted, One by one.
C. Fears and Doubts Lk. 1:11-25
1. God came to Zacharias in the form of the angel, Gabriel with good news and answer to their most heartfelt prayer!
2. God would supernaturally enable them to conceive a son whose name would be “John.”
3. Lk. 1:15-17 tells us John would bring “gladness,” be “great,” “godly,” and “gifted.” Ultimately, His life would bring much GLORY TO GOD!
4. Zacharias and Elizabeth were so blessed of God! Answer to prayer! A godly son who would serve the Messiah!
5. Instead of being overcome with praise, Zacharias us overloaded in unbelief!
6. Because of his unbelief, he would have to go a full 9 months before he would be able to speak again!
ILLUS: Once, an unbeliever visited Isaac Newton, the great English scientist and Christian. Newton had a mechanical model of the solar system in his study. The unbeliever asked, “Who made this?” “Nobody,” Mr. Newton replied promptly. “You must think I am a fool!” the unbeliever said, “It would take a genius to make this.” Newton said, “This is only a puny imitation of a much grander system. I cannot convince you that this mere toy is without a designer, yet you profess to believe that the great original from which this design is taken has come into being without a Designer or a Maker.”
7. Hebrews 11:6 reminds us that, “without faith it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God MUST BELIEVE that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
8. You and I have God’s Holy Word to build our faith upon – yet we must believe and act upon His Word to enjoy the full benefits of it!
II. ASSURANCES FROM THE PAST
A. Family Feud Lk. 1:57-66
1. Time came for Elizabeth to bring forth her son.
2. The neighbors and relatives got all happy for Elizabeth, but then they tried to take control by forcing her to name the baby after Zacharias!
3. They can’t make Elizabeth change her mind, so they go to John! John’s been waiting 9 months for this day and he writes down on the tablet, “HIS NAME IS JOHN!”
4. Family is one of life’s greatest blessings from God, but don’t let them keep you from being obedient to the will of God!
5. Think of the sheer joy and happiness that Zacharias had as the Lord opened his mouth miraculously and he began to praise God!
B. Filled and Focused Lk. 1:67
1. Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit to speak God’s praises and to tell glad tidings of salvation for all people!
2. The purpose of the Holy Spirit filling our lives is not mainly for an emotional experience where we go into some kind of trance and fall out!
3. The purpose of the Holy Spirit filling our lives is that we will be witnesses unto the Lord of glory, the Lord Jesus Christ!
ILLUS: Dr. Jack Graham is one of my favorite pastors and in a sermon recently he said, “Far too many of us are more interested in the “feeling of the Spirit,” over the “filling of the Spirit!”
4. Ephesians 5:18, “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
5. Being filled with God’s Spirit is for every single child of God…not just “the elite.”
C. Forever Faithful - Our Fortress Lk. 1:68-73
1. Zacharias praised God for visiting and saving His people!
2. The Jews were primarily interested in a “political deliverer” – one who would free them from the oppressive Roman government - Yet the primary purpose of Jesus was not political in agenda, rather personal, peaceful, and powerful in assuring us that our sins have been forgiven by a Holy God!
3. The coming of the Baby Jesus through the lineage of David, in a lowly manger in Bethlehem to be our Savior is certainly reason for praise to God!
5. As the Prophet Isaiah tells, “…of His kingdom there will be no end!
6. Zacharias also recalls God’s covenant promises to Abraham.
7. Genesis 22:16-18 - Abrahm was faithful to obey God to the point of being willing to offer his son Isaac as a sacrifice to God. God promised by Himself that Abraham and all his descendents would be forever blessed and Zacharias is rejoicing in God’s
forever faithfulness!
7. Looking back at the faithfulness of God in times past brings great assurance to our hearts that He is just as faithful now!
ILLUS: A missionary returned to the little village which had been destroyed by the enemies of the gospel. He found the people weeping over the ashes which were previously their thatched roofs. One of the natives said to him, “They even burned my Bible and my hymn book!” And then in the ruins he saw a little white paper not totally burned. He picked it up and read it. The only thing that remained was “Joy to the World, the Lord is come.” He stopped for a moment and then he said, “That’s enough for me.”
III. ANCHORS IN THE PRESENT
A. Anchor #1 - Freedom from Fear Lk. 1:74
1. With Zachariah, we can praise God today because in the coming of Jesus we’ve been “delivered from the hand of our enemies,” (Sin, Satan, Death) that we might “serve Him without fear.”
a. Because you have a Savior in the Lord Jesus Christ – without fear you can look at people in the eye and say, “Merry Christmas!” rather than Happy Holidays.
b. Because of Jesus - You can go to bed at night without fear that whatever “bad news” you’ve heard through the day will over take the “good news” that Jesus is Lord
and you belong to Him!
c. Because of Jesus - You can look at death without fear and say, “I know the One who was dead, yet now is alive and I will reign with Him through all eternity!" Rev. 1:17-18
2. Does fear or faith control you today? Fear is a choice and faith is a choice and the only way to break free of fear is to know the love and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ!
ILLUS: One writer said it this way: “The greatness of our fears shows us the littleness of our faith.”
B. Anchor # 2 - Forgiveness of Sins Lk. 1:77
1. John the Baptist would preach about salvation and remission of sins.
2. As sinners what we need more than anything else is a Savior.
3. There is nothing that you and I can do to become good enough or somehow “earn” God’s forgiveness.
ILLUS: One of my pastor friends, David Lyle, recently wrote in our evangelism blog that the one thing he must never forget is that he is a sinner in need of a Savior. It’s so true, but so easily forgotten!
4. Have you come to Jesus for forgiveness of your sins and an everlasting salvation?
5. Jesus is the “horn of salvation” for us.
6. The word “horn” has come to signify a figure of beauty, power, and dominion.
a. One has said, “In speaking of Christ as a Horn of Salvation, Zechariah meant to emphasize the glory and beauty of the Savior, His supreme and universal dominion and His infinite and divine power. It is coronation, singing, “Bring forth the royal diadem, and crown Him Lord of all.”
C. Future that is Bright Lk. 1:78-80
1. We look at our world today and these words seem more real than ever before.
2. It is a world full of “darkness” and “death.” People need the light of Jesus Christ today just as much as they ever did.
3. Aren’t you thankful this morning that no matter how dark it gets…no matter how real death is…that there is the “light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
5. Malachi 4:2, “But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in His wings.”
ILLUS: As the ship moved across the ocean, the old missionary said to his wife, “Dear, something is wrong. Why should we have given our lives in faithful service for God in Africa all these many years and have no one care a thing about us? Here this man comes back from a big game hunting expedition and everybody makes much of him, but nobody gives two hoots about us…If God is running this world, why does he permit such injustice?” When the ship docked, a band was waiting there to greet the president. The mayor of New York was there, along with other leaders of the nation. The papers were full of the president’s arrival, but no one even noticed this missionary couple…that night the man’s spirit just broke. He said to his wife, “I can’t take this; God is not treating us fairly.” His wife replied, “Why don’t you go in the bathroom and talk to the Lord about this whole thing?” A short time later he came out from the bedroom, but now his face was completely different. His wife asked him, “Dear, what happened?” “Yes,” he said, “the Lord has settled it with me…I told him how bitter I was that the president should receive this tremendous homecoming, who no one met us when we returned home. And you know, when I finished, it seemed as though the Lord put his hand on my shoulder and simply said, “But you’re not home yet!” –Ray Stedman, Talking to My Father
5. It’s so easy to get caught up in the momentary pains and strains of life…sometimes even to the neglect of how great our hope in the Lord Jesus is!
CONC: The Bible teaches that Christians are called to continually be “praising God from whom all blessings flow. This is not always easy because our circumstance or struggles can make it difficult to worship Him faithfully. However, God has answered prayer, assured us of His work in the past, and anchored us in freedom, forgiveness, and a forever future with Him. Praise God from whom all blessings flow!
Friday, November 20, 2009
MORE WORD, LESS WORRY!
TEXT: Luke 10:38-42, Colossians 1:15-19
INTRO: Have you ever noticed how easy it is to get stressed out in the every day issues of life that you neglect the most important Person in life, Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior?
ILLUS: According to John MacArthur, some years ago, the Mayo Clinic stated that statistically 80 percent to 85 percent of their total case load were ill either in reality or artificially due directly to mental stress. Also according to MacArthur, not too long ago, there appeared an article in a leading medical journal entitled, “Is Stress the Cause of All Disease?” The author of the article says that at the beginning of the century, bacteria were considered to be the center of attention. Today, mental stress has replaced bacteria.
There’s got to be a better way to live than being stressed out, worrying all the time! Worry has been compared to the rocking chair. It will give you something to do, but won’t take you anywhere!
PROP. SENT. The Bible teaches that God would have us to learn what is truly necessary in life. God’s people are to be consumed with the uncompromising Word of God over the unnecessary worries of this life!
TRANS. SENT. With this in mind today’s scripture focuses us on the essentials of overcoming a worry-filled attitude and enjoying a Word-filled mindset!
I. THE DELIGHTS OF THE WORD
A. Companions & Communion (Lk. 10:38a)
1. Jesus and his disciples are in traveling mode here.
2. As they come into this certain village, most likely Bethany, the plan is just a short stay.
a. While Dr. Luke doesn’t mention the name of the village specifically, the Apostle John did in his gospel.
b. Bethany was the village where Jesus’ friend Lazarus lived and toward the end of His ministry Jesus stayed there during the Passover Celebration which ultimately climaxed with His crucifixion on the cross of Calvary.
3. Jesus greatly enjoyed the company of his companions!
4. They were out working together doing the Father’s will of preaching the good news of the kingdom and ministering to people of all kinds.
5. Jesus wants us to be involved in ministering His Word – yet HE also knows we need others to sustain us in the journey!
6. Not only does Jesus call each of us to “do” ministry for Him, He also calls each of us to “be” with Him in a personal relationship!
7. For example, Mark 3:13-15. So many of us focus on the duty side of ministry (power, prayer, preaching, providing, people, etc.) that we neglect simply the “being” side of ministry… “that they might BE with Him.”
a. Just think, Almighty God Himself wants to
spend each and ever day with you!
b. Jesus doesn’t just want to see you in
Heaven, He wants a closeness with you on the
earth!
c. The greatest experience in life is knowing
the Lord Jesus Christ in a personal way!
d. Knowing Him as Master leads to growing in
Him as a minister!
e. Did you know that the Lord Jesus Christ is
the Creator of the Universe, yet He desires a
personal one on one with you?
1) That’s where real meaning and purpose in life comes from!
2) Knowing that you are connected in a vital relationship with God fills your life with purpose and meaning!
3) What are you doing in the way of pursuing Him on a daily basis?
ILLUS: One man studied 50 pastors in search of the common denominators that led to church growth. They covered the bases from plenty of parking, vision for the future, creative programming, openness to new people, and financial stability. The man concluded, “I have found among these pastors a deep passion to build a big church; however I have not found a corresponding passion to know God."
B. Completion & Comfort
1. At the completion of a long days ministry, Jesus and His companions were probably famished!
2. They are eager to come in and put up their feet on the couch and find some much needed comfort!
3. Perhaps wanting to review some of the “ups” and “downs” of the day!
4. Talking about people’s lives who have been changed by the power of God!
5. Aren’t you grateful this Thanksgiving for a place to call “home?”
a. Many of your are completing a very tough
year and perhaps now is the perfect time to seek a little extra rest and relaxation.
b. If you have had a bit of a restful year, perhaps now is the time to get in gear and be busy about serving others in the name of the Lord Jesus!
6. One of the names of Jesus is the “God of all comfort.”
7. It’s the comfort and strength of the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ that enables us to go through even the most extreme of times!
ILLUS: Christ my Saviour, Christ my friend; Christ my treasure without end: Christ when waves of sorrow roll; Christ, the comfort of my soul. (Unknown)
II. THE DISTRACTIONS OF THE WORK
A. Courteous Luke 10:39
1. “Martha opened her home to him.”
2. Not only did Martha welcome Jesus into her home,
but his 12 disciples as well!
3. Because of Martha’s courteous attitude, I want you
to just imagine all that she’s going through in
preparation for the Son of God and His men!
4. Remember, hospitality was a very important
ingredient to strong relationships in Jesus’ day!
a. Can you see Martha bringing out fresh
towels and basins of water to wash her guests
feet as they entered her house?
b. Can you see her rushing throughout her
rooms bringing out extra chairs so everyone
can feel comfortable and rested?
c. Can you just smell the food and spices that
would fill her home and make mouths water?
5. Martha was a giving and courageous woman of faith!
6. Her giving spirit is shown in the way she entertains and takes care of these men.
7. Her courageous spirit in shown because being associated with Jesus in Jerusalem was not a popular thing.
a. She really is risking her reputation and
possibly her life through her faithful service to the Lord!
ILLUS: My mom is also named Martha and I see many of the same characteristics in both of these ladies. Recently, my parents moved to Dallas, TX, and mom had not stopped getting her new house prepared for Thanksgiving and Christmas guests! In the heart of my mom is a deep desire to love and serve people!
B. Cares Luke 10:40
1. What started off as such a good act of service
Martha desires to render to others, begins to get out
of hand!
2. The Bible tells us that Martha becomes
“distracted” with much serving.
3. Instead of enjoying what she’s doing, Martha
begins to be loaded down with all the heavy burdens
of serving.
4. What started out as such a ministry of love and
hospitality has really turned into a time of burden,
anxieties, pressures, problems, pains.
5. What is happening to Martha here is a picture of
what can happen when we get so “busy” in the work
of Jesus, that we neglect “being” with Jesus.
a. It’s easy to get excited about serving the
Lord when you believe it’s going to be a great
ministry – but if you are not careful you’ll get
burned out because that ministry might not go just as exactly as you planned!
b. People say they are going to show up, but
don’t.
c. They say they are going to help, but don’t.
d. It’s easy to get very frustrated in ministry
when you sense you are doing your part, but
others are not doing theirs!
6. By the way, is there something that is distracting you from being found faithful in the Lord’s service this morning?
a. Too much on your plate?
b. Kids taking up all your time?
c. Spending too much time on unnecessary things?
d. Just don’t feel like being involved?
e. Health or family problems?
f. Laziness or holding a grudge against someone?
g. Don’t know what God has called you to?
h. Depressed because of difficult times?
ILLUS: Rick Majerus, men’s basketball coach at the University of Utah, recently captured a common concern: “Everyone’s worried about the economy this year. Hey, my hairline is in recession, my waistline is in inflation, and altogether, I’m in depression.” —Leadership, Vol. 16, no. 4.
C. Critical Luke 10: 40
1. Do you sense that Martha is not really happy in her ministry unto the Lord right now?
2. You know it’s time to readjust your priorities when you begin to tell the Lord of glory what He’s supposed to do…instead of the other way around!
3. Often what leads to a critical spirit in our lives is
thinking we are in the right and everyone else is in
the wrong! “Tell her to help me!”
ILLUS: A preacher asked a certain man why he had just ceased to attend the services of the church. The man replied, “They haven’t treated me right over there.” The preacher asked, “Then why don’t you go home and beat your wife?” The startled backslider gave the preacher a look which questioned his sanity. “My wife hasn’t done anything against me,” he said. “Well,” the preacher said, “has the Lord Jesus done anything against you?” Being peeved at the brethren and forsaking the Lord is about as logical as being angry with the dog and kicking the cat.
4. Martha’s “critical spirit” was found even though
she was in the very presence of the Lord and that
same critical spirit can be found in God’s house
today.
5. What is a critical spirit and do you have one?
a. If you are excessively negative, harsh and
judgmental of others…Yes!
b. If you are known for faultfinding,
complaining, picking…Yes!
c. If you assume the worst before hearing the
whole story…Yes!
d. If you make judgments based primarily on
appearances…Yes!
ILLUS: June Hunt says, “People with a critical spirit look like kids on a big see saw. They push others down just to elevate themselves.
6. I struggle with a critical spirit in my own life at
times.
a. I know it’s time to slow down and refocus
on God’s Word and God’s Son, when the
smallest of things gets my temper flared up!
7. Sometimes I hear pastors or church members and
they are critical about each other…very hard and
harsh.
8. There’s certainly a time to take a stand if
someone is blatantly distorting the Word of God.
9. There’s a time to go to your brother or sister in
Christ if they’ve sinned against you.
10. Yet more times than not…YOU are the one
in need of the attitude adjustment…not them!
III. THE DISCOVERY OF WORTH
A. Choices Luke 10:41-42
1. Martha and Mary both had choices to make this
day…to serve Jesus or to sit at the feet of Jesus.
2. Martha had gotten so wrapped up in her service,
that she forgot about “It’s all about Him…not about
me.”
3. We too, have that daily choice (1) Take time to
learn His Word and sit as His feet or (2) Go through
the day without really acknowledging our ultimate
need of that personal relationship with Him.
4. If we go too long without sitting at the feet of
Jesus, we easily forget that God is not only concerned
with our service…but the strength of our relationship with Him!
5. Psalm 39:6, “Surely they busy themselves in vain.”
6. None of us would like that to be said of us.
7. The number one way to avoid this is reprioritize
our relationship with the Risen Lord Jesus!
IILUS: We can worry or we can worship. Strangely enough, busy people find it a whole lot easier to worry than to worship. Briscoe, J.
ILLUS: Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength. – Corrie Ten Boom
A. Contemplation Luke 10:42a, Colossians 1:15-19
1. We contemplate the Lord Jesus and listen to Him
today by setting our affections and appetites on the
Word of God!
2. Although we don’t see Jesus with our physical
eyes, we see Him with our spiritual eyes as we open
up His life giving Word.
3. Colossians 1:15-22, Jesus is the “image of the
invisible God,” “firstborn over all creation,” “created
all things that are in heaven and on earth…created
through Him and for Him,” “He is before all things,”
“in Him all things exist,” “He is the head of the body,the church,”
Jesus is “the beginning,” “the firstborn from the dead,”
“in all things He may have the preeminence.”
4. Where do I start to contemplate Jesus?
a. The Worth of Jesus – Creator of Heavens
and Consolation of our Hearts!
b. The Work of Jesus – Commander of Saints
and Canceller of Sins!
c. The Worship of Jesus – Cornerstone of the
Body and Completed through the Blood of the
Cross!
5. The more you focus on Jesus the more you are
going to become like Jesus!
ILLUS: Worship helps us find who we are and why God has placed us here on the earth. When we bow in God’s presence with worship, only then are we made complete. —Judson Cornwall. Leadership, Vol. 16
B. Comprehension Luke 10: 42
1. Mary discerned and comprehended where the most
important meal of the day was coming from…and it
wasn’t Martha’s kitchen!
2. Mary’s spiritual hunger for the Word of God was so
strong and so important that it would not be taken
away from her.
3. The world would say that Martha had chosen the
most important things...busyness, hard work,
sacrifice to the bone.
4. Jesus said Mary, not Martha truly comprehended
what was needed most.
5. Do you? Do you believe God values your busyness
over your simply being present before Him?
ILLUS: The Bethlehem Steel Corporation was struggling, so its president, Charles Schwab, hired consultant Ivy Lee to help out. Schwab agreed to pay Lee anything within reason if Lee’s suggestion helped the company. A few days later, Lee had his plan. He suggested the Schwab, before leaving the office at night, write down the most important tasks that he had to accomplish the next day. Schwab was then to order them in the order of importance. He would work on priority number one until it was done, them move to number two, and so on. Occasionally Schwab was to recheck his priorities and then continue on. Lee recommended that Schwab make this a daily habit. Within five years, Bethlehem Steel was the biggest independent steel producer in the world and Lee was rewarded with a nice $25,000 check!
6. Schwab reaped the benefits of putting first things
first!
7. What benefits are you reaping if you are full of
worries all day…what benefits would you reap if you
put your mind on the Word of God?
8. Would you begin to set aside some time to spend
with God in His Word each day this week?
a. The Disciples Prayer is found in Luke 11:1-4
b. Devotional Books are available in the front!
ILLUS: The dying words of Queen Elizabeth I were these: “All my possessions for a moment of time.” Unfortunately, we cannot buy more time—not one more day, not one more hour, not one more minute.
8. Isn’t it “time” to lay down your worries and learn
at His feet the very words of life?
CONCLUSION: The Word of God is necessary to rid you from so many unnecessary worries! It’s so easy to get wrapped up in what we think is important that we lose sight of what is most important to God…our relationship to Him in His Word! God’s Word is good for the soul! Isaiah 55:2, “Listen, and I will tell you where to get food that is good for the soul!”
INTRO: Have you ever noticed how easy it is to get stressed out in the every day issues of life that you neglect the most important Person in life, Jesus Christ your Lord and Savior?
ILLUS: According to John MacArthur, some years ago, the Mayo Clinic stated that statistically 80 percent to 85 percent of their total case load were ill either in reality or artificially due directly to mental stress. Also according to MacArthur, not too long ago, there appeared an article in a leading medical journal entitled, “Is Stress the Cause of All Disease?” The author of the article says that at the beginning of the century, bacteria were considered to be the center of attention. Today, mental stress has replaced bacteria.
There’s got to be a better way to live than being stressed out, worrying all the time! Worry has been compared to the rocking chair. It will give you something to do, but won’t take you anywhere!
PROP. SENT. The Bible teaches that God would have us to learn what is truly necessary in life. God’s people are to be consumed with the uncompromising Word of God over the unnecessary worries of this life!
TRANS. SENT. With this in mind today’s scripture focuses us on the essentials of overcoming a worry-filled attitude and enjoying a Word-filled mindset!
I. THE DELIGHTS OF THE WORD
A. Companions & Communion (Lk. 10:38a)
1. Jesus and his disciples are in traveling mode here.
2. As they come into this certain village, most likely Bethany, the plan is just a short stay.
a. While Dr. Luke doesn’t mention the name of the village specifically, the Apostle John did in his gospel.
b. Bethany was the village where Jesus’ friend Lazarus lived and toward the end of His ministry Jesus stayed there during the Passover Celebration which ultimately climaxed with His crucifixion on the cross of Calvary.
3. Jesus greatly enjoyed the company of his companions!
4. They were out working together doing the Father’s will of preaching the good news of the kingdom and ministering to people of all kinds.
5. Jesus wants us to be involved in ministering His Word – yet HE also knows we need others to sustain us in the journey!
6. Not only does Jesus call each of us to “do” ministry for Him, He also calls each of us to “be” with Him in a personal relationship!
7. For example, Mark 3:13-15. So many of us focus on the duty side of ministry (power, prayer, preaching, providing, people, etc.) that we neglect simply the “being” side of ministry… “that they might BE with Him.”
a. Just think, Almighty God Himself wants to
spend each and ever day with you!
b. Jesus doesn’t just want to see you in
Heaven, He wants a closeness with you on the
earth!
c. The greatest experience in life is knowing
the Lord Jesus Christ in a personal way!
d. Knowing Him as Master leads to growing in
Him as a minister!
e. Did you know that the Lord Jesus Christ is
the Creator of the Universe, yet He desires a
personal one on one with you?
1) That’s where real meaning and purpose in life comes from!
2) Knowing that you are connected in a vital relationship with God fills your life with purpose and meaning!
3) What are you doing in the way of pursuing Him on a daily basis?
ILLUS: One man studied 50 pastors in search of the common denominators that led to church growth. They covered the bases from plenty of parking, vision for the future, creative programming, openness to new people, and financial stability. The man concluded, “I have found among these pastors a deep passion to build a big church; however I have not found a corresponding passion to know God."
B. Completion & Comfort
1. At the completion of a long days ministry, Jesus and His companions were probably famished!
2. They are eager to come in and put up their feet on the couch and find some much needed comfort!
3. Perhaps wanting to review some of the “ups” and “downs” of the day!
4. Talking about people’s lives who have been changed by the power of God!
5. Aren’t you grateful this Thanksgiving for a place to call “home?”
a. Many of your are completing a very tough
year and perhaps now is the perfect time to seek a little extra rest and relaxation.
b. If you have had a bit of a restful year, perhaps now is the time to get in gear and be busy about serving others in the name of the Lord Jesus!
6. One of the names of Jesus is the “God of all comfort.”
7. It’s the comfort and strength of the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ that enables us to go through even the most extreme of times!
ILLUS: Christ my Saviour, Christ my friend; Christ my treasure without end: Christ when waves of sorrow roll; Christ, the comfort of my soul. (Unknown)
II. THE DISTRACTIONS OF THE WORK
A. Courteous Luke 10:39
1. “Martha opened her home to him.”
2. Not only did Martha welcome Jesus into her home,
but his 12 disciples as well!
3. Because of Martha’s courteous attitude, I want you
to just imagine all that she’s going through in
preparation for the Son of God and His men!
4. Remember, hospitality was a very important
ingredient to strong relationships in Jesus’ day!
a. Can you see Martha bringing out fresh
towels and basins of water to wash her guests
feet as they entered her house?
b. Can you see her rushing throughout her
rooms bringing out extra chairs so everyone
can feel comfortable and rested?
c. Can you just smell the food and spices that
would fill her home and make mouths water?
5. Martha was a giving and courageous woman of faith!
6. Her giving spirit is shown in the way she entertains and takes care of these men.
7. Her courageous spirit in shown because being associated with Jesus in Jerusalem was not a popular thing.
a. She really is risking her reputation and
possibly her life through her faithful service to the Lord!
ILLUS: My mom is also named Martha and I see many of the same characteristics in both of these ladies. Recently, my parents moved to Dallas, TX, and mom had not stopped getting her new house prepared for Thanksgiving and Christmas guests! In the heart of my mom is a deep desire to love and serve people!
B. Cares Luke 10:40
1. What started off as such a good act of service
Martha desires to render to others, begins to get out
of hand!
2. The Bible tells us that Martha becomes
“distracted” with much serving.
3. Instead of enjoying what she’s doing, Martha
begins to be loaded down with all the heavy burdens
of serving.
4. What started out as such a ministry of love and
hospitality has really turned into a time of burden,
anxieties, pressures, problems, pains.
5. What is happening to Martha here is a picture of
what can happen when we get so “busy” in the work
of Jesus, that we neglect “being” with Jesus.
a. It’s easy to get excited about serving the
Lord when you believe it’s going to be a great
ministry – but if you are not careful you’ll get
burned out because that ministry might not go just as exactly as you planned!
b. People say they are going to show up, but
don’t.
c. They say they are going to help, but don’t.
d. It’s easy to get very frustrated in ministry
when you sense you are doing your part, but
others are not doing theirs!
6. By the way, is there something that is distracting you from being found faithful in the Lord’s service this morning?
a. Too much on your plate?
b. Kids taking up all your time?
c. Spending too much time on unnecessary things?
d. Just don’t feel like being involved?
e. Health or family problems?
f. Laziness or holding a grudge against someone?
g. Don’t know what God has called you to?
h. Depressed because of difficult times?
ILLUS: Rick Majerus, men’s basketball coach at the University of Utah, recently captured a common concern: “Everyone’s worried about the economy this year. Hey, my hairline is in recession, my waistline is in inflation, and altogether, I’m in depression.” —Leadership, Vol. 16, no. 4.
C. Critical Luke 10: 40
1. Do you sense that Martha is not really happy in her ministry unto the Lord right now?
2. You know it’s time to readjust your priorities when you begin to tell the Lord of glory what He’s supposed to do…instead of the other way around!
3. Often what leads to a critical spirit in our lives is
thinking we are in the right and everyone else is in
the wrong! “Tell her to help me!”
ILLUS: A preacher asked a certain man why he had just ceased to attend the services of the church. The man replied, “They haven’t treated me right over there.” The preacher asked, “Then why don’t you go home and beat your wife?” The startled backslider gave the preacher a look which questioned his sanity. “My wife hasn’t done anything against me,” he said. “Well,” the preacher said, “has the Lord Jesus done anything against you?” Being peeved at the brethren and forsaking the Lord is about as logical as being angry with the dog and kicking the cat.
4. Martha’s “critical spirit” was found even though
she was in the very presence of the Lord and that
same critical spirit can be found in God’s house
today.
5. What is a critical spirit and do you have one?
a. If you are excessively negative, harsh and
judgmental of others…Yes!
b. If you are known for faultfinding,
complaining, picking…Yes!
c. If you assume the worst before hearing the
whole story…Yes!
d. If you make judgments based primarily on
appearances…Yes!
ILLUS: June Hunt says, “People with a critical spirit look like kids on a big see saw. They push others down just to elevate themselves.
6. I struggle with a critical spirit in my own life at
times.
a. I know it’s time to slow down and refocus
on God’s Word and God’s Son, when the
smallest of things gets my temper flared up!
7. Sometimes I hear pastors or church members and
they are critical about each other…very hard and
harsh.
8. There’s certainly a time to take a stand if
someone is blatantly distorting the Word of God.
9. There’s a time to go to your brother or sister in
Christ if they’ve sinned against you.
10. Yet more times than not…YOU are the one
in need of the attitude adjustment…not them!
III. THE DISCOVERY OF WORTH
A. Choices Luke 10:41-42
1. Martha and Mary both had choices to make this
day…to serve Jesus or to sit at the feet of Jesus.
2. Martha had gotten so wrapped up in her service,
that she forgot about “It’s all about Him…not about
me.”
3. We too, have that daily choice (1) Take time to
learn His Word and sit as His feet or (2) Go through
the day without really acknowledging our ultimate
need of that personal relationship with Him.
4. If we go too long without sitting at the feet of
Jesus, we easily forget that God is not only concerned
with our service…but the strength of our relationship with Him!
5. Psalm 39:6, “Surely they busy themselves in vain.”
6. None of us would like that to be said of us.
7. The number one way to avoid this is reprioritize
our relationship with the Risen Lord Jesus!
IILUS: We can worry or we can worship. Strangely enough, busy people find it a whole lot easier to worry than to worship. Briscoe, J.
ILLUS: Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, it empties today of its strength. – Corrie Ten Boom
A. Contemplation Luke 10:42a, Colossians 1:15-19
1. We contemplate the Lord Jesus and listen to Him
today by setting our affections and appetites on the
Word of God!
2. Although we don’t see Jesus with our physical
eyes, we see Him with our spiritual eyes as we open
up His life giving Word.
3. Colossians 1:15-22, Jesus is the “image of the
invisible God,” “firstborn over all creation,” “created
all things that are in heaven and on earth…created
through Him and for Him,” “He is before all things,”
“in Him all things exist,” “He is the head of the body,the church,”
Jesus is “the beginning,” “the firstborn from the dead,”
“in all things He may have the preeminence.”
4. Where do I start to contemplate Jesus?
a. The Worth of Jesus – Creator of Heavens
and Consolation of our Hearts!
b. The Work of Jesus – Commander of Saints
and Canceller of Sins!
c. The Worship of Jesus – Cornerstone of the
Body and Completed through the Blood of the
Cross!
5. The more you focus on Jesus the more you are
going to become like Jesus!
ILLUS: Worship helps us find who we are and why God has placed us here on the earth. When we bow in God’s presence with worship, only then are we made complete. —Judson Cornwall. Leadership, Vol. 16
B. Comprehension Luke 10: 42
1. Mary discerned and comprehended where the most
important meal of the day was coming from…and it
wasn’t Martha’s kitchen!
2. Mary’s spiritual hunger for the Word of God was so
strong and so important that it would not be taken
away from her.
3. The world would say that Martha had chosen the
most important things...busyness, hard work,
sacrifice to the bone.
4. Jesus said Mary, not Martha truly comprehended
what was needed most.
5. Do you? Do you believe God values your busyness
over your simply being present before Him?
ILLUS: The Bethlehem Steel Corporation was struggling, so its president, Charles Schwab, hired consultant Ivy Lee to help out. Schwab agreed to pay Lee anything within reason if Lee’s suggestion helped the company. A few days later, Lee had his plan. He suggested the Schwab, before leaving the office at night, write down the most important tasks that he had to accomplish the next day. Schwab was then to order them in the order of importance. He would work on priority number one until it was done, them move to number two, and so on. Occasionally Schwab was to recheck his priorities and then continue on. Lee recommended that Schwab make this a daily habit. Within five years, Bethlehem Steel was the biggest independent steel producer in the world and Lee was rewarded with a nice $25,000 check!
6. Schwab reaped the benefits of putting first things
first!
7. What benefits are you reaping if you are full of
worries all day…what benefits would you reap if you
put your mind on the Word of God?
8. Would you begin to set aside some time to spend
with God in His Word each day this week?
a. The Disciples Prayer is found in Luke 11:1-4
b. Devotional Books are available in the front!
ILLUS: The dying words of Queen Elizabeth I were these: “All my possessions for a moment of time.” Unfortunately, we cannot buy more time—not one more day, not one more hour, not one more minute.
8. Isn’t it “time” to lay down your worries and learn
at His feet the very words of life?
CONCLUSION: The Word of God is necessary to rid you from so many unnecessary worries! It’s so easy to get wrapped up in what we think is important that we lose sight of what is most important to God…our relationship to Him in His Word! God’s Word is good for the soul! Isaiah 55:2, “Listen, and I will tell you where to get food that is good for the soul!”
Saturday, November 14, 2009
MORE GRATITUIDE, LESS GRUMBLING!
TEXT: LUKE 17:11-19
INTRO: We have so much to be thankful for. In spite of this, it’s easy to get wrapped up in becoming a grumbler over a person of gratitude!
ILLUS: Thankfulness seems to be a lost art today. Warren Wiersbe illustrated this problem in his commentary on Colossians. He told about a ministerial student in Evanston, Illinois, who was part of a life-saving squad. In 1860, a ship went aground on the shore of Lake Michigan near Evanston, and Edward Spencer waded again and again into the frigid waters to rescue 17 passengers. In the process, his health was permanently damaged. Some years later at his funeral, it was noted that not one of the people he rescued ever thanked him. Our Daily Bread, February 20, 1994.
PROP. SENT: The Bible teaches that gratitude is the obedient response of those whose ruined lives have been restored by the Master.
INT. SENT: Why should every child of God be known for having a grateful attitude over a grumbling attitude?
TRANS. SENT: In Luke 17:11-19, we find three biblical reasons for unrestrained gratitude in the life of the child of God. An attitude of gratitude grows in the life of the believer as he understands more of what God has done for him in the Lord Jesus Christ!
I. THE CONDITION OF THE MEN
A. Diseased
1. “…there met Him ten lepers.”
2. Leprosy in Biblical times was a terrible thing. 3. Once a person caught it, it was considered incurable, and those diagnosed with leprosy were banned from society.
4. Leviticus 13:45-46 states, "The person with such an infectious disease must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out, ’Unclean! Unclean!’ As long as he has the infection he remains unclean. He must live alone; he must live outside the camp.”
5. Think of how embarrassing that must have been to be a leper.
a. Disgusted with self
b. Perhaps angry at God
c. Consumed with your disease
d. No hope of healing
ILLUS: In October of 2008, our family attended a fall festival with Amy’s parents. There were at least a couple of thousand people on the grounds celebrating the fall and enjoying fun times, good food, singing, preaching, etc. Of all the people there, one lady stood out in the crowd. She probably had the disease known as “Elephants Disease.” Her face was disfigured greatly and honestly, it was a bit painful to look at her. What really got to me was this lady was wearing a shirt that said, “I love Jesus!” and she never stopped smiling!
6. How many of us would have had that kind of attitude of gratitude? Or would we be grumbling and groaning?
a. We gripe when our air goes out, but what about those who have no home?
b. We gripe about our common colds, but what about those dying with cancer?
c. We get upset when the kids mess up the house, what about those who would love to have children yet are unable?
d. We grumble if the sermon goes five minutes over, what about those who have never heard the precious and powerful name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?
ILLUS: “You can’t expect to be a lucky dog if you spend all your time growling.” Pentz, Zingers.
7. How are you doing today in the shape you are already in? Grateful or grumbling?
B. Disconnected
1. Notice these lepers, “stood afar off.” Lepers would often travel in groups together.
2. Unable to be normal member of society, they would team up together – the unclean and the untouchables.
3. Because lepers are outsiders, they would be totally dependent on people inside the village to share some basic necessities of life with them and to be merciful to them.
ILLUS: Ken Gire, “There he lives. W/o love. W/o hope. W/o the simple joys & dignities of life: being smiled at…being greeted on the street…buying fresh fruit in the market… talking politics by the public fountain…laughing…getting to go to work…operating a business…haggling over prices w/a shopkeeper…getting a wedding invitation…singing hymns in the synagogue, celebrating Passover w/family. All these barred to him. Forever!”
4. In this day and age of computers and technology, it’s relatively easy to be “connected” with others.
a. Email
b. Facebook
c. Cell phones
d. Twitter
5. Yet with all of these technological advances, the one thing the young people of our generation craves is genuine, caring, committed relationships.
6. Aren’t you thankful for loving friendships?
a. Have you thanked family and friends for embracing you?
b. Who are you going to connect with over the holidays?
C. Doomed
1. There was no real way for these lepers to be healed…they were without hope, without strength, without a future.
2. They could have denied their real condition and just put their mind on other things, avoiding their real need and issues.
3. Instead, when Jesus comes their way, they cry out to Him, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”
4. They understand that without the touch of Jesus upon their lives they are doomed to die and are in desperate need of his mercy and grace!
5. This would be Jesus’ last trip through Galilee! a. He was on His way to Jerusalem to take our sins on the cross of Calvary!
b. Literally, this was their last opportunity to receive life from the Lord Jesus!
6. Do you know what is going to keep many folks out of a real relationship with the Lord Jesus – is that they foolishly believe, they have all the time in the world to get right with God.
a. They do not understand that spiritually they are just as doomed to a hopeless future as these 10 lepers were!
5. The greatest need in life is not money, wealth, or fame, but a personal relationship with
Jesus…going from spiritual disease, disconnection, doom, into a life-transforming relationship with God. Has that happened to you? It can!
ILLUS. One of my roommates in college was the starting WR for LA Tech. Before he came to know Jesus, he lived with an attitude of, “I don’t need anything. I can handle anyone or anything life throws at me.” Through a series of events in his life, God opened his eyes to his ultimate need of a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. Dean Jackson said his life changed forever with these four words, “Jesus, I need You!”
II. THE COMISSION OF THE MASTER
A. Duty Initiated
1. Lev. 14:1-7 & Luke 17:14, “Go, show yourselves to the priest.”
2. According to Jewish law, only the priests could announce that one was healed of leprosy, clean, and able to enter into society once more.
3. These lepers had to go in faith on what Jesus had said. At first, there is no outside indication they are healed – they do not look, feel any different than before. However, there is the hope that, in Jesus, they have simply been healed through the power of His word.
4. Now, in obedience to the law of God, they would go to the priest who was authorized to pronounce the once unclean - now clean!
5. In other words, God not only wanted them to “believe” but also “behave.”
a. Biblical faith is not something you simply, “believe,” but something you also must “do.”
b. James 2.17, “Thus also faith by itself, it if does not have works, is dead.” c. Some folks “profess” faith, but never really “possess” biblical faith.
d. They want the name of Christ-follower, but in reality do nothing to prove they are daily following Jesus as Lord…if we “talk the talk,” we must learn to “walk the walk.”
ILLUS: A pastor friend of mine had a man in his congregation who was in church leadership prior to his coming. This man would not attend services faithfully, did not believe in tithing, or giving to missions. My friend asked him why he was not serving the Lord through the church in a more faithful manner. “Someone else will make up for my slackness,” was the mans reply.
B. Depravity Illustrated
1. We read in Luke 17:14-15, “And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them…”
2. “One of them?”
3. Just imagine with me that as they are walking to the temple to tell the priest, suddenly, they begin to see changes in each other.
a. Skin once rough is now smooth as a baby
b. Deformed body parts are now whole
c. Truly, this was the best day of their lives!
4. All ten lepers Jesus cleansed, but only one of returns - this is depravity illustrated!
ILLUS: Bill, a young man was the fortunate heir of vast amounts of money and material things from his family. His wealthy grandfather passed away and left his grandson with $5 million. His mother won the lottery just a few weeks later and deposited $500,000 in his bank account. Bill’s sister married an extremely wealthy man. For Bill’s birthday, they purchased a brand new $75,000 dollar Lexus for the young man. A week later, Bill and his best friend were eating lunch. The friend noticed a very depressed, downcast countenance on Bill’s face. “What’s wrong,” he asked, I’ve never seen anyone go through such a series of incredible fortunes like you.” Bill responded, “Yes, but no one has given me anything this week.”
III. THE COMPREHENSION OF THE MIRACLE
A. Dedication of the Leper
1. Lk. 17:15-16, “And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.”
2. Probably this leper wanted to go and show everyone what had just happened in his life!
3. Yet, he takes time to return to the One who alone has made Him whole!
4. The fact that Dr. Luke points out that the one who did return was a Samaritan is significant! Samaritans were hated severely by the Jews.
5. To the Jews, Samaritans were the outcasts, rejects of the land and had no place in God’s kingdom. (Unwanted, unloved, undesirable)
6. How thankful are you that God’s grace is available for ALL people? (Muslims? Murderers? Miserable?)
7. Do you truly understand more and more of what undeserved grace God has freely poured out into your life…and how are you thanking Him for it?
ILLUS: One man listed reasons for gratitude in his life: “1. A gracious God 2. A loving wife 3. A healthy family 4. Abundant life (Eternally and materially I am filthy rich compared to the rest of the world.) 5. A meaningful vocation 6.Friends 7. Today 8. Opportunities to grow in grace, knowledge, and experience and the list goes on and on and on...”
B. Declaration of the Lord
1. The Lord Jesus said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?”
2. Certainly, all ten should have been down on their knees before the feet of Jesus, praising God, giving Him glory for the incredible miracle He had done in their lives!
3. They had to be happy, full of gratitude for this new life they’d received!
a. They are eager to return to life in community!
b. They can’t wait to see family and friends!
c. They desire to be a person of value in society once more!
4. Yet at their heart, they did not give GOD the glory He was so due! They are so caught up in this gift, they failed to recognize the GIVER of those gifts!
ILLUS: An attorney, who after meditating on several scriptures, decided to cancel the debts of all his clients that had owed him money for more than six months. He drafted a letter explaining his decision and its biblical basis and sent seventeen debt-canceling letters via certified mail. One by one, the letters began to return, unsigned and undelivered. Sixteen of the seventeen letters came back to him because the clients refused to sign for and open the envelopes, fearing that this attorney was suing them for their debts. How profound! We owe a debt for our sin and God is willing to cancel it but too many people will not even open the letter that explains that. Rick McCarley
5. Jesus said, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”
6. While it is great to have experienced the physical healing, Jesus made sure this man understood not only was he physically healed, but of much more importance, spiritually healed!
7. It may seem the physical is much more necessary now…but think of eternity!
a. If Jesus has saved you spiritually, you have a FAR GREATER MIRALCE in your life than a physical healing!
b. For all eternity you’ll be praising Him for it and your time on earth is simply preparation!
c. If people will not glorify God now…why would they want to glorify and honor Him for all eternity?
8. Do you comprehend the miracle Jesus brought to you at salvation?
a. Do you comprehend that is the most important thing that could ever happen in your short stay on this earth?
b. Are you truly known for your grateful heart to God or are you more of a grumbler? c. Grateful hearts are ones that are fixed on Jesus. Grumbling hearts have forgotten the goodness and grace of God in their lives!
9. Romans 1:21, “…although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”
ILLUS: A spirit of ingratitude is the first step toward apostasy. —K. Ammon
10. How appropriate for Thanksgiving to turn into “Thanks-living” for the follower of the Lord Jesus Christ!
11. Hebrews 13:15, “…by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.”
ILLUS: George Freideric Handel had reached the bottom. His right side was paralyzed. He was broke. His creditors threatened him with prison. He was so discouraged that he contemplated suicide. Instead he chose to praise God – to focus on God’s goodness rather than on his own desperate circumstances. Out of that experience came one of the greatest works of praise ever written – Handel’s Messiah and the “Hallelujah Chorus!” Wright and Woods, The Ministry Marathan
CONCLUSION: A grateful (not grumbling) life defines the child of God. Have you returned to the feet of Jesus to thank Him for what He’s done in your life? Colossians 2:6-7, “You received Christ Jesus as Lord. So keep on living in him. Have your roots in him. Build yourselves up in him. Grow strong in what you believe, just as you were taught. Be more thankful than ever before.” (NIRV)
TEXT: LUKE 17:11-19
INTRO: We have so much to be thankful for. In spite of this, it’s easy to get wrapped up in becoming a grumbler over a person of gratitude!
ILLUS: Thankfulness seems to be a lost art today. Warren Wiersbe illustrated this problem in his commentary on Colossians. He told about a ministerial student in Evanston, Illinois, who was part of a life-saving squad. In 1860, a ship went aground on the shore of Lake Michigan near Evanston, and Edward Spencer waded again and again into the frigid waters to rescue 17 passengers. In the process, his health was permanently damaged. Some years later at his funeral, it was noted that not one of the people he rescued ever thanked him. Our Daily Bread, February 20, 1994.
PROP. SENT: The Bible teaches that gratitude is the obedient response of those whose ruined lives have been restored by the Master.
INT. SENT: Why should every child of God be known for having a grateful attitude over a grumbling attitude?
TRANS. SENT: In Luke 17:11-19, we find three biblical reasons for unrestrained gratitude in the life of the child of God. An attitude of gratitude grows in the life of the believer as he understands more of what God has done for him in the Lord Jesus Christ!
I. THE CONDITION OF THE MEN
A. Diseased
1. “…there met Him ten lepers.”
2. Leprosy in Biblical times was a terrible thing. 3. Once a person caught it, it was considered incurable, and those diagnosed with leprosy were banned from society.
4. Leviticus 13:45-46 states, "The person with such an infectious disease must wear torn clothes, let his hair be unkempt, cover the lower part of his face and cry out, ’Unclean! Unclean!’ As long as he has the infection he remains unclean. He must live alone; he must live outside the camp.”
5. Think of how embarrassing that must have been to be a leper.
a. Disgusted with self
b. Perhaps angry at God
c. Consumed with your disease
d. No hope of healing
ILLUS: In October of 2008, our family attended a fall festival with Amy’s parents. There were at least a couple of thousand people on the grounds celebrating the fall and enjoying fun times, good food, singing, preaching, etc. Of all the people there, one lady stood out in the crowd. She probably had the disease known as “Elephants Disease.” Her face was disfigured greatly and honestly, it was a bit painful to look at her. What really got to me was this lady was wearing a shirt that said, “I love Jesus!” and she never stopped smiling!
6. How many of us would have had that kind of attitude of gratitude? Or would we be grumbling and groaning?
a. We gripe when our air goes out, but what about those who have no home?
b. We gripe about our common colds, but what about those dying with cancer?
c. We get upset when the kids mess up the house, what about those who would love to have children yet are unable?
d. We grumble if the sermon goes five minutes over, what about those who have never heard the precious and powerful name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?
ILLUS: “You can’t expect to be a lucky dog if you spend all your time growling.” Pentz, Zingers.
7. How are you doing today in the shape you are already in? Grateful or grumbling?
B. Disconnected
1. Notice these lepers, “stood afar off.” Lepers would often travel in groups together.
2. Unable to be normal member of society, they would team up together – the unclean and the untouchables.
3. Because lepers are outsiders, they would be totally dependent on people inside the village to share some basic necessities of life with them and to be merciful to them.
ILLUS: Ken Gire, “There he lives. W/o love. W/o hope. W/o the simple joys & dignities of life: being smiled at…being greeted on the street…buying fresh fruit in the market… talking politics by the public fountain…laughing…getting to go to work…operating a business…haggling over prices w/a shopkeeper…getting a wedding invitation…singing hymns in the synagogue, celebrating Passover w/family. All these barred to him. Forever!”
4. In this day and age of computers and technology, it’s relatively easy to be “connected” with others.
a. Email
b. Facebook
c. Cell phones
d. Twitter
5. Yet with all of these technological advances, the one thing the young people of our generation craves is genuine, caring, committed relationships.
6. Aren’t you thankful for loving friendships?
a. Have you thanked family and friends for embracing you?
b. Who are you going to connect with over the holidays?
C. Doomed
1. There was no real way for these lepers to be healed…they were without hope, without strength, without a future.
2. They could have denied their real condition and just put their mind on other things, avoiding their real need and issues.
3. Instead, when Jesus comes their way, they cry out to Him, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!”
4. They understand that without the touch of Jesus upon their lives they are doomed to die and are in desperate need of his mercy and grace!
5. This would be Jesus’ last trip through Galilee! a. He was on His way to Jerusalem to take our sins on the cross of Calvary!
b. Literally, this was their last opportunity to receive life from the Lord Jesus!
6. Do you know what is going to keep many folks out of a real relationship with the Lord Jesus – is that they foolishly believe, they have all the time in the world to get right with God.
a. They do not understand that spiritually they are just as doomed to a hopeless future as these 10 lepers were!
5. The greatest need in life is not money, wealth, or fame, but a personal relationship with
Jesus…going from spiritual disease, disconnection, doom, into a life-transforming relationship with God. Has that happened to you? It can!
ILLUS. One of my roommates in college was the starting WR for LA Tech. Before he came to know Jesus, he lived with an attitude of, “I don’t need anything. I can handle anyone or anything life throws at me.” Through a series of events in his life, God opened his eyes to his ultimate need of a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus. Dean Jackson said his life changed forever with these four words, “Jesus, I need You!”
II. THE COMISSION OF THE MASTER
A. Duty Initiated
1. Lev. 14:1-7 & Luke 17:14, “Go, show yourselves to the priest.”
2. According to Jewish law, only the priests could announce that one was healed of leprosy, clean, and able to enter into society once more.
3. These lepers had to go in faith on what Jesus had said. At first, there is no outside indication they are healed – they do not look, feel any different than before. However, there is the hope that, in Jesus, they have simply been healed through the power of His word.
4. Now, in obedience to the law of God, they would go to the priest who was authorized to pronounce the once unclean - now clean!
5. In other words, God not only wanted them to “believe” but also “behave.”
a. Biblical faith is not something you simply, “believe,” but something you also must “do.”
b. James 2.17, “Thus also faith by itself, it if does not have works, is dead.” c. Some folks “profess” faith, but never really “possess” biblical faith.
d. They want the name of Christ-follower, but in reality do nothing to prove they are daily following Jesus as Lord…if we “talk the talk,” we must learn to “walk the walk.”
ILLUS: A pastor friend of mine had a man in his congregation who was in church leadership prior to his coming. This man would not attend services faithfully, did not believe in tithing, or giving to missions. My friend asked him why he was not serving the Lord through the church in a more faithful manner. “Someone else will make up for my slackness,” was the mans reply.
B. Depravity Illustrated
1. We read in Luke 17:14-15, “And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed. And one of them…”
2. “One of them?”
3. Just imagine with me that as they are walking to the temple to tell the priest, suddenly, they begin to see changes in each other.
a. Skin once rough is now smooth as a baby
b. Deformed body parts are now whole
c. Truly, this was the best day of their lives!
4. All ten lepers Jesus cleansed, but only one of returns - this is depravity illustrated!
ILLUS: Bill, a young man was the fortunate heir of vast amounts of money and material things from his family. His wealthy grandfather passed away and left his grandson with $5 million. His mother won the lottery just a few weeks later and deposited $500,000 in his bank account. Bill’s sister married an extremely wealthy man. For Bill’s birthday, they purchased a brand new $75,000 dollar Lexus for the young man. A week later, Bill and his best friend were eating lunch. The friend noticed a very depressed, downcast countenance on Bill’s face. “What’s wrong,” he asked, I’ve never seen anyone go through such a series of incredible fortunes like you.” Bill responded, “Yes, but no one has given me anything this week.”
III. THE COMPREHENSION OF THE MIRACLE
A. Dedication of the Leper
1. Lk. 17:15-16, “And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks. And he was a Samaritan.”
2. Probably this leper wanted to go and show everyone what had just happened in his life!
3. Yet, he takes time to return to the One who alone has made Him whole!
4. The fact that Dr. Luke points out that the one who did return was a Samaritan is significant! Samaritans were hated severely by the Jews.
5. To the Jews, Samaritans were the outcasts, rejects of the land and had no place in God’s kingdom. (Unwanted, unloved, undesirable)
6. How thankful are you that God’s grace is available for ALL people? (Muslims? Murderers? Miserable?)
7. Do you truly understand more and more of what undeserved grace God has freely poured out into your life…and how are you thanking Him for it?
ILLUS: One man listed reasons for gratitude in his life: “1. A gracious God 2. A loving wife 3. A healthy family 4. Abundant life (Eternally and materially I am filthy rich compared to the rest of the world.) 5. A meaningful vocation 6.Friends 7. Today 8. Opportunities to grow in grace, knowledge, and experience and the list goes on and on and on...”
B. Declaration of the Lord
1. The Lord Jesus said, “Were there not ten cleansed? But where are the nine? Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?”
2. Certainly, all ten should have been down on their knees before the feet of Jesus, praising God, giving Him glory for the incredible miracle He had done in their lives!
3. They had to be happy, full of gratitude for this new life they’d received!
a. They are eager to return to life in community!
b. They can’t wait to see family and friends!
c. They desire to be a person of value in society once more!
4. Yet at their heart, they did not give GOD the glory He was so due! They are so caught up in this gift, they failed to recognize the GIVER of those gifts!
ILLUS: An attorney, who after meditating on several scriptures, decided to cancel the debts of all his clients that had owed him money for more than six months. He drafted a letter explaining his decision and its biblical basis and sent seventeen debt-canceling letters via certified mail. One by one, the letters began to return, unsigned and undelivered. Sixteen of the seventeen letters came back to him because the clients refused to sign for and open the envelopes, fearing that this attorney was suing them for their debts. How profound! We owe a debt for our sin and God is willing to cancel it but too many people will not even open the letter that explains that. Rick McCarley
5. Jesus said, “Arise, go your way. Your faith has made you well.”
6. While it is great to have experienced the physical healing, Jesus made sure this man understood not only was he physically healed, but of much more importance, spiritually healed!
7. It may seem the physical is much more necessary now…but think of eternity!
a. If Jesus has saved you spiritually, you have a FAR GREATER MIRALCE in your life than a physical healing!
b. For all eternity you’ll be praising Him for it and your time on earth is simply preparation!
c. If people will not glorify God now…why would they want to glorify and honor Him for all eternity?
8. Do you comprehend the miracle Jesus brought to you at salvation?
a. Do you comprehend that is the most important thing that could ever happen in your short stay on this earth?
b. Are you truly known for your grateful heart to God or are you more of a grumbler? c. Grateful hearts are ones that are fixed on Jesus. Grumbling hearts have forgotten the goodness and grace of God in their lives!
9. Romans 1:21, “…although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”
ILLUS: A spirit of ingratitude is the first step toward apostasy. —K. Ammon
10. How appropriate for Thanksgiving to turn into “Thanks-living” for the follower of the Lord Jesus Christ!
11. Hebrews 13:15, “…by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.”
ILLUS: George Freideric Handel had reached the bottom. His right side was paralyzed. He was broke. His creditors threatened him with prison. He was so discouraged that he contemplated suicide. Instead he chose to praise God – to focus on God’s goodness rather than on his own desperate circumstances. Out of that experience came one of the greatest works of praise ever written – Handel’s Messiah and the “Hallelujah Chorus!” Wright and Woods, The Ministry Marathan
CONCLUSION: A grateful (not grumbling) life defines the child of God. Have you returned to the feet of Jesus to thank Him for what He’s done in your life? Colossians 2:6-7, “You received Christ Jesus as Lord. So keep on living in him. Have your roots in him. Build yourselves up in him. Grow strong in what you believe, just as you were taught. Be more thankful than ever before.” (NIRV)
“MORE FORGIVING, LESS FAULT-FINDING!”
TEXT: Luke 7:36-50
INTRO: It is so easy to get into the trap of judging others unfairly!
ILLUS: Chuck Swindoll told of his being at a pastor’s conference where he would be speaking. The first day there a man approached him and said how greatly he had looked forward to hearing Dr. Swindoll speak and his delight at now finally being able to realize that desire. That evening Swindoll noticed the man was sound asleep only a few minutes into of the sermon. Swindoll thought to himself that perhaps he was tired after a long day's drive and couldn't help himself - but this continued to happen night after night. Dr. Swindoll soon became very upset in his spirit with this man! On the last night the man's wife came up and apologized for her husband's inattention to the messages. She then explained that he had recently been diagnosed as having terminal cancer and the medication he was taking to ease the pain made him extremely sleepy. But it had been one of his life-long ambitions to hear Dr. Swindoll speak before he died, and now he had fulfilled that goal. Source Unknown.
If there is a group of people in the world that know how to forgive lavishly and fault-find sparingly, it is the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s important to learn to become known as a people and place of forgiveness instead of being known with having a reputation of fault-finding.
Like Pastor Swindoll, we can think everyone else has the problem and we alone are in the right!
PROP. SENT: The Bible teaches that the Lord Jesus willingly forgives those with even the most faults in their lives.
INT.SENT: What is the basis of God’s forgiving heart?
TRANS. SENT: Extending life changing forgiveness to people whose lives have been messed up with sin is the heartbeat of Jesus. As we examine this topic of forgiveness and faultfinding in Luke 7:36-50, we’ll learn how we can imitate the Lord Jesus Christ – extending more forgiveness instead of continually looking down at others in their faults.
I. SIMON’S CONTINUAL FAULTFINDING
A. Desired Fellowship Luke 7:36
1. “Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him.”
2. Hospitality is a very strong value in the Near East and they typically go all out for their guests. 3. A basin would typically be provided so guests could wash the dust of the road from their feet.
4. Scented olive oil was sometimes offered to anoint a guest’s hair.
5. And beloved guests would be kissed as they were greeted welcoming them with joy!
a. With the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays coming around, perhaps we could use a lesson on treating our guests with such care!
b. Would it make any difference if Jesus Himself were coming to your house with your relatives during this season?
c. What kind of extra preparation would you make if you would be hosting the Son of God for Thanksgiving dinner?
6. We see that Simon offered none of these marks of a gracious host. It wasn’t so much that Simon wasn’t interested in spending time with Jesus, but he just wasn’t putting his whole heart into it!
7. In spite of Simon’s lack of warmth, Jesus readily accepted this dinner invitation.
a. Jesus is willing to associate with people of all kinds.
b. He is the Savior of the rich just as much as He is the Savior of the rejected!
c. No matter what Jesus said or what He did, there was always plenty of critics and fault-finders around! d. Luke 7:34, “The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!”
8. Fault-finders are always looking for something to criticize in others!
ILLUS: An older lady, who had no affinity for con¬temporary worship, was complaining about a particular song used in the worship service at her church. A fellow worshipper responded, “That is not a new song - it is a very old song! David sang that song to Saul.” The older lady replied, “Well now, for the first time, I understand why Saul threw the javelin at him when he sang.”
9. Fault-finders often try to hide their own faults by casting a negative light on others!
a. Perhaps there is someone you are constantly critical of.
(1) Focus on their good qualities – look to compliment instead of criticize.
(2) Try seeing that person through the eyes of God’s loving grace.
(3) Walk a mile in their shoes. Many adults grew up with harsh parents always bringing up the bad and never good.
B. Disturbed Focus Luke 7:37
1. “And behold, a woman in the city…”
2. While Simon apparently was curious to learn a little
more about Jesus alone, all the sudden this sinful
lady appears in their midst!
3. This did not please Simon whatsoever!
a. This is another characteristic of fault-finders.
b. When things don’t go their way, it’s going to
MAJORLY disturb their desire for control!
4. Evidently in these days, feasts were held outside in the open where others could be watching and paying
attention to what was being said and done.
5. What made this particularly disturbing to Simon was
that this “sinful woman” was taking up his time with
Jesus.
a. Religious leaders of Simon’s day would not speak to women in public or in private – so this was a doubly
difficult situation for him to handle!
6. Our own sense of “religious pride” often leads us to
exclude people from our presence rather than
including them like the Son of God did!
a. Let’s remember God’s church God’s can become an even greater witness of the love of Jesus Christ if we ALL remembered it wasn’t our own goodness that caused us to enter God’s family…only the GRACE AND MERCY OF GOD!
7. Luke 7:39, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner!”
a. Do we realize that Simon’s self righteous attitude
is just as much sin as this women who sold
herself on the streets for sex? She was guilty of sins of the flesh. Simon - sins of the spirit (a critical attitude, a hard heart!) Paul says in 2 Cor.7:1 “let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
b. Unfortunately, we are often guilty of having Simon’s self righteous attitude instead of Jesus sympathetic heart!
c. Just as Simon was missing out on who Jesus really is because of his fault-finding spirit, we too can miss out on the presence of Jesus in our lives and churches when this attitude is found in us!
ILLUS: I love the story of Charles Spurgeon when he was a speaker at a conference along with another man, who publicly proclaimed that Christians could reach a place of sinless perfection where they no longer struggled with sin because they were perfected in the love of God. The speaker went on to suggest modestly that he had realized this in his own life. Spurgeon said nothing, but the next morning, at breakfast time, he crept up behind the man and poured a jug of milk on his head. He quickly discovered that the man still had his sinful nature!” (Gary Inrig. Hearts of Iron, Feet of Clay. Chicago: Moody Press, 1979, page 158).
II. THE SINNER’S COURAGEOUS FAITH
A. Expressive Worship Luke 7:38a
1. “…and she stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears; and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed his feet…”
2. Far from being casual and cold in her relationship to Jesus as Simon was, this “sinful woman” was extremely passionate in her love for the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. Perhaps this extreme gratitude and devotion she showed the Lord came out of the fact that she knew Jesus had forgiven her of everything!
4. May we always be quick to remember, worship is not about us, but about the Lord Jesus Christ being honored simply for who He is in our lives!
a. I had a conversation with a lady this week at our boys student night. She was disturbed because other churches were growing and were using songs and methods that she was not used to!
b. While, I too, prefer a more traditional worship service, we’d better be quick to let God judge the worship and hearts in the church.
c. How many of us would He have let enter in this sanctuary this morning if we had to be just as passionate as this former prostitute was?
ILLUS: Deeply immersed in meditation during a church service, Italian poet Dante Alighieri failed to kneel at the appropriate moment. His enemies hurried to the bishop and demanded that Dante be punished for his sacrilege. Dante defended himself by saying, "If those who accuse me had had their eyes and minds on God, as I had, they too would have failed to notice events around them, and they most certainly would not have noticed what I was doing." Today in the Word, March 10, 1993.
B. Expensive Worship
1. “…and anointed them with the fragrant oil.”
2. This fragrant oil was something that was highly valued
and expensive in these days!
3. She is coming before the Lord with the attitude of “all
that I am and all that I am, I lay it down at your feet
as a sacrifice!
4. She had truly experienced such mercy from the Lord
that the rest of her life would now be lived totally for His honor and glory!
5. She wasn’t trying to pay the Lord back for what He’d done for her…her debt was far too great. What she was doing was yielding her life to Jesus in gratitude.
a. Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies
as living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is
your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to
this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
5. True worship is going to cost you something because you know the value of both the GIVER and the GIFT!
a. We sing, “Lord, you are more precious that diamonds,” and then we give him our dimes!
b. We sing, “Lord, you are more costly than gold!” Then get upset when the church passes the offering plate for missions!
c. We sing, “Nothing I desire compares with you.” Then
we spend all of our money on new computers, new clothes, new cars!
6. True worship is costly because it was cost you your whole life.
a. Isaac Newton, “Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were an offering far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.”
III. THE SAVIOR’S COMPLETE FORGIVENESS
A. The Parable Luke 7:40-49
1. Freedom FROM:
a. Guilt
b. Penalty
c. Separation from God
d. Severed relationships
e. Misunderstanding of the person and purpose of God!
2. If Jesus were preaching from pulpits across America today, this would be a parable He would His body tell until we learned to obey and speak the truth in love!
3. I’m afraid there is a bit of Pharisee in most of us!
ILLUS: A mom and dad were very concerned for their son and had talked to my pastor friend many times and had requested prayer for him. Finally, they were able to get their son to come to church and on that Sunday morning there was an evangelist speaking who went off on homosexuals calling them queers from the pulpit. He got a lot of “Amens” that morning but he also turned away that son. Did Paul condemn homosexuality? Yes, in the strongest biblical language (Romans 1:26-27). Did Paul win homosexuals to Christ? Yes, just read 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. Put yourself for just a few minutes in the shoes of those parents for whose son they were heartbroken. How do we present truth to those in sin? According to Galatians 6:1 “in the spirit of meekness.” Jesus was not harsh even with Judas Iscariot (John 13:27), His betrayer. – Dr. Tim White
B. The Peace
1. Freedom TO:
a. Have peace again!
b. To try a new start.
c. Have a new relationship.
d. Experience grace!
e. To understand who new purpose in life!
f. To extend that same kind of forgiveness Jesus showed her to those who had sinned against her in the past and would in the future!
C. The Price
1. As wonderful as forgiveness and freedom and Christ is, they did not come without great cost.
2. While it cost you and I nothing to earn these gifts, it cost the Son of God His whole life’s blood on the cross of Calvary.
ILLUS: Divine forgiveness is costly. God is love, but God is holiness. God, least of all, can break the great moral laws on which the universe is built. Sin must have its punishment or the very structure of life disintegrates. And God alone can pay the terrible price that is necessary before men can be forgiven. Forgiveness is never a case of saying: 'It's all right; it doesn't matter." Forgiveness is the most costly thing in the world. William Barclay
3. God’s wrath is reserved only for those who refuse to come to Him for salvation, mercy, forgiveness!
4. Don’t delay one moment in waiting to receive the gift of new life Jesus died and rose again to give you!
CONCLUSION: The Bible teaches that God’s heart is one of forgiving even the greatest of sinners instead of condemning them for their faults. Have you received the forgiveness of sins that is found only in the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you known for your forgiveness or faultfinding? "Be ready to forgive others as God for Christ sake hath forgiven you." Eph. 4:32
TEXT: Luke 7:36-50
INTRO: It is so easy to get into the trap of judging others unfairly!
ILLUS: Chuck Swindoll told of his being at a pastor’s conference where he would be speaking. The first day there a man approached him and said how greatly he had looked forward to hearing Dr. Swindoll speak and his delight at now finally being able to realize that desire. That evening Swindoll noticed the man was sound asleep only a few minutes into of the sermon. Swindoll thought to himself that perhaps he was tired after a long day's drive and couldn't help himself - but this continued to happen night after night. Dr. Swindoll soon became very upset in his spirit with this man! On the last night the man's wife came up and apologized for her husband's inattention to the messages. She then explained that he had recently been diagnosed as having terminal cancer and the medication he was taking to ease the pain made him extremely sleepy. But it had been one of his life-long ambitions to hear Dr. Swindoll speak before he died, and now he had fulfilled that goal. Source Unknown.
If there is a group of people in the world that know how to forgive lavishly and fault-find sparingly, it is the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ. It’s important to learn to become known as a people and place of forgiveness instead of being known with having a reputation of fault-finding.
Like Pastor Swindoll, we can think everyone else has the problem and we alone are in the right!
PROP. SENT: The Bible teaches that the Lord Jesus willingly forgives those with even the most faults in their lives.
INT.SENT: What is the basis of God’s forgiving heart?
TRANS. SENT: Extending life changing forgiveness to people whose lives have been messed up with sin is the heartbeat of Jesus. As we examine this topic of forgiveness and faultfinding in Luke 7:36-50, we’ll learn how we can imitate the Lord Jesus Christ – extending more forgiveness instead of continually looking down at others in their faults.
I. SIMON’S CONTINUAL FAULTFINDING
A. Desired Fellowship Luke 7:36
1. “Then one of the Pharisees asked Him to eat with him.”
2. Hospitality is a very strong value in the Near East and they typically go all out for their guests. 3. A basin would typically be provided so guests could wash the dust of the road from their feet.
4. Scented olive oil was sometimes offered to anoint a guest’s hair.
5. And beloved guests would be kissed as they were greeted welcoming them with joy!
a. With the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays coming around, perhaps we could use a lesson on treating our guests with such care!
b. Would it make any difference if Jesus Himself were coming to your house with your relatives during this season?
c. What kind of extra preparation would you make if you would be hosting the Son of God for Thanksgiving dinner?
6. We see that Simon offered none of these marks of a gracious host. It wasn’t so much that Simon wasn’t interested in spending time with Jesus, but he just wasn’t putting his whole heart into it!
7. In spite of Simon’s lack of warmth, Jesus readily accepted this dinner invitation.
a. Jesus is willing to associate with people of all kinds.
b. He is the Savior of the rich just as much as He is the Savior of the rejected!
c. No matter what Jesus said or what He did, there was always plenty of critics and fault-finders around! d. Luke 7:34, “The Son of Man has come eating and drinking, and you say, ‘Look, a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!”
8. Fault-finders are always looking for something to criticize in others!
ILLUS: An older lady, who had no affinity for con¬temporary worship, was complaining about a particular song used in the worship service at her church. A fellow worshipper responded, “That is not a new song - it is a very old song! David sang that song to Saul.” The older lady replied, “Well now, for the first time, I understand why Saul threw the javelin at him when he sang.”
9. Fault-finders often try to hide their own faults by casting a negative light on others!
a. Perhaps there is someone you are constantly critical of.
(1) Focus on their good qualities – look to compliment instead of criticize.
(2) Try seeing that person through the eyes of God’s loving grace.
(3) Walk a mile in their shoes. Many adults grew up with harsh parents always bringing up the bad and never good.
B. Disturbed Focus Luke 7:37
1. “And behold, a woman in the city…”
2. While Simon apparently was curious to learn a little
more about Jesus alone, all the sudden this sinful
lady appears in their midst!
3. This did not please Simon whatsoever!
a. This is another characteristic of fault-finders.
b. When things don’t go their way, it’s going to
MAJORLY disturb their desire for control!
4. Evidently in these days, feasts were held outside in the open where others could be watching and paying
attention to what was being said and done.
5. What made this particularly disturbing to Simon was
that this “sinful woman” was taking up his time with
Jesus.
a. Religious leaders of Simon’s day would not speak to women in public or in private – so this was a doubly
difficult situation for him to handle!
6. Our own sense of “religious pride” often leads us to
exclude people from our presence rather than
including them like the Son of God did!
a. Let’s remember God’s church God’s can become an even greater witness of the love of Jesus Christ if we ALL remembered it wasn’t our own goodness that caused us to enter God’s family…only the GRACE AND MERCY OF GOD!
7. Luke 7:39, “This Man, if He were a prophet, would know who and what manner of woman this is who is touching Him, for she is a sinner!”
a. Do we realize that Simon’s self righteous attitude
is just as much sin as this women who sold
herself on the streets for sex? She was guilty of sins of the flesh. Simon - sins of the spirit (a critical attitude, a hard heart!) Paul says in 2 Cor.7:1 “let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.”
b. Unfortunately, we are often guilty of having Simon’s self righteous attitude instead of Jesus sympathetic heart!
c. Just as Simon was missing out on who Jesus really is because of his fault-finding spirit, we too can miss out on the presence of Jesus in our lives and churches when this attitude is found in us!
ILLUS: I love the story of Charles Spurgeon when he was a speaker at a conference along with another man, who publicly proclaimed that Christians could reach a place of sinless perfection where they no longer struggled with sin because they were perfected in the love of God. The speaker went on to suggest modestly that he had realized this in his own life. Spurgeon said nothing, but the next morning, at breakfast time, he crept up behind the man and poured a jug of milk on his head. He quickly discovered that the man still had his sinful nature!” (Gary Inrig. Hearts of Iron, Feet of Clay. Chicago: Moody Press, 1979, page 158).
II. THE SINNER’S COURAGEOUS FAITH
A. Expressive Worship Luke 7:38a
1. “…and she stood at His feet behind Him weeping; and she began to wash His feet with her tears; and wiped them with the hair of her head; and she kissed his feet…”
2. Far from being casual and cold in her relationship to Jesus as Simon was, this “sinful woman” was extremely passionate in her love for the Lord Jesus Christ.
3. Perhaps this extreme gratitude and devotion she showed the Lord came out of the fact that she knew Jesus had forgiven her of everything!
4. May we always be quick to remember, worship is not about us, but about the Lord Jesus Christ being honored simply for who He is in our lives!
a. I had a conversation with a lady this week at our boys student night. She was disturbed because other churches were growing and were using songs and methods that she was not used to!
b. While, I too, prefer a more traditional worship service, we’d better be quick to let God judge the worship and hearts in the church.
c. How many of us would He have let enter in this sanctuary this morning if we had to be just as passionate as this former prostitute was?
ILLUS: Deeply immersed in meditation during a church service, Italian poet Dante Alighieri failed to kneel at the appropriate moment. His enemies hurried to the bishop and demanded that Dante be punished for his sacrilege. Dante defended himself by saying, "If those who accuse me had had their eyes and minds on God, as I had, they too would have failed to notice events around them, and they most certainly would not have noticed what I was doing." Today in the Word, March 10, 1993.
B. Expensive Worship
1. “…and anointed them with the fragrant oil.”
2. This fragrant oil was something that was highly valued
and expensive in these days!
3. She is coming before the Lord with the attitude of “all
that I am and all that I am, I lay it down at your feet
as a sacrifice!
4. She had truly experienced such mercy from the Lord
that the rest of her life would now be lived totally for His honor and glory!
5. She wasn’t trying to pay the Lord back for what He’d done for her…her debt was far too great. What she was doing was yielding her life to Jesus in gratitude.
a. Romans 12:1-2, “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies
as living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is
your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to
this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
5. True worship is going to cost you something because you know the value of both the GIVER and the GIFT!
a. We sing, “Lord, you are more precious that diamonds,” and then we give him our dimes!
b. We sing, “Lord, you are more costly than gold!” Then get upset when the church passes the offering plate for missions!
c. We sing, “Nothing I desire compares with you.” Then
we spend all of our money on new computers, new clothes, new cars!
6. True worship is costly because it was cost you your whole life.
a. Isaac Newton, “Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were an offering far too small; Love so amazing, so divine, Demands my soul, my life, my all.”
III. THE SAVIOR’S COMPLETE FORGIVENESS
A. The Parable Luke 7:40-49
1. Freedom FROM:
a. Guilt
b. Penalty
c. Separation from God
d. Severed relationships
e. Misunderstanding of the person and purpose of God!
2. If Jesus were preaching from pulpits across America today, this would be a parable He would His body tell until we learned to obey and speak the truth in love!
3. I’m afraid there is a bit of Pharisee in most of us!
ILLUS: A mom and dad were very concerned for their son and had talked to my pastor friend many times and had requested prayer for him. Finally, they were able to get their son to come to church and on that Sunday morning there was an evangelist speaking who went off on homosexuals calling them queers from the pulpit. He got a lot of “Amens” that morning but he also turned away that son. Did Paul condemn homosexuality? Yes, in the strongest biblical language (Romans 1:26-27). Did Paul win homosexuals to Christ? Yes, just read 1 Corinthians 6:9-11. Put yourself for just a few minutes in the shoes of those parents for whose son they were heartbroken. How do we present truth to those in sin? According to Galatians 6:1 “in the spirit of meekness.” Jesus was not harsh even with Judas Iscariot (John 13:27), His betrayer. – Dr. Tim White
B. The Peace
1. Freedom TO:
a. Have peace again!
b. To try a new start.
c. Have a new relationship.
d. Experience grace!
e. To understand who new purpose in life!
f. To extend that same kind of forgiveness Jesus showed her to those who had sinned against her in the past and would in the future!
C. The Price
1. As wonderful as forgiveness and freedom and Christ is, they did not come without great cost.
2. While it cost you and I nothing to earn these gifts, it cost the Son of God His whole life’s blood on the cross of Calvary.
ILLUS: Divine forgiveness is costly. God is love, but God is holiness. God, least of all, can break the great moral laws on which the universe is built. Sin must have its punishment or the very structure of life disintegrates. And God alone can pay the terrible price that is necessary before men can be forgiven. Forgiveness is never a case of saying: 'It's all right; it doesn't matter." Forgiveness is the most costly thing in the world. William Barclay
3. God’s wrath is reserved only for those who refuse to come to Him for salvation, mercy, forgiveness!
4. Don’t delay one moment in waiting to receive the gift of new life Jesus died and rose again to give you!
CONCLUSION: The Bible teaches that God’s heart is one of forgiving even the greatest of sinners instead of condemning them for their faults. Have you received the forgiveness of sins that is found only in the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you known for your forgiveness or faultfinding? "Be ready to forgive others as God for Christ sake hath forgiven you." Eph. 4:32
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