Here’s a practical lesson I shared with our staff a while back:
1. Fear of the Lord
A. He is Worthy of Our Reverence – Acts 2:43-44, Proverbs 10:27
B. We Are Faithful in the Awareness of His Presence
1. Faithful in service
2. Faithful in righteous living
2. Desire For The Holy Spirit’s Fullness
“The degree to which we understand and experience the Holy Spirit will be the exact degree to which we understand and experience God’s will for our churches.”
A. Through Unity of Believers – Acts 2:1
B. Through Continual Yieldedness - Ephesians 5:18
3. Fervent Preaching
A. Fearless - Acts 4:13
B. Faithful
“The Power of Christ’s dispensation is a fiery pulpit, not a learned pulpit, but a pulpit on fire with the Holy Ghost.” – E. M. Bounds
4. Doctrinal Teaching - Acts 2
A. The Doctrine of Salvation
B. The Doctrine of the Apostles or the Word of God – I Thessalonians 2:13, I Timothy 4:13
5. Fervent Prayer
A. The Priority of Prayer – Acts 2:46-47
B. The Continuity of Prayer – Romans 12:12
6. Loving Fellowship
A. Devotion in Fellowship – Romans 15:5-6
B. Devotion in Breaking Bread – I Corinthians 10:16
7. Sacrificial Spirit
A. Toward the Lord – 2 Corinthians 8:7
B. Toward Fellow Believers – Acts 2:45
“You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.” – Amy Carmichael
8. Obedient Witness
A. They Witnessed in Power
B. They Witnessed in Persecution - Acts 8:1-4
9. Gracious Spirit within the Church
A. Member to Member
B. Member to Pastor
C. Pastor to Member – Acts 4:33
“God is more interested in the health of the church than the growth of the church.”
10. Dedicated Ministry
A. In Service
B. In Soulwinning
C. In Missions – Acts 1:8
“I’ve never met a contentious servant. When people devote themselves to doing good, they don’t have time to criticize.”
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Friday, January 15, 2010
Experiencing Revival Through the Bible
Nehemiah 8:1-12
Intro: Can God’s Word bring real life change to people today? The Bible is the living Word of God (Heb. 4:12). It is infallible and has God Almighty as its Author. This book is called the “Word of life” and brings strong hope to those who believe it.
Illus: In Genesis – He’s the Breath of Life, Exodus – the Passover Lamb, Leviticus – Our High Priest, Numbers – Fire by night, Deuteronomy – Moses Voice, Joshua – Salvation’s Choice, Judges – Law Giver, Ruth – Kinsman Redeemer, 1 and 2 Samuel – Trusted Prophet, Kings and Chronicles – Sovereign, Ezra – True and Faithful Scribe, Nehemiah – Rebuilder of Broken Walls and Lives, Esther – Mordecai’s Courage, Job – Timeless Redeemer, Psalms – Our Morning Song, Proverbs – Wisdom’s Cry, Ecclesiastes – Time and Season, Song of Solomon – Lover’s Dream – Isaiah – Prince of Peace, Jeremiah – Weeping Prophet, Lamentations – Cry for Israel, Ezekiel – Call from sin, Daniel, the Stranger in the Fire, Hosea – Forever Faithful, Joel – Spirit’s power – Amos – The Arms that Carry Us – Obadiah – the Lord our Savior – Jonah – Great Missionary – Micah – Promise of Peace – Nahum – Strength and Shield – Habakkuk and Zephaniah – Pleading for revival – Haggai – Restores Lost Heritage – Zachariah – Our Fountain – Malachi – Son of Righteousness Rising with Healing in His Wings- Matthew, Mark, Luke, John – God, Man, Messiah – Acts – Fire from Heaven – Romans – Grace of God – Corinthians – Power of love – Galatians – freedom from the curse of sin – Ephesians – Glorious Treasure – Philippians – Servants heart – Colossians – God-Head Trinity – Thessalonians – our Coming King – Timothy, Titus, Philemon – Mediator and our Faithful Pastor – Hebrews – Everlasting Covenant – James – the One who heals the sick – 1 and 2 Peter – He’s our Shepherd – John and Jude – Lover coming for His Bride – Revelation – King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
PROP. SENT: The Bible teaches us of its own power and potential to transform (revive) the lives of those individuals or societies who crave its truths and willingly apply it to their lives.
I. THE WORD AND ITS INSPIRATION
A. Single Minded Neh. 8:1a
God’s people had been freed from the Babylonian empire and with God’s hand and Nehemiah’s leadership the wall of Jerusalem is miraculously built in 52 days - Faithful leaders have been assigned their positions in God’s order of worship – A generous offering has been taken and received – God’s people have a single heart and mind to worship the Lord their God.
• They met at Water Gate to hear the Scriptures – God’s Word is often symbolized as water because it can take the filth out of our lives and make us clean!
“That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word” (Ephesians 5:26).
“Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you” (John 15:3).
Note – There are many reasons why people come to church – yet the most important reason is to hear what God has to say to us through His word.
God’s Word teaches us of the importance of assembling ourselves to worship, hear the Word, live our witness.
Hebrews 10:25, “…not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much more as you see the Day approaching.”
Note – A college freshman was giving her best friend a tour of the college she attended. They spent little to no time in the classrooms or libraries – but most of the time observing local hot spots for men. She showed her friend great places for hanging out, restaurants, malls, theaters, etc. Upon returning to her dorm room, she told her friend to be quiet because other girls were studying. As their neared the dorm entrance she whispered, “All they do is study. Honestly, I don’t even know why they came to college.”
Note – we come to church primarily to hear and be
transformed by the Word of God!
B. Scripture Minded Neh. 8:1b-2
• A single hearted people in the Lord assemble themselves together to hear God’s Word – The day in which they assembled was strategic and timely – the first day of the seventh month of the Jewish calendar is similar to New Year’s Day for us – It was time for a new beginning - Celebrations during the seventh month included the Feast of Trumpets (1st day), the day of Atonement (10th day), and the Feast of Tabernacles (15th to 21st day).
Note – New Year’s Resolutions – how about spiritual resolutions led by the Word of God and empowered by the Spirit of God? Our SBC President, Johnny Hunt, recently twittered his goal for 2010, “I wish to embrace my deepest devotion ever in being ablazed for the glory of God. To love Jesus supremely and intimately. He’s worthy!
Note - J. Edwin Orr defined revival as: "The Spirit of God working through the Word of God, in the lives of the people of God."
It’s great that you are here this morning listening to God’s Word – are you letting God’s word have it’s way in your life? When you leave this service – go to your family, job, neighborhood, school, etc. how much of God’s Word is going to be filtering through your mind?
When you have settled God’s Word as the authority in your life, you will know where to turn to help you raise that family, be honorable on your job, deal with relationships, prepare yourself and others for eternity, etc.
Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”
1 Peter 1:23-25, “…having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because “All flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away; But the word of the Lord endures forever.”
Note - We must read it (1 Timothy 4:13); eat it—that is, take it into our very being (Job 23:12; Jeremiah 15:16); bathe in it for spiritual cleansing (John 15:3); look into it as a mirror to see our true self (James 1:25); meditate on it (Psalm 1:2; 1 Timothy 4:15); memorize it (Deuteronomy 11:18; Psalm 119:11); study it (2 Timothy 2:15; Hebrews 5:12-14); teach it to others (Deuteronomy 11:19; Colossians 3:16); talk about it (Joshua 1:8); and sow its seeds of truth in the field of the world (Matthew 13:3-9; Luke 8:11). The daily practice of these scriptural admonitions will keep you in a state of perpetual revival. – Dr. D.J. Depree, Gideon’s
II. THE WORD AND ITS INTERPETATION
A. Speaking the Word Neh. 8:2
• Ezra knew the formation of the city could be strong and stately– but not endure. He was primarily concerned with the foundation of the city of Jerusalem – and that would be the Holy Word of God.
Ezra 7:6-10, “…this Ezra came up from Babylon; and he was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given. The king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him. Some of the children of Israel, the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the Nethinim came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. And Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. On the first day of the first month he began his journey from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.”
Ezra had a heart for the Word of God which led to a love for the people of God. This is the kind of pastor every church should be so fortunate to have.
Note – Ezra prepared to study the word of God; Ezra practiced the word of God; Ezra proclaimed the word of God.
Note - One day as G. Campbell Morgan prayed, the Lord seemed to say to him, “Which do you want to be—a servant of mine or a great preacher?” Morgan replied, “May I not be both, Lord?” A spiritual struggle ensued as he thought, God may want me to be an unknown minister in an obscure place. Then Morgan submissively prayed, “O Lord, my greatest wish is to be a servant of Thine!” The Lord responded by making him one of the greatest preachers of his time.
• Looking at Ezra’s life gives us a glimpse into what it takes to be a good and godly servant of the Lord.
1 Timothy 6:11-12, “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
2 Timothy 2:15, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
2 Timothy 3:16-4:2, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”
B. Starving for the Word Neh. 8:3-8
• Evidence of their hunger for God’s truth in their lives was that they were willing to listen to God’s Word for over six hours straight!
Note – Revival will come to people who hunger to know more and more of God’s Word.
Note - A woman wanting to impress the pastor when he came to visit, said to her little girl, “Honey, go get the book that Mommy loves so much.” The little girl soon returned carrying the new JCPenny catalog.
Acts 17:11, “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
• The Word of God can set us free from sin – The Word of God can show us how to be pleasing to the Lord - The Word of God can make us wise unto salvation!
I pray God will wake up the church of the Lord Jesus Christ in America to reverencing, respecting, and relying on the Word of God.
Note - Daniel Webster – “There is no proper foundation for civilization, but in the Word of God. If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prosperity.”
III. THE WORD AND ITS INVIGORATION
A. Sorrow for Sin Neh. 8:9
As this Jewish people began to hear the Word of God, it broke their hearts. They began to understand God had a plan and purpose for their lives – but because of sin and disobedience they had been exiled for 70 years in Babylonian territory.
Note - A young man once said to a preacher, “I do not think I am a sinner.” Then the preacher asked him if he would be willing for his mother or sister to know all he had done or said or thought, all his motives and all his desires. After a moment the young man said, “No, indeed, I certainly would not like to have them know; not for all the world.”
Note – Dr. Jack Graham recently told about a man whose heavy drinking caused him to lose his family, job, everything. One Sunday morning, he drove by the church and decided to go in. He said, “I was so ashamed and afraid of rejection, that when I came in I sat at the back of the balcony…as far as possible from people.” Something happened though as the worship team sang and he felt the presence of the Lord Jesus. The message that day was on God’s total forgiveness (because of the Lord Jesus life, death, burial, and resurrection) and that is what the man found that day. The next week he was singing in the choir and now faithfully prays for people sitting in the balcony!
B. Satisfaction for the Soul Neh. 8:10-12
Knowledge of our sin brings sorrow to our souls – some causing us to weep in the presence of the Lord. Certainly there is time to confess, agree with the Lord about our sin, asking for His Holy Spirit strength to overcome. Where would that strength to overcome be found? Answer: The joy of the Lord is your strength.”
It was time for God’s people to quit looking at the sins of their past and more time focusing on what God wanted to do with them in the present!
Note – “Nature forms us, sin deforms us, schools inform us, prison reforms us, but only CHRIST transforms us.” – Dr. Adrian Rogers
Note - In a radio address to the nation on Feb. 23, 1936, President Franklin Roosevelt said: “No greater thing could come to our land today than a revival of the spirit of religion, a revival that would sweep through the homes of the nation and stir the hearts of men and women of all faiths to a reassertion of their belief in God and their dedication to his will for themselves and for their world. I doubt if there is any problem, either, social, political or economic, that would not melt away before the fire of such a spiritual awakening.”
“…if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
Note - The Christian is joyful, not because he is blind to injustice and suffering, but because he is convinced that these, in the light of the divine sovereignty, are never ultimate. The humor of the Christian is not a way of denying the tears, but rather a way of affirming something which is deeper than tears. Yes, a few things in life are absolutely tragic, no question about it. First among them, a joyless Christian. —Elton Trueblood
Note – Strength comes into the life of the child of God who is willing to put the past in its place and begin obeying the will of God!
Conclusion: God is willing and ready to bring revival into the lives of His people. When His people are listening to His word and obedient to His will they will experience His refreshing presence. Enough moaning and groaning about past failures –what is God asking you to do now? Who is God calling you to be now? Life is worth the living just because He lives!
Intro: Can God’s Word bring real life change to people today? The Bible is the living Word of God (Heb. 4:12). It is infallible and has God Almighty as its Author. This book is called the “Word of life” and brings strong hope to those who believe it.
Illus: In Genesis – He’s the Breath of Life, Exodus – the Passover Lamb, Leviticus – Our High Priest, Numbers – Fire by night, Deuteronomy – Moses Voice, Joshua – Salvation’s Choice, Judges – Law Giver, Ruth – Kinsman Redeemer, 1 and 2 Samuel – Trusted Prophet, Kings and Chronicles – Sovereign, Ezra – True and Faithful Scribe, Nehemiah – Rebuilder of Broken Walls and Lives, Esther – Mordecai’s Courage, Job – Timeless Redeemer, Psalms – Our Morning Song, Proverbs – Wisdom’s Cry, Ecclesiastes – Time and Season, Song of Solomon – Lover’s Dream – Isaiah – Prince of Peace, Jeremiah – Weeping Prophet, Lamentations – Cry for Israel, Ezekiel – Call from sin, Daniel, the Stranger in the Fire, Hosea – Forever Faithful, Joel – Spirit’s power – Amos – The Arms that Carry Us – Obadiah – the Lord our Savior – Jonah – Great Missionary – Micah – Promise of Peace – Nahum – Strength and Shield – Habakkuk and Zephaniah – Pleading for revival – Haggai – Restores Lost Heritage – Zachariah – Our Fountain – Malachi – Son of Righteousness Rising with Healing in His Wings- Matthew, Mark, Luke, John – God, Man, Messiah – Acts – Fire from Heaven – Romans – Grace of God – Corinthians – Power of love – Galatians – freedom from the curse of sin – Ephesians – Glorious Treasure – Philippians – Servants heart – Colossians – God-Head Trinity – Thessalonians – our Coming King – Timothy, Titus, Philemon – Mediator and our Faithful Pastor – Hebrews – Everlasting Covenant – James – the One who heals the sick – 1 and 2 Peter – He’s our Shepherd – John and Jude – Lover coming for His Bride – Revelation – King of Kings and Lord of Lords!
PROP. SENT: The Bible teaches us of its own power and potential to transform (revive) the lives of those individuals or societies who crave its truths and willingly apply it to their lives.
I. THE WORD AND ITS INSPIRATION
A. Single Minded Neh. 8:1a
God’s people had been freed from the Babylonian empire and with God’s hand and Nehemiah’s leadership the wall of Jerusalem is miraculously built in 52 days - Faithful leaders have been assigned their positions in God’s order of worship – A generous offering has been taken and received – God’s people have a single heart and mind to worship the Lord their God.
• They met at Water Gate to hear the Scriptures – God’s Word is often symbolized as water because it can take the filth out of our lives and make us clean!
“That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word” (Ephesians 5:26).
“Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you” (John 15:3).
Note – There are many reasons why people come to church – yet the most important reason is to hear what God has to say to us through His word.
God’s Word teaches us of the importance of assembling ourselves to worship, hear the Word, live our witness.
Hebrews 10:25, “…not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much more as you see the Day approaching.”
Note – A college freshman was giving her best friend a tour of the college she attended. They spent little to no time in the classrooms or libraries – but most of the time observing local hot spots for men. She showed her friend great places for hanging out, restaurants, malls, theaters, etc. Upon returning to her dorm room, she told her friend to be quiet because other girls were studying. As their neared the dorm entrance she whispered, “All they do is study. Honestly, I don’t even know why they came to college.”
Note – we come to church primarily to hear and be
transformed by the Word of God!
B. Scripture Minded Neh. 8:1b-2
• A single hearted people in the Lord assemble themselves together to hear God’s Word – The day in which they assembled was strategic and timely – the first day of the seventh month of the Jewish calendar is similar to New Year’s Day for us – It was time for a new beginning - Celebrations during the seventh month included the Feast of Trumpets (1st day), the day of Atonement (10th day), and the Feast of Tabernacles (15th to 21st day).
Note – New Year’s Resolutions – how about spiritual resolutions led by the Word of God and empowered by the Spirit of God? Our SBC President, Johnny Hunt, recently twittered his goal for 2010, “I wish to embrace my deepest devotion ever in being ablazed for the glory of God. To love Jesus supremely and intimately. He’s worthy!
Note - J. Edwin Orr defined revival as: "The Spirit of God working through the Word of God, in the lives of the people of God."
It’s great that you are here this morning listening to God’s Word – are you letting God’s word have it’s way in your life? When you leave this service – go to your family, job, neighborhood, school, etc. how much of God’s Word is going to be filtering through your mind?
When you have settled God’s Word as the authority in your life, you will know where to turn to help you raise that family, be honorable on your job, deal with relationships, prepare yourself and others for eternity, etc.
Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”
1 Peter 1:23-25, “…having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because “All flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away; But the word of the Lord endures forever.”
Note - We must read it (1 Timothy 4:13); eat it—that is, take it into our very being (Job 23:12; Jeremiah 15:16); bathe in it for spiritual cleansing (John 15:3); look into it as a mirror to see our true self (James 1:25); meditate on it (Psalm 1:2; 1 Timothy 4:15); memorize it (Deuteronomy 11:18; Psalm 119:11); study it (2 Timothy 2:15; Hebrews 5:12-14); teach it to others (Deuteronomy 11:19; Colossians 3:16); talk about it (Joshua 1:8); and sow its seeds of truth in the field of the world (Matthew 13:3-9; Luke 8:11). The daily practice of these scriptural admonitions will keep you in a state of perpetual revival. – Dr. D.J. Depree, Gideon’s
II. THE WORD AND ITS INTERPETATION
A. Speaking the Word Neh. 8:2
• Ezra knew the formation of the city could be strong and stately– but not endure. He was primarily concerned with the foundation of the city of Jerusalem – and that would be the Holy Word of God.
Ezra 7:6-10, “…this Ezra came up from Babylon; and he was a skilled scribe in the Law of Moses, which the LORD God of Israel had given. The king granted him all his request, according to the hand of the LORD his God upon him. Some of the children of Israel, the priests, the Levites, the singers, the gatekeepers, and the Nethinim came up to Jerusalem in the seventh year of King Artaxerxes. And Ezra came to Jerusalem in the fifth month, which was in the seventh year of the king. On the first day of the first month he began his journey from Babylon, and on the first day of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, according to the good hand of his God upon him. For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.”
Ezra had a heart for the Word of God which led to a love for the people of God. This is the kind of pastor every church should be so fortunate to have.
Note – Ezra prepared to study the word of God; Ezra practiced the word of God; Ezra proclaimed the word of God.
Note - One day as G. Campbell Morgan prayed, the Lord seemed to say to him, “Which do you want to be—a servant of mine or a great preacher?” Morgan replied, “May I not be both, Lord?” A spiritual struggle ensued as he thought, God may want me to be an unknown minister in an obscure place. Then Morgan submissively prayed, “O Lord, my greatest wish is to be a servant of Thine!” The Lord responded by making him one of the greatest preachers of his time.
• Looking at Ezra’s life gives us a glimpse into what it takes to be a good and godly servant of the Lord.
1 Timothy 6:11-12, “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold of eternal life, to which you were called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”
2 Timothy 2:15, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
2 Timothy 3:16-4:2, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.”
B. Starving for the Word Neh. 8:3-8
• Evidence of their hunger for God’s truth in their lives was that they were willing to listen to God’s Word for over six hours straight!
Note – Revival will come to people who hunger to know more and more of God’s Word.
Note - A woman wanting to impress the pastor when he came to visit, said to her little girl, “Honey, go get the book that Mommy loves so much.” The little girl soon returned carrying the new JCPenny catalog.
Acts 17:11, “Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
• The Word of God can set us free from sin – The Word of God can show us how to be pleasing to the Lord - The Word of God can make us wise unto salvation!
I pray God will wake up the church of the Lord Jesus Christ in America to reverencing, respecting, and relying on the Word of God.
Note - Daniel Webster – “There is no proper foundation for civilization, but in the Word of God. If we abide by the principles taught in the Bible, our country will go on prosperity.”
III. THE WORD AND ITS INVIGORATION
A. Sorrow for Sin Neh. 8:9
As this Jewish people began to hear the Word of God, it broke their hearts. They began to understand God had a plan and purpose for their lives – but because of sin and disobedience they had been exiled for 70 years in Babylonian territory.
Note - A young man once said to a preacher, “I do not think I am a sinner.” Then the preacher asked him if he would be willing for his mother or sister to know all he had done or said or thought, all his motives and all his desires. After a moment the young man said, “No, indeed, I certainly would not like to have them know; not for all the world.”
Note – Dr. Jack Graham recently told about a man whose heavy drinking caused him to lose his family, job, everything. One Sunday morning, he drove by the church and decided to go in. He said, “I was so ashamed and afraid of rejection, that when I came in I sat at the back of the balcony…as far as possible from people.” Something happened though as the worship team sang and he felt the presence of the Lord Jesus. The message that day was on God’s total forgiveness (because of the Lord Jesus life, death, burial, and resurrection) and that is what the man found that day. The next week he was singing in the choir and now faithfully prays for people sitting in the balcony!
B. Satisfaction for the Soul Neh. 8:10-12
Knowledge of our sin brings sorrow to our souls – some causing us to weep in the presence of the Lord. Certainly there is time to confess, agree with the Lord about our sin, asking for His Holy Spirit strength to overcome. Where would that strength to overcome be found? Answer: The joy of the Lord is your strength.”
It was time for God’s people to quit looking at the sins of their past and more time focusing on what God wanted to do with them in the present!
Note – “Nature forms us, sin deforms us, schools inform us, prison reforms us, but only CHRIST transforms us.” – Dr. Adrian Rogers
Note - In a radio address to the nation on Feb. 23, 1936, President Franklin Roosevelt said: “No greater thing could come to our land today than a revival of the spirit of religion, a revival that would sweep through the homes of the nation and stir the hearts of men and women of all faiths to a reassertion of their belief in God and their dedication to his will for themselves and for their world. I doubt if there is any problem, either, social, political or economic, that would not melt away before the fire of such a spiritual awakening.”
“…if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14
Note - The Christian is joyful, not because he is blind to injustice and suffering, but because he is convinced that these, in the light of the divine sovereignty, are never ultimate. The humor of the Christian is not a way of denying the tears, but rather a way of affirming something which is deeper than tears. Yes, a few things in life are absolutely tragic, no question about it. First among them, a joyless Christian. —Elton Trueblood
Note – Strength comes into the life of the child of God who is willing to put the past in its place and begin obeying the will of God!
Conclusion: God is willing and ready to bring revival into the lives of His people. When His people are listening to His word and obedient to His will they will experience His refreshing presence. Enough moaning and groaning about past failures –what is God asking you to do now? Who is God calling you to be now? Life is worth the living just because He lives!
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Knowing Your Place In the Order of Worship
TEXT: Nehemiah 7:1-73
INTRO: A job well done is to be celebrated and certainly Nehemiah along with God’s people were primed for worship after the rebuilding of the walls. God’s hand was upon Nehemiah as he sought to move God’s people forward in obedience. However, Nehemiah still had much work to do in PREPARING God’s people to be effective in their worship of the Lord. They had to learn what they BELIEVED inwardly about God needed to worked out in their BEHAVIOR before a watching world. For the worship of God to be at its best, the PEOPLE of God needed to be their best!
ILLUS: A missionary tells of a woman in India holding in her arms a weak, whining infant, while at her side stood a beautiful, healthy child. The man of God saw her walk to the banks of the Ganges River and throw the robust youngster to the crocodiles as an offering, and then turn toward home again still clutching the sickly child to her bosom. Tears were running down her cheeks when he stopped to question her concerning her shocking actions; however, she proudly replied in defense of her conduct, “O sir, we always give our gods the best!”
We must not be guilty of giving our best to the world and our least to the Lord!
PROP. SENT: The Bible teaches that God is a God of order…He sets the standards, not us. The leadership of the church must teach, preach, and serve the Lord in such a way that God’s good order is made known and practiced. In addition, God’s people must be found faithful in discovering, developing, and deploying their unique gifts if worship is to be pleasing to God. Do you know your place and are you fulfilling your part in God’s order of worship?
I. THE PREEMINENCE OF ORDER
A. Scriptural in Focus Neh. 7:1
1. Nehemiah knew that his job was not done just because the walls had been rebuilt – God’s people needed to be led into the lifestyle of worship and service.
2. Vital to Jerusalem ’s strength and vitality would be closely linked to their physical, spiritual, and intellectual development.
3. It’s interesting to note how Nehemiah led God’s people during their rebuilding of the citizenship of Jerusalem . He appointed the following leaders for the benefit of the nation…
a. Gatekeepers – protection and security (they would sound the alarm if enemies were approaching)
b. Singers – spiritual worship (full of worship and praise to the Lord)
c. Levites – teachers of the law and history
4. Just as Nehemiah knew God’s people had to be grounded in God’s word and led by godly leaders…WE NEED THIS SAME SCRIPTURAL FOCUS FROM THE LEADERSHIP IN THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST TODAY!
ILLUS: “In a relativist and pluralistic age like ours, one of our greatest needs is for preachers, teachers, and homegroup leaders who will faithfully communicate the eternal truths of Scripture, and share them in a manner which will demonstrate their unique authority, crucial importance, contemporary relevance and timeless appeal.”
5. Of course, no leader is going to be perfect in the eyes of those he leads – not even the Lord Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, pleased everyone.
6. I’m sure, Nehemiah had people rise up and tell him what he was doing wrong and how he could be doing things better…yet Nehemiah led with a scriptural focus second to none.
7. The Word of God is the standard we are to acclimate our lives to. (Do not water it down – but preach the Word!)
8. The greatest thing a pastor can do is stick with the Word of God – the message does not change; the message does change lives!
B. Spiritual in Faith Neh. 7:2-3
1. Nehemiah’s brother, Hanani, was given charge over Jerusalem .
2. It was Hanani who had first reported Jerusalem ’s devastating and deplorable conditions to Nehemiah…Hanani obviously had a great heart for God and similarly, a great heart for God’s people. (Neh. 1:2-4)
3. Hananiah was the military leader of Jerusalem . He was faithful and feared God more than most men. Wouldn’t it be great if it was said of all our military leaders in America , that they too were, “faithful men
and feared God more than many.”
4. Isn’t that what the Lord is looking for in each of our lives and each of His churches?
5. He is looking for people who are faithful and fear Him!
ILLUS: “…to live a holy life--to reject sin…means living a life where the power of the Holy One, the power of the Infinitely Loving, Infinitely Powerful, Infinitely Wise, Infinitely Good God does His Loving, Powerful, Wise, and Good work in us, and in through us into the world. In choosing to live a holy life, we choose to exchange the bondage of sin and worldly satisfaction for the limitless, loving, powerful freedom of Christ.” - Jana Fischer
6. Nehemiah commanded that the gates of the city would not be open until the sun was risen. This was strategic and helped keep possible enemies out. (Neh. 7:3)
7. This speaks of our need to stay sober and vigilant in our walk with the Lord Jesus Christ – on constant watch for the enemies attacks. In 1 Thessalonians 5:5-8 the Apostle Paul states, “5for you are all sons of light and sons of day We are not of night nor of darkness; 6so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. 7For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. 8But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.”
8. Nehemiah knew the importance of doing all he could to ensure his people were guarded against all kinds of attacks the enemy could throw at them - this started with leaders who were scriptural in focus and spiritual in faith!
ILLUS: “What a tragedy that schools that once were true to the faith are today denying the faith, and churches that once preached the gospel now have in their pulpits ministers who preach “another gospel.” Every Christian ministry is one short generation away from destruction, and God’s people must be on guard.”
–Warren Wiersbe
9. Principle: What you guard – you keep and when you lose guard – it could lead to ruin – yours and the lives of others!
10. Apply: Daily worship, obedience, trust…etc. See Proverbs 4:23 , “Watch your heart with all diligence…”
ILLUS: Pastor Bryan Chapell speaks of a group of Christian businessmen who are plain about the fight against temptation. They meet once a month and ask each other questions: The last time you traveled on a business trip, did you stay pure in your hotel room? When you returned from your business trip, did you stay honest on your expense reports? Those are tough questions. Why would they put themselves in such embarrassing positions? Because they are in the fight. Because they are at war for the goodness of their souls, for their relationships with each other and with the Lord. —Bryan Chapell, “The Great Escape,” Preaching Today.
II. THE PERSONS OF ORDER
A. Significant in the Lord Neh. 7:4-69
1. When you go over passages like this in the Bible, it’s easy to skip over – but in Nehemiah’s day it was of utmost importance to be able to prove you were truly of Jewish descent. This is the same genealogy found in Ezra 2 . The point is…these folks mattered to God!
2. It was the passion of Nehemiah to have people in Jerusalem who knew where they came from and the great heritage they had in the Lord.
3. Having a knowledge of your identity, belonging, acceptance in the Lord Jesus Christ through faith should encourage you to know something of your significance as a child of God!
ILLUS: R. C. Sproul shares the story of a college student he once taught who had cerebral palsy. The student struggled with—spastic movements and garbled speech, yet he was very bright and capable. Sproul writes: One day he came to me vexed with a problem and asked me to pray for him. In the course of the prayer, I said something routine, with words like, "Oh, God, please help this man as he wrestles with this problem." When I opened my eyes, the student was quietly weeping. I asked him what was wrong and he stammered his reply, "You called me a man. No one has ever called me a man before." Lee Eclov, in the sermon "The Blessed Limp," PreachingToday.com
4. If you are unsure of your relationship to the Lord – you must understand there is only one way to heaven and that is through a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. John 1:12 , Acts 4:12
5. It’s been said, “If you were put on trial for being a Christian, would there be any evidence?” Have you personally confessed your sins to the Lord and placed your faith in the crucified Lord…now risen and coming again?
6. The men, women, boys, and girls who helped reestablish Jerusalem – left everything behind in Babylon to find a new life within the Jewish nation.
7. It’s not enough just to have your name written down on the church roll – but your name must be written in the Lamb’s book of life!
8. Your significance in life does not come primarily through your job, bank account, or retirement plan…but through your relationship with the Lord.
B. Security in the Land Neh. 7:64-65
1. Just showing up with the returning Jewish families did not necessarily include you in the family – there were many priests and families not included at all.
2. The Urim and Thummin was in the breastplate the priest wore and was essential in determining the will of God. Today, do we have an urim and thummin? Absolutely…it is the Word of God!
3. Pagan nations had influenced Israel ’s history before and Nehemiah wanted to keep covenant with the Lord through the worship of Jehovah God alone!
4. There was no compromise with people of other faiths – entrance to the city required commitment to the worship of the One True and Living God.
ILLUS: NBA star Shaquille O'Neil—tried to get into the White House without an appointment. At 7-1 and 325 pounds, with a winning smile, and NBA championship rings on his fingers from years of playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, Shaq has what it takes to walk into most places he wants to go. Shaq (believing doors should open just because of his name) gave it a try, and just as Shaq has rejected those who would drive past him to the hoop, so the security guards at the White House gate rejected him. Later that day, Shaq tweeted, "The White House wouldn't let me in, whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy."
4. How many today believe they will be accepted by the King of Kings in Heaven simply on the grounds of who they are?
5. Just as in Adam (first birth) ALL DIE…so only IN CHRIST (second birth) we can each be MADE ALIVE!
III. THE PRESENTATION OF ORDER
A. Supply Neh. 7:70-73
1. It’s so encouraging to know God has a way to rebuild and restore…no matter how much wreckage the enemy has done in our lives!
2. God’s promises are stronger and more powerful than any circumstance you are facing today.
3. These Scriptures show that God does keep a record of how we serve, give, follow, share our faith with future generations.
4. These believers put God before anyone or anything.
5. There was much rebuilding to be done – how easy and typical would it have been for them to put themselves, their families first and then bring their gifts to the Lord.
6. In fact, they did the opposite. They gave themselves first to the Lord…trusting that if they would do His will…He would see them through and take care of their needs.
ILLUS: Plenty of people are willing to give God credit, yet few are willing to give Him cash. —Quotable Quotations
B. Sacrifice
7. Nehemiah did not ask God’s people to do something he was not willing to do himself.
8. What you give is between you and the Lord – I do not know who gives what to the curch.
9. I do know that faithful giving to the Lord’s work can bring our renewal, joy, and strength to the church and also great joy and assurance to the giver!
ILLUS: Christian stewardship is really nothing less than all we do with all that we have. The amount Jesus is talking about is a pretty big amount: it’s 100 percent. Stewardship is not just about how much of what I own will I give to God. It’s about how much of me have I given to God…. Stewardship is not about paying dues. Sometimes I wish it were because that would be easier: just tell me how much I owe, and I can pay the Lord just as I pay the bills. It’s not paying dues. It’s about deliberately making deposits of my time and my energy and what I own into God’s business…. Fundamentally, stewardship begins with giving 100 percent of who I am to God. —Heidi Husted, “The Sermon on the Amount.”
CONCLUSION: God is a God of order and has a place for every single child of God. He has His people in places of leadership, worship, teaching, serving, etc. Critical to your walk and joy in the Lord will be knowing your place in God’s order of worship. Do you know yours and are you faithful?
INTRO: A job well done is to be celebrated and certainly Nehemiah along with God’s people were primed for worship after the rebuilding of the walls. God’s hand was upon Nehemiah as he sought to move God’s people forward in obedience. However, Nehemiah still had much work to do in PREPARING God’s people to be effective in their worship of the Lord. They had to learn what they BELIEVED inwardly about God needed to worked out in their BEHAVIOR before a watching world. For the worship of God to be at its best, the PEOPLE of God needed to be their best!
ILLUS: A missionary tells of a woman in India holding in her arms a weak, whining infant, while at her side stood a beautiful, healthy child. The man of God saw her walk to the banks of the Ganges River and throw the robust youngster to the crocodiles as an offering, and then turn toward home again still clutching the sickly child to her bosom. Tears were running down her cheeks when he stopped to question her concerning her shocking actions; however, she proudly replied in defense of her conduct, “O sir, we always give our gods the best!”
We must not be guilty of giving our best to the world and our least to the Lord!
PROP. SENT: The Bible teaches that God is a God of order…He sets the standards, not us. The leadership of the church must teach, preach, and serve the Lord in such a way that God’s good order is made known and practiced. In addition, God’s people must be found faithful in discovering, developing, and deploying their unique gifts if worship is to be pleasing to God. Do you know your place and are you fulfilling your part in God’s order of worship?
I. THE PREEMINENCE OF ORDER
A. Scriptural in Focus Neh. 7:1
1. Nehemiah knew that his job was not done just because the walls had been rebuilt – God’s people needed to be led into the lifestyle of worship and service.
2. Vital to Jerusalem ’s strength and vitality would be closely linked to their physical, spiritual, and intellectual development.
3. It’s interesting to note how Nehemiah led God’s people during their rebuilding of the citizenship of Jerusalem . He appointed the following leaders for the benefit of the nation…
a. Gatekeepers – protection and security (they would sound the alarm if enemies were approaching)
b. Singers – spiritual worship (full of worship and praise to the Lord)
c. Levites – teachers of the law and history
4. Just as Nehemiah knew God’s people had to be grounded in God’s word and led by godly leaders…WE NEED THIS SAME SCRIPTURAL FOCUS FROM THE LEADERSHIP IN THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST TODAY!
ILLUS: “In a relativist and pluralistic age like ours, one of our greatest needs is for preachers, teachers, and homegroup leaders who will faithfully communicate the eternal truths of Scripture, and share them in a manner which will demonstrate their unique authority, crucial importance, contemporary relevance and timeless appeal.”
5. Of course, no leader is going to be perfect in the eyes of those he leads – not even the Lord Jesus Christ, the sinless Son of God, pleased everyone.
6. I’m sure, Nehemiah had people rise up and tell him what he was doing wrong and how he could be doing things better…yet Nehemiah led with a scriptural focus second to none.
7. The Word of God is the standard we are to acclimate our lives to. (Do not water it down – but preach the Word!)
8. The greatest thing a pastor can do is stick with the Word of God – the message does not change; the message does change lives!
B. Spiritual in Faith Neh. 7:2-3
1. Nehemiah’s brother, Hanani, was given charge over Jerusalem .
2. It was Hanani who had first reported Jerusalem ’s devastating and deplorable conditions to Nehemiah…Hanani obviously had a great heart for God and similarly, a great heart for God’s people. (Neh. 1:2-4)
3. Hananiah was the military leader of Jerusalem . He was faithful and feared God more than most men. Wouldn’t it be great if it was said of all our military leaders in America , that they too were, “faithful men
and feared God more than many.”
4. Isn’t that what the Lord is looking for in each of our lives and each of His churches?
5. He is looking for people who are faithful and fear Him!
ILLUS: “…to live a holy life--to reject sin…means living a life where the power of the Holy One, the power of the Infinitely Loving, Infinitely Powerful, Infinitely Wise, Infinitely Good God does His Loving, Powerful, Wise, and Good work in us, and in through us into the world. In choosing to live a holy life, we choose to exchange the bondage of sin and worldly satisfaction for the limitless, loving, powerful freedom of Christ.” - Jana Fischer
6. Nehemiah commanded that the gates of the city would not be open until the sun was risen. This was strategic and helped keep possible enemies out. (Neh. 7:3)
7. This speaks of our need to stay sober and vigilant in our walk with the Lord Jesus Christ – on constant watch for the enemies attacks. In 1 Thessalonians 5:5-8 the Apostle Paul states, “5for you are all sons of light and sons of day We are not of night nor of darkness; 6so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. 7For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night. 8But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.”
8. Nehemiah knew the importance of doing all he could to ensure his people were guarded against all kinds of attacks the enemy could throw at them - this started with leaders who were scriptural in focus and spiritual in faith!
ILLUS: “What a tragedy that schools that once were true to the faith are today denying the faith, and churches that once preached the gospel now have in their pulpits ministers who preach “another gospel.” Every Christian ministry is one short generation away from destruction, and God’s people must be on guard.”
–Warren Wiersbe
9. Principle: What you guard – you keep and when you lose guard – it could lead to ruin – yours and the lives of others!
10. Apply: Daily worship, obedience, trust…etc. See Proverbs 4:23 , “Watch your heart with all diligence…”
ILLUS: Pastor Bryan Chapell speaks of a group of Christian businessmen who are plain about the fight against temptation. They meet once a month and ask each other questions: The last time you traveled on a business trip, did you stay pure in your hotel room? When you returned from your business trip, did you stay honest on your expense reports? Those are tough questions. Why would they put themselves in such embarrassing positions? Because they are in the fight. Because they are at war for the goodness of their souls, for their relationships with each other and with the Lord. —Bryan Chapell, “The Great Escape,” Preaching Today.
II. THE PERSONS OF ORDER
A. Significant in the Lord Neh. 7:4-69
1. When you go over passages like this in the Bible, it’s easy to skip over – but in Nehemiah’s day it was of utmost importance to be able to prove you were truly of Jewish descent. This is the same genealogy found in Ezra 2 . The point is…these folks mattered to God!
2. It was the passion of Nehemiah to have people in Jerusalem who knew where they came from and the great heritage they had in the Lord.
3. Having a knowledge of your identity, belonging, acceptance in the Lord Jesus Christ through faith should encourage you to know something of your significance as a child of God!
ILLUS: R. C. Sproul shares the story of a college student he once taught who had cerebral palsy. The student struggled with—spastic movements and garbled speech, yet he was very bright and capable. Sproul writes: One day he came to me vexed with a problem and asked me to pray for him. In the course of the prayer, I said something routine, with words like, "Oh, God, please help this man as he wrestles with this problem." When I opened my eyes, the student was quietly weeping. I asked him what was wrong and he stammered his reply, "You called me a man. No one has ever called me a man before." Lee Eclov, in the sermon "The Blessed Limp," PreachingToday.com
4. If you are unsure of your relationship to the Lord – you must understand there is only one way to heaven and that is through a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. John 1:12 , Acts 4:12
5. It’s been said, “If you were put on trial for being a Christian, would there be any evidence?” Have you personally confessed your sins to the Lord and placed your faith in the crucified Lord…now risen and coming again?
6. The men, women, boys, and girls who helped reestablish Jerusalem – left everything behind in Babylon to find a new life within the Jewish nation.
7. It’s not enough just to have your name written down on the church roll – but your name must be written in the Lamb’s book of life!
8. Your significance in life does not come primarily through your job, bank account, or retirement plan…but through your relationship with the Lord.
B. Security in the Land Neh. 7:64-65
1. Just showing up with the returning Jewish families did not necessarily include you in the family – there were many priests and families not included at all.
2. The Urim and Thummin was in the breastplate the priest wore and was essential in determining the will of God. Today, do we have an urim and thummin? Absolutely…it is the Word of God!
3. Pagan nations had influenced Israel ’s history before and Nehemiah wanted to keep covenant with the Lord through the worship of Jehovah God alone!
4. There was no compromise with people of other faiths – entrance to the city required commitment to the worship of the One True and Living God.
ILLUS: NBA star Shaquille O'Neil—tried to get into the White House without an appointment. At 7-1 and 325 pounds, with a winning smile, and NBA championship rings on his fingers from years of playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, Shaq has what it takes to walk into most places he wants to go. Shaq (believing doors should open just because of his name) gave it a try, and just as Shaq has rejected those who would drive past him to the hoop, so the security guards at the White House gate rejected him. Later that day, Shaq tweeted, "The White House wouldn't let me in, whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy."
4. How many today believe they will be accepted by the King of Kings in Heaven simply on the grounds of who they are?
5. Just as in Adam (first birth) ALL DIE…so only IN CHRIST (second birth) we can each be MADE ALIVE!
III. THE PRESENTATION OF ORDER
A. Supply Neh. 7:70-73
1. It’s so encouraging to know God has a way to rebuild and restore…no matter how much wreckage the enemy has done in our lives!
2. God’s promises are stronger and more powerful than any circumstance you are facing today.
3. These Scriptures show that God does keep a record of how we serve, give, follow, share our faith with future generations.
4. These believers put God before anyone or anything.
5. There was much rebuilding to be done – how easy and typical would it have been for them to put themselves, their families first and then bring their gifts to the Lord.
6. In fact, they did the opposite. They gave themselves first to the Lord…trusting that if they would do His will…He would see them through and take care of their needs.
ILLUS: Plenty of people are willing to give God credit, yet few are willing to give Him cash. —Quotable Quotations
B. Sacrifice
7. Nehemiah did not ask God’s people to do something he was not willing to do himself.
8. What you give is between you and the Lord – I do not know who gives what to the curch.
9. I do know that faithful giving to the Lord’s work can bring our renewal, joy, and strength to the church and also great joy and assurance to the giver!
ILLUS: Christian stewardship is really nothing less than all we do with all that we have. The amount Jesus is talking about is a pretty big amount: it’s 100 percent. Stewardship is not just about how much of what I own will I give to God. It’s about how much of me have I given to God…. Stewardship is not about paying dues. Sometimes I wish it were because that would be easier: just tell me how much I owe, and I can pay the Lord just as I pay the bills. It’s not paying dues. It’s about deliberately making deposits of my time and my energy and what I own into God’s business…. Fundamentally, stewardship begins with giving 100 percent of who I am to God. —Heidi Husted, “The Sermon on the Amount.”
CONCLUSION: God is a God of order and has a place for every single child of God. He has His people in places of leadership, worship, teaching, serving, etc. Critical to your walk and joy in the Lord will be knowing your place in God’s order of worship. Do you know yours and are you faithful?
Saturday, January 2, 2010
FINDING RENEWED STRENGTH FOR GOD’S GREAT WORK
TEXT: Nehemiah 6:1-19, Romans 12:1-8
INTRO: God has a unique plan for every single child of God. He passionately desires for us to know His good, pleasing, and perfect will. Though that is His intention, it is not automatic that every child of God is going to live in that will and be found faithful. The enemy will do all he can to make sure we lose heart and strength in God’s service. We must find renewed strength and courage to stay faithful to God in spite of opposition, discouragement, or even Satanic sidetracks. Nehemiah moved forward and so can we.
ILLUS: YOU PAY A PRICE FOR GETTING STRONGER. YOU PAY A PRICE FOR GETTING FASTER. YOU PAY A PRICE FOR JUMPING HIGHER. YOU PAY A PRICE FOR STAYING JUST THE SAME. —H. Jackson Brown, A Hero in Every Heart (Nelson, 1996)
PROP. SENT: The Bible teaches us that renewed strength is found by pursuing godly wisdom and judgment as we do God’s will and stand against the continual attacks of the enemy. The wise believer will not give in to the tricky tactics of the enemy, but will stay true to the course God has laid out for him to follow.
I. STRENGTH FOR SPECIAL ASSIGNGMENTS
A. Dedication to God’s Plan Nehemiah 6:1
1. Looking at Nehemiah’s life and service is rewarding and faith inspiring because he is the classic picture of the underdog who overcomes!
2. Nehemiah was an exiled Jew whose job in life was serving as cupbearer to the Persian King, Artaxerses.
3. The odds of Nehemiah accomplishing God’s will seem stacked heavily against him.
4. The job seemed impossible and his enemies were extremely zealous in their attempts to pull him off course.
5. Nehemiah had received news that the walls of Jerusalem had not been rebuilt after his fellow Jews were taken into exile.
6. He knew that without strong walls, Jerusalem would be easy prey to attacks of their enemies and would be constantly defeated…so he asked God for favor and direction in beginning a rebuilding process.
7. God invites each of us into a lifestyle of special heavenly assignments.
8. Each assignment is special not so much because of the job, but because of the God who calls you to it!
9. Finding renewed strength for God’s great work requires diligent study of His Word with a will to follow His guidance.
ILLUS: I once came across seven rules for spiritual growth: 1. Daily Food. Take in the “pure milk of the word” through study and meditation. 2. Fresh Air. Pray often or you will faint. Prayer is the oxygen of the soul. 3. Regular Exercise. Put into practice what you learn in God’s Word. 4. Adequate Rest. Rely on God at all times in simple faith. 5. Clean Surroundings. Avoid evil company and whatever will weaken you spiritually. 6. Loving Care. Be part of a church where you will benefit from a pastor’s teaching and Christian fellowship. 7. Periodic Checkups. Regularly examine your spiritual health. K. Trivette, “Growing Church Members”
B. Dedication to God in Prayer Nehemiah 6:9, 14
1. Throughout Nehemiah’s life, we find a consistent life of prayer and the Word of God continually calls us to pray and seek God’s face.
a. We are only kidding ourselves if we think we can move on farther without first going lower to our knees in prayer!
b. Nehemiah prayed for himself, God’s work, God’s people, even his personal enemies!
2. Perhaps our greatest weapon against the enemy is the Word of God and prayer.
3. Satan cannot stop God from answering our prayer, but he can do everything in his might to keep us from praying faithfully!
4. It takes humility to admit your need in prayer before the Lord and the humble will find themselves being lifted up by the Lord! 1 Peter 5:7
a. Prayer is for the beginning, middle, and the end…our first resort instead of last resort!
b. Praying is not a sign of weakness, but wisdom!
c. James 1:5 says, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given him.”
ILLUS: There come times in our lives when we in our desperation and pain run to God and dial our 911 prayers. Sometimes we’re hysterical. Sometimes we don’t know the words to speak. But God hears. He knows our number and he knows our name and he knows our circumstance. That help is already on the way; God has already begun to bring the remedy to us. —Leith Anderson, Men of Integrity, Vol. 2, no. 2.
5. What heavenly assignment has God placed upon your heart? How serious are you about putting your faith in God into practice?
II. STRENGTH FOR SPIRITUAL ATTACKS
A. Distractions in Process Nehemiah 6:1-3
1. Anybody who is willing to put the will of God first in their lives is going to encounter TROUBLE from the enemy!
2. Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshmu had been up front in their attacks of Nehemiah in the earlier stages of building the wall…yet now they appear to have a change of heart.
3. A letter is sent by these men to Nehemiah stating, “Come, let us meet together among the villages of in the plain of ONO.”
4. They wanted to get Nehemiah all alone, miles away from home, away from God’s people, away from God’s work, then they would injure him to the point of no return or even TAKE HIS LIFE!
5. How many times has the enemy tried to take you away from doing God’s work? Are you spiritually prepared to resist him?
ILLUS: There is a story involving Yogi Berra, the well-known catcher for the New York Yankees, and Hank Aaron, who at that time was the chief power hitter for the Milwaukee Braves. The teams were playng in the World Series, and as usual Yogi was keeping up his ceaseless chatter, attempting to distract the Milwaukee batters . As Aaron came to the plate, Yogi tried to distract him by saying, "Henry, you're holding the bat wrong. You're supposed to hold it so you can read the trademark." Aaron didn't say anything, but when the next pitch came he hit it into the left-field bleachers. After rounding the bases and tagging up at home plate, Aaron looked at Yogi Berra and said, "I didn't come up here to read." Nehemiah, Learning to Lead, J.M. Boice, Revell, 1990, p. 38.
6. Nehemiah was full of spiritual discernment and he also knew the work God had given him to do was of UTMOST IMPORTANCE!
B. Disappointment in People Nehemiah 6:4-9
1. Not only did the enemy try to use trickery to get Nehemiah sidetracked, he also spread lies about Nehemiah’s motives in rebuilding the temple.
2. If Satan can’t get the leader to quit working – he wants to get people lying about Nehemiah’s intentions and second guessing his godly character.
3. Eventually people will begin to lose faith in God’s leader…God’s work will slow down…people lose heart and faith…eventually quit and give up the good work. VICTORY would be won for his side.
4. The scary thing is that Satan can use us if we are not careful.
5. Jesus said, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself WILL NOT STAND” (Matthew 12:25).
6. Nehemiah shows us how to respond to disappointing people who have allowed Satan to use them for his purposes: WE STAND ON THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD!
7. He refuted the lie, rebuked the lie, and then released the lie to the Lord in prayer.
8. Nehemiah knows renewal is on the way for God’s people!
9. Great progress has been made on the wall and he’s being compelled by God’s purposes.
10. He will not allow disappointing people being used by the enemy to bring him down! GO NEHEMIAH, GO!
ILLUS: “What can keep us off the side street? FOCUS. It is possible to do everything else right, then get on a side street before our task is completed. I have seen this happen in marriages, in relationships, in churches, and in businesses. Have you ever been on a side street? When you are in the process of rebuilding a marriage, some Sanballat or Tobiah can come along and get you on a side street. There are those who will try anything to get you off the main road of rebuilding. Some who are rebuilding relationships get off on side streets. Some who are seeking to rebuild their vocational life are prone to take side streets. Rebuilders finish strong. How? They stay off side streets and remain focused on what they are to do.” O.S. Hawkins, Rebuilding: It’s Never Too Late For A New Beginning
III. STRENGTH FOR STEADFAST ALLEGIANCE
A. Daily Presentation Nehemiah 6:9b, Romans 12:1-2
1. As Nehemiah progressed in God’s will and call upon his life, his steadfast allegiance to God over anyone or anything is impressive.
2. Strength in the life of each of our lives comes from continual absolute surrender of our lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
3. When we truly begin to understand what the Lord Jesus Christ has done, the only proper response is to yield our lives at His feet in devoted worship and service.
4. Life becomes less about SELF and more about the SAVOR AND HIS SERVICE!!!
ILLUS: “People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa. Can that be called a sacrifice which is simply paying back a small part of the great debt owing to our God, which we can never repay? Is that a sacrifice which brings its own blest reward in healthful activity, the consciousness of doing good, peace of mind and a bright hope of glorious destiny hereafter? Away with the word in such a view and with such a thought! It is emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather it is a privilege.” Missionary, David Livingston
5. Is it too much to offer yourself completely to the One who gave His whole life for you?
6. It’s sad that so many believers think the Christian life revolves around WHAT THEY CAN GET over WHAT THEY CAN GIVE!
B. Daily Preoccupation Neh. 6:10-16, Romans 12:3-8
1. Steadfast allegiance comes into our lives when we are consumed with a passion to know and obey God’s Word.
2. Shemiah tried to lure Nehemiah into disobeying the clearly revealed Word of God (Numbers 3:10, 38).
3. The Word of God stated that only the priest was to enter the temples holy areas…outsiders were to be put to death.
4. Dt. 18:20-22 states, “'But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.' 21"You may say in your heart, 'How will we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?' 22"When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.
5. Defeat and disgrace symbolized Shemaiah’s life as he yielded to the enemies lies - Greed became his priority over God!
6. Victory and virtue symbolized Nehemiah’s life.
7. God has gifted and called you into a life of victorious service in Him. Are you preoccupied in fulfilling His will? Serving others to the glory of God?
8. Romans 12:3-8, “3For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. 4For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5so we,who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness."
ILLUS: “It is urgently needful that the Christian people of our charge should come to understand that they are not a company of invalids, to be wheeled about, or fed by hand, nursed, and comforted, the minister being the Head Physician and Nurse; but a garrison in an enemy’s country, every soldier of which should have some post or duty, at which he should be prepared to make any sacrifice rather than quitting.” F.B. Meyer
9. Those who faithfully use what God has given them in loving service to others are going to find their strength renewed in God’s time.
10. Every member is a minister. Are you teaching that class? Are you greeting those visitors? Are you showing mercy? Are you singing in the choir?
CONCLUSION: The Bible teaches that finding our strength renewed for God’s great work is a process of staying on the course God has laid out for us as a church and as individuals. The distractions, disappointments, and discouraging situations will come. Great reward, victory, changed lives will come to those who stick with God’s plan and remain faithful!
INTRO: God has a unique plan for every single child of God. He passionately desires for us to know His good, pleasing, and perfect will. Though that is His intention, it is not automatic that every child of God is going to live in that will and be found faithful. The enemy will do all he can to make sure we lose heart and strength in God’s service. We must find renewed strength and courage to stay faithful to God in spite of opposition, discouragement, or even Satanic sidetracks. Nehemiah moved forward and so can we.
ILLUS: YOU PAY A PRICE FOR GETTING STRONGER. YOU PAY A PRICE FOR GETTING FASTER. YOU PAY A PRICE FOR JUMPING HIGHER. YOU PAY A PRICE FOR STAYING JUST THE SAME. —H. Jackson Brown, A Hero in Every Heart (Nelson, 1996)
PROP. SENT: The Bible teaches us that renewed strength is found by pursuing godly wisdom and judgment as we do God’s will and stand against the continual attacks of the enemy. The wise believer will not give in to the tricky tactics of the enemy, but will stay true to the course God has laid out for him to follow.
I. STRENGTH FOR SPECIAL ASSIGNGMENTS
A. Dedication to God’s Plan Nehemiah 6:1
1. Looking at Nehemiah’s life and service is rewarding and faith inspiring because he is the classic picture of the underdog who overcomes!
2. Nehemiah was an exiled Jew whose job in life was serving as cupbearer to the Persian King, Artaxerses.
3. The odds of Nehemiah accomplishing God’s will seem stacked heavily against him.
4. The job seemed impossible and his enemies were extremely zealous in their attempts to pull him off course.
5. Nehemiah had received news that the walls of Jerusalem had not been rebuilt after his fellow Jews were taken into exile.
6. He knew that without strong walls, Jerusalem would be easy prey to attacks of their enemies and would be constantly defeated…so he asked God for favor and direction in beginning a rebuilding process.
7. God invites each of us into a lifestyle of special heavenly assignments.
8. Each assignment is special not so much because of the job, but because of the God who calls you to it!
9. Finding renewed strength for God’s great work requires diligent study of His Word with a will to follow His guidance.
ILLUS: I once came across seven rules for spiritual growth: 1. Daily Food. Take in the “pure milk of the word” through study and meditation. 2. Fresh Air. Pray often or you will faint. Prayer is the oxygen of the soul. 3. Regular Exercise. Put into practice what you learn in God’s Word. 4. Adequate Rest. Rely on God at all times in simple faith. 5. Clean Surroundings. Avoid evil company and whatever will weaken you spiritually. 6. Loving Care. Be part of a church where you will benefit from a pastor’s teaching and Christian fellowship. 7. Periodic Checkups. Regularly examine your spiritual health. K. Trivette, “Growing Church Members”
B. Dedication to God in Prayer Nehemiah 6:9, 14
1. Throughout Nehemiah’s life, we find a consistent life of prayer and the Word of God continually calls us to pray and seek God’s face.
a. We are only kidding ourselves if we think we can move on farther without first going lower to our knees in prayer!
b. Nehemiah prayed for himself, God’s work, God’s people, even his personal enemies!
2. Perhaps our greatest weapon against the enemy is the Word of God and prayer.
3. Satan cannot stop God from answering our prayer, but he can do everything in his might to keep us from praying faithfully!
4. It takes humility to admit your need in prayer before the Lord and the humble will find themselves being lifted up by the Lord! 1 Peter 5:7
a. Prayer is for the beginning, middle, and the end…our first resort instead of last resort!
b. Praying is not a sign of weakness, but wisdom!
c. James 1:5 says, “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given him.”
ILLUS: There come times in our lives when we in our desperation and pain run to God and dial our 911 prayers. Sometimes we’re hysterical. Sometimes we don’t know the words to speak. But God hears. He knows our number and he knows our name and he knows our circumstance. That help is already on the way; God has already begun to bring the remedy to us. —Leith Anderson, Men of Integrity, Vol. 2, no. 2.
5. What heavenly assignment has God placed upon your heart? How serious are you about putting your faith in God into practice?
II. STRENGTH FOR SPIRITUAL ATTACKS
A. Distractions in Process Nehemiah 6:1-3
1. Anybody who is willing to put the will of God first in their lives is going to encounter TROUBLE from the enemy!
2. Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshmu had been up front in their attacks of Nehemiah in the earlier stages of building the wall…yet now they appear to have a change of heart.
3. A letter is sent by these men to Nehemiah stating, “Come, let us meet together among the villages of in the plain of ONO.”
4. They wanted to get Nehemiah all alone, miles away from home, away from God’s people, away from God’s work, then they would injure him to the point of no return or even TAKE HIS LIFE!
5. How many times has the enemy tried to take you away from doing God’s work? Are you spiritually prepared to resist him?
ILLUS: There is a story involving Yogi Berra, the well-known catcher for the New York Yankees, and Hank Aaron, who at that time was the chief power hitter for the Milwaukee Braves. The teams were playng in the World Series, and as usual Yogi was keeping up his ceaseless chatter, attempting to distract the Milwaukee batters . As Aaron came to the plate, Yogi tried to distract him by saying, "Henry, you're holding the bat wrong. You're supposed to hold it so you can read the trademark." Aaron didn't say anything, but when the next pitch came he hit it into the left-field bleachers. After rounding the bases and tagging up at home plate, Aaron looked at Yogi Berra and said, "I didn't come up here to read." Nehemiah, Learning to Lead, J.M. Boice, Revell, 1990, p. 38.
6. Nehemiah was full of spiritual discernment and he also knew the work God had given him to do was of UTMOST IMPORTANCE!
B. Disappointment in People Nehemiah 6:4-9
1. Not only did the enemy try to use trickery to get Nehemiah sidetracked, he also spread lies about Nehemiah’s motives in rebuilding the temple.
2. If Satan can’t get the leader to quit working – he wants to get people lying about Nehemiah’s intentions and second guessing his godly character.
3. Eventually people will begin to lose faith in God’s leader…God’s work will slow down…people lose heart and faith…eventually quit and give up the good work. VICTORY would be won for his side.
4. The scary thing is that Satan can use us if we are not careful.
5. Jesus said, “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself WILL NOT STAND” (Matthew 12:25).
6. Nehemiah shows us how to respond to disappointing people who have allowed Satan to use them for his purposes: WE STAND ON THE TRUTH OF GOD’S WORD!
7. He refuted the lie, rebuked the lie, and then released the lie to the Lord in prayer.
8. Nehemiah knows renewal is on the way for God’s people!
9. Great progress has been made on the wall and he’s being compelled by God’s purposes.
10. He will not allow disappointing people being used by the enemy to bring him down! GO NEHEMIAH, GO!
ILLUS: “What can keep us off the side street? FOCUS. It is possible to do everything else right, then get on a side street before our task is completed. I have seen this happen in marriages, in relationships, in churches, and in businesses. Have you ever been on a side street? When you are in the process of rebuilding a marriage, some Sanballat or Tobiah can come along and get you on a side street. There are those who will try anything to get you off the main road of rebuilding. Some who are rebuilding relationships get off on side streets. Some who are seeking to rebuild their vocational life are prone to take side streets. Rebuilders finish strong. How? They stay off side streets and remain focused on what they are to do.” O.S. Hawkins, Rebuilding: It’s Never Too Late For A New Beginning
III. STRENGTH FOR STEADFAST ALLEGIANCE
A. Daily Presentation Nehemiah 6:9b, Romans 12:1-2
1. As Nehemiah progressed in God’s will and call upon his life, his steadfast allegiance to God over anyone or anything is impressive.
2. Strength in the life of each of our lives comes from continual absolute surrender of our lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
3. When we truly begin to understand what the Lord Jesus Christ has done, the only proper response is to yield our lives at His feet in devoted worship and service.
4. Life becomes less about SELF and more about the SAVOR AND HIS SERVICE!!!
ILLUS: “People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa. Can that be called a sacrifice which is simply paying back a small part of the great debt owing to our God, which we can never repay? Is that a sacrifice which brings its own blest reward in healthful activity, the consciousness of doing good, peace of mind and a bright hope of glorious destiny hereafter? Away with the word in such a view and with such a thought! It is emphatically no sacrifice. Say rather it is a privilege.” Missionary, David Livingston
5. Is it too much to offer yourself completely to the One who gave His whole life for you?
6. It’s sad that so many believers think the Christian life revolves around WHAT THEY CAN GET over WHAT THEY CAN GIVE!
B. Daily Preoccupation Neh. 6:10-16, Romans 12:3-8
1. Steadfast allegiance comes into our lives when we are consumed with a passion to know and obey God’s Word.
2. Shemiah tried to lure Nehemiah into disobeying the clearly revealed Word of God (Numbers 3:10, 38).
3. The Word of God stated that only the priest was to enter the temples holy areas…outsiders were to be put to death.
4. Dt. 18:20-22 states, “'But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.' 21"You may say in your heart, 'How will we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?' 22"When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.
5. Defeat and disgrace symbolized Shemaiah’s life as he yielded to the enemies lies - Greed became his priority over God!
6. Victory and virtue symbolized Nehemiah’s life.
7. God has gifted and called you into a life of victorious service in Him. Are you preoccupied in fulfilling His will? Serving others to the glory of God?
8. Romans 12:3-8, “3For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. 4For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, 5so we,who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; 7if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness."
ILLUS: “It is urgently needful that the Christian people of our charge should come to understand that they are not a company of invalids, to be wheeled about, or fed by hand, nursed, and comforted, the minister being the Head Physician and Nurse; but a garrison in an enemy’s country, every soldier of which should have some post or duty, at which he should be prepared to make any sacrifice rather than quitting.” F.B. Meyer
9. Those who faithfully use what God has given them in loving service to others are going to find their strength renewed in God’s time.
10. Every member is a minister. Are you teaching that class? Are you greeting those visitors? Are you showing mercy? Are you singing in the choir?
CONCLUSION: The Bible teaches that finding our strength renewed for God’s great work is a process of staying on the course God has laid out for us as a church and as individuals. The distractions, disappointments, and discouraging situations will come. Great reward, victory, changed lives will come to those who stick with God’s plan and remain faithful!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
TELL ME THE STORY OF JESUS
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.”
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.”
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!
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