Month: October 2018

Do You Know the Gift of God?

Sermon: If You Knew the Gift of God

Part One: John 4: 6-10

Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.  A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”  (For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.) The Samaritan woman said to him, “How is it that you, a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a woman of Samaria?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)  Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you,  ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 

The Woman from Samaria

Today we’re going to talk about two people who had heard of Jesus but who had never met him.  The first is a Samaritan woman who frequented Jacob’s well each day for water.  She is referred to as a person of mixed race.  Also, she is described as a person who was known to be living in sin.

Before I go further, here is some background on Samaria.  It’s in the Northern Kingdom, a part of Israel between Jerusalem and Galilee.  After the Assyrians had conquered the Jews, many Jews were deported to Assyria and foreigners were brought in.  They helped to settle the land and keep the peace.  With the intermingling, intermarriages between the Jews and these foreigners resulted.   Jews living in the Southern Kingdom looked upon these people in the Northern Kingdom as ‘a mixed race’ of impure people.

Today some groups of people consider people of color as inferior.  There are no inferior people.  We are all God’s children, and God does not make mistakes!

Jesus’ journey to the well

Jesus and his disciples had walked about 40 miles from Jerusalem to Samaria in the hot sun.  The roads were dirt.  They weren’t walking in Air Jordans but in sandals or bare feet.

Jesus was tired and he sent his disciples into the city to purchase food.  Jesus then sat by the well, resting and waiting.  Because it’s Jesus, we know that he knows what the future holds, so he knows the woman is coming!

There are no chance encounters with God

The woman came to the well around noon.  This was her habit because she knew no one would be at the well at that time.  She did this to avoid meeting anyone because everyone knew of her and her reputation.

But on this particular day Jesus was there waiting for her!

Like the woman at the well, you are here today not by mistake but by design.  You could have been somewhere else but you are here.

You can’t go anywhere that God does not know.  There is nothing you can say or do that he doesn’t know.

What will you do when you find God sitting, waiting for you?  When that quiet voice speaks to you, what will be your response?

Read the Full Chapter of the Scripture Referenced:
John Chapter 4

Return later this week for the second installment of the sermon, If You Knew the Gift of God

There Is No Death In Jesus Christ

Scripture: Romans 6: 7-10

For he that is dead is freed from sin.  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.  For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

Scripture Commentary: Why do you fear death?

What are you doing in your life that you know is wrong?  Are you a part-time Christian?  If any of these apply, then death has a hold on you.

Put Christ first in your life.

Look at yourself.   Be free from the hold of sin and death.  Then you will have a new life with the Holy Spirit being your comforter, and you will be bound to Christ.

We have a choice to live a life with Christ, doing good.  Or we can live in sin with satan.  Without Jesus, we would be doomed, suffering and separating from God.

We have one master, and He is God.

You are free to choose, so choose to be free of sin and death.  Jesus died on the cross to save us, so we can choose to live with Him in eternity.

God has freely given us the gift of life with Him forever.

Read the Entire Chapter:
Romans Chapter 6

Can You Hear God’s Voice? He Talks to You.

Scripture: Acts 28: 26-27

Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Scripture Commentary: Do you hear God when He is talking to you?

… Or are you hearing your inner voice?  God is talking to us every day through His Word. If you are so preoccupied with yourself that you can’t hear him, you are lost.

Paul was trying to tell the people about Jesus.

Some of the people heard and some did not, just as today some will listen and learn about Our Lord Jesus Christ and some will not.  The choice is yours.

In Paul’s time the people had to wait for someone to bring the news.  We have the new!  We can look back and see what happened.  Also, we have The Holy Bible to tell us the Good News.

God is telling us how to follow Him.  He also gives us a blueprint for how to treat our fellow man.  God loves us so much. He gave His only begotten Son to show us the way.

Can you hear God talking to you?

Read the Entire Chapter:
Acts Chapter 28

God is Alpha and Omega; Beginning and End

Scripture: Revelation 21: 6-7

And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is a thirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.  He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son.

Scripture Commentary: God is Alpha and Omega; that which is, was, and is to come!

God tells us, who believe in Him, that He is the creator and finisher of all things.  He is both Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.

The Bible begins with the creation of the universe and it concludes with His creation of a new heaven and a new earth.  Will you be there?

When God asks the question, “What did you do in my name, what will you say?

We are here for only a short time but we will be in heaven with Our Father forever.   We are made perfect and our sins are forgiven when we are with God.

Just as God finished the work of creation, Jesus finished the work of redemption, and the Trinity will finish the entire work of salvation by inviting the redeemed into a new creation.

Stand firm for Christ and receive the blessings that He promised:

  1. Eat from the tree of life
  2. Escape from the lake of fire
  3. Receive your special name
  4. Have authority over nations
  5. Be in the Book of Life
  6. Be a pillar in God’s temple
  7. Sit with Christ on His throne

Overcome and inherit all the things that God has for you and be called His child.

Read the Entire Chapter:
Revelation Chapter 21

Additional Reading:
Revelation Chapter 1

You Can Depend on Jesus to Make You Whole

Scripture: John 5: 4-6

For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.  And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.  When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?

Scripture Commentary: Will you let Jesus make you whole?

Jesus is asking you the question.  We all go through life with sickness in our spirit, and are so caught up in our everyday life that we forget about Jesus.  Like this man, we had no hope of being made whole.  And then we see Jesus!

Don’t let a problem or hardship cause you to lose hope.

Remember that no matter how trapped you feel in your infirmities, God can minister to your deepest needs.  God has a special job for you in spite of your condition, or maybe even because of it.

The man in the story is made whole both physically and spiritually.  God’s forgiveness is the greatest gift you will ever receive.

Don’t neglect His gracious offer.  “Wilt thou be made whole … take up thy bed, and walk.”

Read the Entire Chapter:
John Chapter 5

 

All Will Come to Worship the Lord

Scripture: Isaiah 66: 23-24

“All humanity will come to worship me from week to week and from month to month.  And as they go out, they will see the dead bodies of those who have rebelled against me.  For the worms that devour them will never die, and the fire that burns them will never go out.  All who pass by will view them with utter horror.”

Scripture Commentary: Be careful about what you worship.

Isaiah brings his book to a close with great drama by contrasting two ways of living.  There are those who are humble and have a profound reverence for God’s messages and to applying them.  These people live to worship before the Lord.

Do not follow society’s urges and  the ways of the world.

Then there are those who choose their own way, transgressing against God.  Don’t let your freedom to choose lead you away from God’s pathway to eternal life.

Isaiah 66 gives us a vivid picture of the great judgement that will occur at Christ’s second coming.  It’s a sobering portrayal of judgement for the faithless.

The faithful will have eternal life with God.

In contrast, for the faithful there is a glorious picture of rich reward in that we will be with our Lord Jesus Christ.

The contrast is so striking that it would seem that everyone would want to follow God’s ways.  However, we are often foolish and reluctant to change our earthly ways.

How foolish and reluctant are you?  The day of judgement is coming.  Are you ready?

Read the Entire Chapter:
Isaiah Chapter 66

God Has Prepared a Place for You

Sermon: The Lord Is the Great Shepherd (God Has Prepared a Place for You)

Part Three: John 14: 2

 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

God tells us that He is our shepherd. Jesus tells us that He is going to prepare a place for us and that He will return for us.  We can look forward to eternal life because Jesus has promised it to all who believe in Him.

Psalm 23:6

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Jesus has a place for you in His Father’s house, the banquet table is prepared, and your seat is waiting for you. He paid the ultimate price for your seat at the table when He went to the cross, died, and rose again.

Jesus’ words show that the way to eternal life, although unseen, is as secure as your trust in Jesus.  All of the benefits of being God’s child will be yours.

Read the Full Chapters of the Scriptures Referenced:
John Chapter 14
Psalm Chapter 23

Read the first and second parts of the Sermon, The Lord Is the Great Shepherd
The Lord Is the Great Shepherd (Part One)
The Lord Is My Shepherd; He Restores My Soul (Part Two)

The Lord Is My Shepherd; He Restores My Soul

Sermon: The Lord Is the Great Shepherd (He Restores My Soul)

Part Two: Psalm 23: 1-3

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures.  He leads me beside still waters.  He restores my soul.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

God wants to take us to the green pastures and quiet waters.  He restores us.  If we are rebellious and disobedient, we are going against our best interests.

Yea, although I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will have no fear because you are my God, my shepherd, and death has no hold on me.  Since I am a child of God and know His son died and rose again on the third day, I know where I am going.

What about you?  Do you where you are going?

Death has the last word on this side of life.

When you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, death has lost.  Without Jesus, death casts a frightening shadow over us because we are entirely helpless in its presence.  We will struggle with enemies, pain, suffering, disease, and injury, but with all of our strength we cannot overcome death.

Only Jesus Christ can walk with us in the valley of death and bring us into His eternal light.  Life is uncertain, but God is not.

Psalm 23: 5

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

In ancient near eastern culture it was customary to anoint a person with fragrant oil at a banquet.  The host was also expected to protect his guests at all costs.  God offers the protection for us even when the enemy surrounds us.

Psalm 25: 2

O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame; let not my enemies exult over me.

The Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd, the Perfect Shepherd, promises to guide and protect us through life to bring us into His Father’s house.

Read the Full Chapter of the Scriptures Referenced:
Psalm Chapter 23
Psalm Chapter 25

Read Part One of the Sermon, The Lord Is the Great Shepherd

The Lord Is the Great Shepherd

Sermon: The Lord Is The Great Shepherd

Part One: Psalm 23: 1

The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.

We are God’s child.  He is our Father, Protector, the Great Shepherd.  When David describes the Lord as a shepherd, he is writing about of his own experience as a shepherd when he was a young boy.

Sheep are completely dependent on the shepherd for provision, guidance and protection.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd and we are His sheep.

The New Testament calls Jesus the Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd, and the Chief Shepherd.  The Lord is the Good Shepherd, and we are His sheep.  We are not to be frightened or passive.  We are to be obedient followers who place ourselves in His hands.  He will lead us in the path of rightness.

If we go our own way then we are going to walk the path satan has for us.  Do not think that satan isn’t waiting to lead you.

Job 2: 2

“And the Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?”  Satan answered the Lord, “From roaming throughout the earth, going back and forth on it.”

Matthew 4:1

“Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a]by the devil.”

Now the devil thought he could tempt Jesus.  What do you think he can do with us?

When we put ourselves in God’s hands, we have contentment.

Psalm 23 does not focus on the animal-like qualities of sheep but on the discipleship qualities of those who follow Our Lord and Savior.  However, when we choose to sin, we go our own way and we can’t blame God for the consequences of that choice.

Read the Full Chapters of the Scriptures Referenced:
Psalm Chapter 23
Job Chapter 2
Matthew Chapter 4

Join us later this week for Part Two of the sermon, The Lord is My Shepherd.