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What God did for People through Jesus 3 – Everything through Jesus What God did for People through Jesus 3 – Colossians 1:9-20 For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities–all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.   What God did for People through Jesus 3 – Jesus is the Link Years ago I discovered an incredibly helpful invention. [Illustrate with two pieces of chain and a coupling link.] The invention is the coupling link. With it, you easily can add a link to a piece of chain. So, with it you can make two broken chains a single chain. The link has an opening that can be opened or closed easily. If it is open, it can easily fit on to a chain. If it is closed, it becomes a strong part of the chain. The link makes what would be impossible easily possible. This evening I want to begin by reading several scriptures. Though these scriptures come from different contexts and make many points, I want you to notice two things. (1) All of them are in some way about the work of Jesus as he benefits us. (2) All of them state in some way that Jesus is our “link” to God. In Jesus we can be again “connected” to God, and that would be impossible if it were not for Jesus. Please read with me on the overhead or in your Bible. Notice the “coupling” Jesus makes possible between us and God the Father. The Father can be in Jesus’ disciples because Jesus is in those disciples. * Please pay attention to the fact that Jesus allows us to have God the Father in us.   What God did for People through Jesus 3 – The Scriptures * Scriptures: * John 1:14-18 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.'” For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ. No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. * John 3:16-21 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son,

What God did for People through Jesus 2 – God is Light What God did for People through Jesus 2. 1 John 1:1-10 “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life– and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us–what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete. This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us.” What God did for People through Jesus 2 – Roman Catholic reform Since the attempt at Roman Catholic reform resulted in the Protestant Reformation, reformers have had a tendency to make conditions of salvation difficult for people. To my understanding of what I heard, it was as if God really did not want to extend salvation to humans, but for some reason, He had to. Therefore, God made being saved in Christ as difficult as possible. It was as though God said, “I extend you salvation, but I hope you do not accept because I really want to give you the justice of what you deserve rather than the mercy and grace of salvation.” At least, for me, that was the view I was exposed to. As I matured spiritually, I began to wonder this: If what God really wanted was to destroy us and not save us, to give us justice and not mercy, why bother sending Jesus to become the Christ? If God just withheld Jesus, we definitely would get justice and not mercy. Without Jesus, we gentiles have no form of hope. There were many factors that resulted in the Protestant Reformation. One of those factors that figured prominently in Martin Luther’s presenting the ninety-five thesis for debate was the sale of indulgences. This is a very complex evolution in Roman Catholic theology. This evolution of theological view point involved three things: religious goals, secular politics, and money. That is a combination that commonly results in materialism and greed! What God did for People through Jesus 2 – The practice of penance At first, there was the practice of penance. When a person sinned, he or she had to do something to demonstrate physically he or she regretted the sin. Then there arose a debate about how far reaching the acts of penance were. Could the acts of penance cover the consequences to be endured in purgatory? Then there evolved the concept of indulgences. That concept evolved into the concept that a person could buy total escape from all consequences of sinful deeds. The idea was this: saints and good people did more than enough good deeds to receive their salvation. From their excess good deeds, there existed a “treasury of merits.” The pope had access to this “treasury of merits” and could authorize the sale of these excess good deeds in the form of indulgences. A person who had not done enough good deeds to escape punishment could buy an indulgence and assure to himself or herself of an ...

What God did for People through Jesus 1 – for our God is a consuming fire. What God did for People through Jesus 1.  Hebrews 12:18-29 For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and to a blazing fire, and to darkness and gloom and whirlwind, and to the blast of a trumpet and the sound of words which sound was such that those who heard begged that no further word be spoken to them. For they could not bear the command, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it will be stoned.” And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, “I am full of fear and trembling.” But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to myriads of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the Judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks better than the blood of Abel. See to it that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if those did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape who turn away from Him who warns from heaven. And His voice shook the earth then, but now He has promised, saying, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth, but also the heaven.” This expression, “Yet once more,” denotes the removing of those things which can be shaken, as of created things, so that those things which cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we receive a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us show gratitude, by which we may offer to God an acceptable service with reverence and awe; for our God is a consuming fire. What God did for People through Jesus 1 of 5 Part Series For a few Sunday evenings, we have focused on the conscious roles Jesus served in his earthly ministry. I stressed several times, “It is not a question of what we do for God. It is an understanding of what God did for us in Jesus’ death and resurrection.” The focus of our faith must not be on our achievements in obedience. The focus of our faith must be on God’s achievements in giving the life of Jesus on the cross and on resurrecting Jesus from the tomb. For a few weeks, I want us to consider God’s accomplishments (for us) in Jesus’ death and resurrection. This evening I want to focus on this accomplishment: In Jesus’ death and resurrection, God gave us an entirely new way to look at him and to approach him. * To make the point I wish to make, we must begin with a basic understanding of the writing called Hebrews. * First, I want to share this understanding. * When we approach any scripture, we first need to ask ourselves, “What was the problem to writer addressed? How was the problem being addressed in this statement?” * No writing in scripture was consciously written to 21st century America. * That does not mean that scripture was not “god breathed” or inspired. * That does not mean that the messages of scripture are not relevant to our lives today. * It simply means that if we do not seek to understand the point the author made, we are likely to miss God’s point an make the wrong application of what was said. * No scripture receives its meaning from us. * All scripture means what the writer meant as he was moved by God to write–the true point is the point of the writer. What God did for People through Jesus 1 – most of the Old Testament books were written to Israel * Originally, each book (especially in the New Testament–most of the Old Testament books were written to Israel) was written to someone or a specific group about a spec...

The new Person In Christ – What are you trying to prove? The new person in Christ.  Four or five times a week I work out at a gym. John Glidewell graciously and patiently allows me to workout with him. This is not a new experience. I have been involved in exercise programs for over 20 years. Why? Why exercise all that time? Why go to a gym and get into a physical fitness program? Why pay someone to sweat and strain and get sore? Different people have different reasons–and there are many, many reasons. Let me note just three reasons. Some people work out to compete or to prepare for some form of competition. If you work out at the gym to compete with other people who work out, you will always meet someone who is stronger, bigger, and better developed than you are. Some people work out to feel better about themselves. They use exercise to build their self-esteem, self-image, or self-confidence. That has merit. But it also has risk. With age and time, we lose physical ability. If we completely invest our concept of self in our physical bodies, we face a major crisis when our bodies decline. Some people work out for the sake of their health. They want to become and to be the healthiest that they can be. I knew before I began to work out that I had no interest in competing with anyone. I surely am glad I realized that! Competing is not an option for me! Sometimes I struggle to lift the bar with no weight on it! But this is true: if I could lift ten pounds more than someone, that would not make me more significant than that person. The new Person In Christ – How do you define yourself? I also realized that I did not want to define my person with my body. With my body, that is also fortunate! My body is just the house I live in while I am on this earth. “Me” is the person who resides in that house. “Me” will continue to live after this body dies. Physically, I wanted to be the healthiest person that I can become. I want to be the healthiest I can be because I want to use my life to its fullest. There are many things I yet want to do with my life, and a healthy body is critical to doing those things. Making a long-term commitment to working out is the commitment to becoming and being. That becoming and being is based on a number of discoveries. Each discovery opens a door to new possibilities. In that, there is an important parallel between the long-term commitment to exercise and the long-term commitment to being a Christian. The new Person In Christ – The Christians at Colossae * In the New Testament, the Christians who were the church at Colossae had difficulty understanding a basic truth about Christian existence. Paul talked to them about their misunderstanding in Colossians 3:5-11. * They had a hard time understanding that their existence before they became Christians and their existence after they became Christians were contrasting existences. * The person each of them was before becoming a Christian and the person each of them was after becoming a Christian were distinctly different persons. * When they became Christians, they did not become members of a club, or a fraternity, or a social organization–it was not a membership thing, it was a becoming thing. * Becoming a Christian was much more than changing habits or accepting responsibilities. * As a Christian person, he or she actually became something that never existed before. * Since they as persons had become something that never existed before, their behavior, their moral conduct, and their relationships should reflect this new existence. * Since what they now were had not existed previously, a radical transition had occurred. * That radical change should be evident : * In the way they used their bodies.

Which Is Easier For Jesus? Jesus had the power to forgive sins – Have you ever been impressed with the reality of Jesus’ power? Jesus had the power to forgive sins. Have you ever noticed how easy it is for us to hold thoughts and opinions on the same subject that appear to be in total contradiction? We can be both confident and pessimistic about the same matter. We can feel both encouraged and discouraged about the same situation. We can look at circumstances and express a real sense of hope, and moments later declare feelings of profound hopelessness about the same circumstances. According to us, a situation may provide real opportunity and no opportunity at all, or real advantages and no advantages. Have you ever noticed others doing that? Have you ever noticed yourself doing that? Consider a specific example. Think about Jesus’ amazing power. Have you ever been impressed with the reality of Jesus’ power? Have you witnessed or experienced things that unquestionably happened because of Jesus’ power? If you have been sensitive and observant, I have no doubt that you have been impressed in specific instances by Jesus’ power. How many times have you witnessed a Christian in a hard, lingering, demanding, exhausting, punishing crisis endure, continue to live, and continue to function in unbelievable ways? How many times have you witnessed a Christian suffer enormous tragedy, endure the tragedy, and come through the tragedy as a stronger, better, more thankful person? How many times have you witnessed someone with a terrible problem develop a relationship with Jesus that totally changed his/her life (the “before” and “after” person were in complete contrast)? Have you ever observed an insecure, ‘do nothing’ Christian build a relationship of faith with Jesus and become a powerful servant? Jesus had the power to forgive sins – Now, honestly change your perspective. I have seen all of that and more. I have been astounded, amazed, and said, “Lord, help me have more confidence!” It would surprise me if you have not had the same experiences. Now, honestly change your perspective. Consider all the situations in which you thought there was nothing the Lord could do. Are there not problems in which you considered the Lord powerless? Are there not situations in which you wondered if it was appropriate to pray about the matter? You just felt certain nothing could improve the situation. You could see no way to improve the situation so you concluded the situation was beyond improvement. Have you ever felt that way about yourself or about someone else? If we are honest with ourselves, I think we would admit that there are some things we consider easy for the Lord to do, and some things we consider difficult for the Lord to do. Quite often that is more a matter of our personal judgment than it is the Lord’s ability. Difficulty Requires the Prayer of Persistent Patience To help us develop a biblical perspective, consider an incident recorded in Jesus’ life recorded in Matthew 9:1-7. Jesus had the power to forgive sins – Jesus Heals the Paralytic Getting into a boat, Jesus crossed over the sea and came to His own city. And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.” And some of the scribes said to themselves, “This fellow blasphemes.” And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, Your sins are forgiven, or to say, Get up, and walk? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”- t...

Which Is Easier For Jesus? Jesus had the power to forgive sins – Have you ever been impressed with the reality of Jesus’ power? Jesus had the power to forgive sins. Have you ever noticed how easy it is for us to hold thoughts and opinions on the same subject that appear to be in total contradiction? We can be both confident and pessimistic about the same matter. We can feel both encouraged and discouraged about the same situation. We can look at circumstances and express a real sense of hope, and moments later declare feelings of profound hopelessness about the same circumstances. According to us, a situation may provide real opportunity and no opportunity at all, or real advantages and no advantages. Have you ever noticed others doing that? Have you ever noticed yourself doing that? Consider a specific example. Think about Jesus’ amazing power. Have you ever been impressed with the reality of Jesus’ power? Have you witnessed or experienced things that unquestionably happened because of Jesus’ power? If you have been sensitive and observant, I have no doubt that you have been impressed in specific instances by Jesus’ power. How many times have you witnessed a Christian in a hard, lingering, demanding, exhausting, punishing crisis endure, continue to live, and continue to function in unbelievable ways? How many times have you witnessed a Christian suffer enormous tragedy, endure the tragedy, and come through the tragedy as a stronger, better, more thankful person? How many times have you witnessed someone with a terrible problem develop a relationship with Jesus that totally changed his/her life (the “before” and “after” person were in complete contrast)? Have you ever observed an insecure, ‘do nothing’ Christian build a relationship of faith with Jesus and become a powerful servant? Jesus had the power to forgive sins – Now, honestly change your perspective. I have seen all of that and more. I have been astounded, amazed, and said, “Lord, help me have more confidence!” It would surprise me if you have not had the same experiences. Now, honestly change your perspective. Consider all the situations in which you thought there was nothing the Lord could do. Are there not problems in which you considered the Lord powerless? Are there not situations in which you wondered if it was appropriate to pray about the matter? You just felt certain nothing could improve the situation. You could see no way to improve the situation so you concluded the situation was beyond improvement. Have you ever felt that way about yourself or about someone else? If we are honest with ourselves, I think we would admit that there are some things we consider easy for the Lord to do, and some things we consider difficult for the Lord to do. Quite often that is more a matter of our personal judgment than it is the Lord’s ability. Difficulty Requires the Prayer of Persistent Patience To help us develop a biblical perspective, consider an incident recorded in Jesus’ life recorded in Matthew 9:1-7. Jesus had the power to forgive sins – Jesus Heals the Paralytic Getting into a boat, Jesus crossed over the sea and came to His own city. And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.” And some of the scribes said to themselves, “This fellow blasphemes.” And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, “Why are you thinking evil in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, Your sins are forgiven, or to say, Get up, and walk? But so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins̶...

Who am I Who am I ?  The admittance by Jesus that he was the Christ, the son of the living God was required for the Death Penalty by the Sanhedrin. Matthew 26:57-68 Those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. But Peter was following Him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and entered in, and sat down with the officers to see the outcome. Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward, and said, “This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.’ ” The high priest stood up and said to Him, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?” But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; what do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death!” Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him, and said, “Prophesy to us, You Christ; who is the one who hit You?” Who am I – Paul encouraged Christians in Rome to recognize authority. I personally think one of the most difficult things in our American lives is correctly to honor persons who deserve recognition. I am aware of Paul’s admonition to Christians in the city of Rome in Romans 13:7 Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. In context, Paul was encouraging Christians in Rome to recognize appropriate authority and show proper respect. That is much more easily said than done. In context, Paul was telling Christians that they should recognize the right of authorities to charge taxes when the authorities were idolaters and did not know the living God. He even said respect people who have little or no respect for you. That is hard to do! In this society with all our emphasis on individual rights, our tendency is to say, “If you will not do things the way I want them done, I will not listen to you or do what you want done. If you do not know who I am and do not respect me, I will not acknowledge you or respect you!” One of my many embarrassing moments in the past occurred at the death of someone I knew. I had gone for the visitation prior to the funeral, as had the most prominent man in the community. He was quite wealthy, a very successful businessman, and quite influential in local politics. I had and have a tendency to get completely caught up in my own responsibilities and can be quite oblivious to everything else. My problem was this: I had never met the man, and I had no recognition of his name. Who am I – Open mouth, insert foot to your knee cap! Me being me, I introduced myself to him. Trying to associate his name with something I would remember, I said, “Do you live here?” A short time later as we were leaving, Joyce said to me, “Do you know who that man was?” Obviously, I did not. So she explained it to me! ‘Open mouth, insert foot to your knee cap!’ Who am I – Jesus truly messed with Israel’s minds

Who am I Who am I ?  The admittance by Jesus that he was the Christ, the son of the living God was required for the Death Penalty by the Sanhedrin. Matthew 26:57-68 Those who had seized Jesus led Him away to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. But Peter was following Him at a distance as far as the courtyard of the high priest, and entered in, and sat down with the officers to see the outcome. Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death. They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward, and said, “This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.’ ” The high priest stood up and said to Him, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?” But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.” Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.” Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; what do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death!” Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists; and others slapped Him, and said, “Prophesy to us, You Christ; who is the one who hit You?” Who am I – Paul encouraged Christians in Rome to recognize authority. I personally think one of the most difficult things in our American lives is correctly to honor persons who deserve recognition. I am aware of Paul’s admonition to Christians in the city of Rome in Romans 13:7 Render to all what is due them: tax to whom tax is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. In context, Paul was encouraging Christians in Rome to recognize appropriate authority and show proper respect. That is much more easily said than done. In context, Paul was telling Christians that they should recognize the right of authorities to charge taxes when the authorities were idolaters and did not know the living God. He even said respect people who have little or no respect for you. That is hard to do! In this society with all our emphasis on individual rights, our tendency is to say, “If you will not do things the way I want them done, I will not listen to you or do what you want done. If you do not know who I am and do not respect me, I will not acknowledge you or respect you!” One of my many embarrassing moments in the past occurred at the death of someone I knew. I had gone for the visitation prior to the funeral, as had the most prominent man in the community. He was quite wealthy, a very successful businessman, and quite influential in local politics. I had and have a tendency to get completely caught up in my own responsibilities and can be quite oblivious to everything else. My problem was this: I had never met the man, and I had no recognition of his name. Who am I – Open mouth, insert foot to your knee cap! Me being me, I introduced myself to him. Trying to associate his name with something I would remember, I said, “Do you live here?” A short time later as we were leaving, Joyce said to me, “Do you know who that man was?” Obviously, I did not. So she explained it to me! ‘Open mouth, insert foot to your knee cap!’ Who am I – Jesus truly messed with Israel’s minds

I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Luke 10:18 – And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Would you like to see Satan utterly defeated? Would you like to see him flounder helplessly in total confusion? Would you like to see him fall flat on his face completely disoriented? Would you like to see his power evaporate, his strength fail, and his throne destroyed? Most Christians would love to witness that happening! Would you like for the Lord to use you personally to help cause Satan’s defeat? Would you like to put “the hurt” on Satan without him being able to hurt you? Would you like to do things that would tumble Satan? It would surprise me if those ideas did not appeal to most Christians. Why? Most of us have witnessed tragedies that Satan caused. We have seen good people betrayed through evil. Through evil, we have seen godly people fall to their ruin. We have seen heartache and pain caused by evil. Many of us have felt helpless as we observed Satan’s deceptions. It would be wonderful to “get even” with Satan just once. It would be wonderful to see him suffer the pain he delights in bringing to us, to destroy his influence, to frustrate his efforts. Just once would you not like to witness Satan receiving what he deserves? If God used you in that way, what would happen? If God used you in that way, what would you have to do to Satan? If Satan were beaten, what would have to happen? There was a time when Jesus used people to do exactly that! Consider what happened in Luke 10. Jesus and the 70 men * Jesus used seventy (70) men as “advance men” to prepare villages and cities in Galilee and Judah to get ready for his coming. * These men would go throughout the entire Jewish region to build a sense of expectation for Jesus’ and his message. * To each of the places they visited, they would inform people, “Jesus is coming here!” * An announcement of this type was necessary in a time without printing, radio, or television to create a sense of expectation. * They wanted even small villages to know they would not be passed by. * The objective was information, not profit. * Jesus wanted the men to know they were going on a dangerous mission. * The opportunity was enormous! * However, the risk was great! The hatred of some was not to be underestimated! * These men would be defenseless–like lambs among wolves! * There were some conditions they had to accept. * They would trust Jesus as they represented Jesus. * They would not travel as usual with extra provisions and clothing. * There would be no bag with extra food for an unexpected situation. * They would not talk to people as they traveled. * Their mission was too urgent! * They must not be delayed as they announced Jesus’ coming. * When they entered a house, they extended the family peace. * If the family accepted their peace, that peace would rest on the family. * If the family rejected them, their peace would be denied the family. Inform Everyone * “When you are accepted, stay in that one place–there is no time to move from place to place.” * “Wherever you are: * “Eat what you are served. * “Heal the sick. * “Inform everyone that God’s kingdom is near” (the expectation of Israel was close to being a reality). * “If you are rejected: * “Publicly declare they are responsible for the consequences of their rejection–do not even carry d...

I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Luke 10:18 – And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Would you like to see Satan utterly defeated? Would you like to see him flounder helplessly in total confusion? Would you like to see him fall flat on his face completely disoriented? Would you like to see his power evaporate, his strength fail, and his throne destroyed? Most Christians would love to witness that happening! Would you like for the Lord to use you personally to help cause Satan’s defeat? Would you like to put “the hurt” on Satan without him being able to hurt you? Would you like to do things that would tumble Satan? It would surprise me if those ideas did not appeal to most Christians. Why? Most of us have witnessed tragedies that Satan caused. We have seen good people betrayed through evil. Through evil, we have seen godly people fall to their ruin. We have seen heartache and pain caused by evil. Many of us have felt helpless as we observed Satan’s deceptions. It would be wonderful to “get even” with Satan just once. It would be wonderful to see him suffer the pain he delights in bringing to us, to destroy his influence, to frustrate his efforts. Just once would you not like to witness Satan receiving what he deserves? If God used you in that way, what would happen? If God used you in that way, what would you have to do to Satan? If Satan were beaten, what would have to happen? There was a time when Jesus used people to do exactly that! Consider what happened in Luke 10. Jesus and the 70 men * Jesus used seventy (70) men as “advance men” to prepare villages and cities in Galilee and Judah to get ready for his coming. * These men would go throughout the entire Jewish region to build a sense of expectation for Jesus’ and his message. * To each of the places they visited, they would inform people, “Jesus is coming here!” * An announcement of this type was necessary in a time without printing, radio, or television to create a sense of expectation. * They wanted even small villages to know they would not be passed by. * The objective was information, not profit. * Jesus wanted the men to know they were going on a dangerous mission. * The opportunity was enormous! * However, the risk was great! The hatred of some was not to be underestimated! * These men would be defenseless–like lambs among wolves! * There were some conditions they had to accept. * They would trust Jesus as they represented Jesus. * They would not travel as usual with extra provisions and clothing. * There would be no bag with extra food for an unexpected situation. * They would not talk to people as they traveled. * Their mission was too urgent! * They must not be delayed as they announced Jesus’ coming. * When they entered a house, they extended the family peace. * If the family accepted their peace, that peace would rest on the family. * If the family rejected them, their peace would be denied the family. Inform Everyone * “When you are accepted, stay in that one place–there is no time to move from place to place.” * “Wherever you are: * “Eat what you are served. * “Heal the sick. * “Inform everyone that God’s kingdom is near” (the expectation of Israel was close to being a reality). * “If you are rejected: * “Publicly declare they are responsible for the consequences of their rejection–do not even carry d...

Please make sure and stop by our new Podcast site at godsmessageontheweb.com I want to share with you an insight, not a statement of confrontation or an argumentative statement, but an insight. We as adults are grieved deeply because so many of our teenagers leave the church when they become adults. Those of us who still have children at home are terrified that our children might decide to do the same thing in the years ahead. My insight: our children do not see us using the light God gives through Jesus to fight the darkness inside ourselves. We have focused so much energy on fighting the "darkness out yonder" that we individually do not even look at the darkness within ourselves. When something forces us to peek at the darkness in our own lives, we are far more likely to justify the darkness than we are to use Jesus' light to attack the darkness inside. And our children see it and know it; they hear us tell everybody else how to fight the darkness out yonder, and they see us unable to shine the light on our own personal darkness. So when they confront the darkness in their own lives, they have absolutely no idea of how to fight it, and the church as they know it suddenly becomes very irrelevant in the battle against personal darkness. Please make sure and stop by our new Podcast site at godsmessageontheweb.com God's Message - The Darkness Within.

This morning I want to begin with a word association. The word I want you to think about is the word “chaos.” When you hear the word “chaos” what other word or words instantly come to mind? The two words that most commonly come to people’s minds when they hear or think about the word “chaos” are the words “confusion” and “disorganization.” Where chaos is, there is incredible, unbelievable confusion. Chaos is the exact opposite of organization. Where absolute chaos exists, there is zero organization. Perhaps some of us would describe some situations that involved us the past few days as truly chaotic! It is quite possible that you have been in some situations the past few days in which confusion reigned supreme! Everything you experienced for at least a few moments, everything you saw for at least a few moments was nothing but confusion. The sound level, the movements, the scene all screamed, “Nobody is in charge here! Nothing is under control here! There is no order! The only thing in existence at this moment is mass confusion! Everything and everybody is out of control!” Most people do not like true chaos. Do you? * Let’s begin by doing some reflecting. (This is personal reflecting–I genuinely want you to think about your own life.) * In the past twelve months, when you think about this year of 2003 month by month, how many times of chaos do you recall in your personal life? * How many times do you recall when your life was “out of control”? * Or, how many times do you recall when your life was totally disorganized? * Do you associate those chaotic moments with neutral experiences (neither good nor bad), with wonderful experiences (you truly wish you could experience that moment all over again), or with horrible experiences (you hope you never have to live through anything like that again)? * Do you really enjoy moments of total confusion when there is no semblance of organization? * As you consider the twelve months ahead, how much of that chaos do you plan to occur in your life in the year 2004? * Do you say to yourself, “I really thrive on all that uncertainty! I want as much chaos in my life as possible!” * Or, do you say to yourself, “When the year 2004 ends, I would be thrilled to look back over the past twelve months of my life and not recall one single moment of chaos!” * For just a few moments, I want you to think about God and chaos. * Let’s begin by reading Genesis 1:1, 2. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. * Allow me to call your attention to what I consider to be a powerful contrast in the first chapter of Genesis. * It is a brief chapter that contains only 31 verses. * In those 31 verses we have presented to us three major things. * The first is what things were like when God was totally absent. * The second is the creative activity of God which transformed complete chaos to organized life. * The third is what things were like when God was totally present. * When God was totally absent, there was chaos. * As God increasingly became present, chaos disappeared and order appeared. * When God was totally present, chaos completely disappeared, and God Himself looked at what he had made and declared it to be very good. * In chapter three, as the presence of God diminishes, situations become increasing chaotic. * Isn’t that fascinating? * God and chaos are enemies–where one is, the other cannot be.

This morning I want to begin with a word association. The word I want you to think about is the word “chaos.” When you hear the word “chaos” what other word or words instantly come to mind? The two words that most commonly come to people’s minds when they hear or think about the word “chaos” are the words “confusion” and “disorganization.” Where chaos is, there is incredible, unbelievable confusion. Chaos is the exact opposite of organization. Where absolute chaos exists, there is zero organization. Perhaps some of us would describe some situations that involved us the past few days as truly chaotic! It is quite possible that you have been in some situations the past few days in which confusion reigned supreme! Everything you experienced for at least a few moments, everything you saw for at least a few moments was nothing but confusion. The sound level, the movements, the scene all screamed, “Nobody is in charge here! Nothing is under control here! There is no order! The only thing in existence at this moment is mass confusion! Everything and everybody is out of control!” Most people do not like true chaos. Do you? * Let’s begin by doing some reflecting. (This is personal reflecting–I genuinely want you to think about your own life.) * In the past twelve months, when you think about this year of 2003 month by month, how many times of chaos do you recall in your personal life? * How many times do you recall when your life was “out of control”? * Or, how many times do you recall when your life was totally disorganized? * Do you associate those chaotic moments with neutral experiences (neither good nor bad), with wonderful experiences (you truly wish you could experience that moment all over again), or with horrible experiences (you hope you never have to live through anything like that again)? * Do you really enjoy moments of total confusion when there is no semblance of organization? * As you consider the twelve months ahead, how much of that chaos do you plan to occur in your life in the year 2004? * Do you say to yourself, “I really thrive on all that uncertainty! I want as much chaos in my life as possible!” * Or, do you say to yourself, “When the year 2004 ends, I would be thrilled to look back over the past twelve months of my life and not recall one single moment of chaos!” * For just a few moments, I want you to think about God and chaos. * Let’s begin by reading Genesis 1:1, 2. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. * Allow me to call your attention to what I consider to be a powerful contrast in the first chapter of Genesis. * It is a brief chapter that contains only 31 verses. * In those 31 verses we have presented to us three major things. * The first is what things were like when God was totally absent. * The second is the creative activity of God which transformed complete chaos to organized life. * The third is what things were like when God was totally present. * When God was totally absent, there was chaos. * As God increasingly became present, chaos disappeared and order appeared. * When God was totally present, chaos completely disappeared, and God Himself looked at what he had made and declared it to be very good. * In chapter three, as the presence of God diminishes, situations become increasing chaotic. * Isn’t that fascinating? * God and chaos are enemies–where one is, the other cannot be.

Please make sure and stop by our new Podcast site at godsmessageontheweb.com One great enemy of the godly man and the godly woman is anger. It is not evil to be angry. It is evil to allow your anger to control your motivations, decisions, and actions. Paul declared to the Ephesian Christians, "Be angry, and yet do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not give the devil an opportunity" (Ephesians 4:25,27). We can be angry and not sin. However, human anger presents Satan an enormous opportunity. Remember the enormous opportunity that Cain's anger provided evil (Genesis 4). It takes a heart truly dedicated to God's heart to prevent great anger from providing Satan great opportunity. Please make sure and stop by our new Podcast site at godsmessageontheweb.com God's Message - David and Anger.

Have you wanted to be someone else? As children, we all probably wished we were someone else. A very common fantasy of children is pretending to be their hero or superstar. As an adult, have you ever wanted to be someone else? Some of us would say, “No, I have never wanted to be anyone but me.” Some of us would say, “Yes, I would like to be someone else every day of my life.” To those of us who say, “No, I have always wanted to be me,” have you ever wanted to swap places with someone else? That is wanting to be “me” in his or her circumstances. That is awfully close to wanting to be someone else. As a Christian, have you ever wanted to be someone else? Have you ever thought, “Spiritually, my life would be a lot simpler if I could change places with him (or her). Have you ever thought, “I could do what I want to do for the Lord if I had her (or his) life!” Perhaps more often than we realize we say to ourselves, “If I had her money…,” or, “If I had his voice…,” or, “If I had her talent…,” or, “If I had his education…,” or, “If I had her opportunities…,” or, “If I had his leadership ability…,” or, “If I had her background…,” or, “If I had his speaking ability then I could do something truly significant for God.” Let me ask the same question in several different ways. What is the most important thing a person can do for God? What is the most significant thing a person can do for God? What is the most valuable thing a person can do for God? The most important thing you can do for God is to let God reveal His glory through your life. The most significant thing you can do for God is to let God reveal His glory through your life. The most valuable thing you can do for God is to let God reveal His glory through your life. Nothing we can do brings greater tribute to God, nothing more fully accomplishes God’s purposes than our allowing God to reveal His glory through our lives. * Unfortunately, most of us believe we have to be something we can never be before God can be glorified in our lives. * We just do not believe that the life we have, that the abilities we possess, that the life situation we are in can be used by God to bring glory to Himself. * If we were a person that it is impossible for us to be, * If we could do things that it is impossible for us to do, * If we had opportunities that will never exist for us, * Then, if we were that other person, doing those impossible things, and having those impossible opportunities, God could use us to glorify Himself. * But God cannot glorify Himself in us if we are who we are, with our situation, with our struggles, with our problems–or so we believe. * About 2000 years ago some Christians came to that same conclusion. * Listen to what Paul said to them in 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 (read). * If I understand that situation correctly, this was what happened. * Some converted Jews said, “If I had not been born and reared as a Jew, I could really serve Christ–I would not be steeped in all these legalistic, isolationist attitudes and perspectives that hinder me spiritually.” * Some converted non-Jews said, “If I had not been born and reared in a family of idol worshipers, I could really serve Christ–but I don’t know anything about scripture; I don’t even know much about the true God.” * Some converted slaves said, “If I were not a slave, I could really serve Christ–but I am not free, and so many things happen in my life that I have no control over.” * Paul said, “Your thinking is completely misdirected–you miss the point.