What Difference Does It Make? :: 9/20/15 AM

 What Difference Does It Make?

Ezekiel 22:26 Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.

Intro: The Book of Ezekiel was written during the time that the nation of Israel was in captivity in Babylon.  For 70 years, God’s people were judged for their failure to obey God and His commandments. Ezekiel was a priest who had been chosen by God to be a prophet to His people – to declare to them through a series of prophecies, parables, signs and symbols to communicate God’s message of judgment to His exiled people. Though the nation of Israel was like a valley of dry bones, God had a plan to reassemble them and breathe new life into them as a nation.

Several times in Ezekiel’s writings, he pointed out the failure of God’s people to understand the DIFFERENCE between the holy and the profane.

·         DEFINITION OF “DIFFERENCE”: to divide, separate, sever; to separate, set apart; to make a distinction, difference; to divide into parts

THREE THINGS ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE:

                1. It needs to be TAUGHT - Ezekiel 44:23 And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.

NOTE: TITUS 2:11, 12 - The grace of God will teach you these things, if you’ll let it!

~ HOLY – sacred, consecrated

~ PROFANE – desecrated, polluted, defiled, stained, broken

The life of a believer should be described as HOLY – NOT PROFANE.

·         Our minds should be holy; not profane

·         Our mouths should be holy; not profane

·         Our manners should be holy;  not profane

~ Some say that preaching and teaching the church the difference between the holy and the profane will keep from building a big church. It is not my job to build the church – that is God’s job. It is my job to teach the people the difference between the holy and the profane.

                2. It needs to be IMPLEMENTED - Ezekiel 22:26 Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane,

He’s referring to the priests of that day – they failed to implement the separational standards between the holy and the profane.

In the New Testament, the believer is referred to as “a royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9)

·         1 Peter 2:5  Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

                3. It needs to SHOW - Ezekiel 22:26 “…neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean…”

So – you may ask – “If I’m saved, and I can’t lose my salvation, WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?”

Living God’s way means the difference between...

I. Being Happy or Miserable

Today’s society is obsessed with being happy.

The philosophy of the humanists is to do whatever makes you happy.

The problem with that philosophy is it is a lie of Satan to steal, to kill and to destroy you.

A life of profanity and uncleanliness has ever produced a happy life.

·         Proverbs 28:14 Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.

·         Proverbs 13:15 …but the way of transgressors is hard.

II. Answered or Unanswered Prayer

·         Isaiah 1:13-15 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them,  And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.

·         Psalms 66:18  If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

III. An Asset or a Liability

ILLUSTRATION: In the book of Joshua chapter 5 and 6, a man by the name of Achan chose to take of the “accursed thing”. He chose to deliberately partake of the forbidden spoils of Jericho – When he was caught, here’s what he said:  “When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.”

Joshua had warned them very specifically - Joshua 6:18  And ye, in any wise keep yourselves from the accursed thing, lest ye make yourselves accursed, when ye take of the accursed thing, and make the camp of Israel a curse, and trouble it.

As a member of the church – if you chose a life of the accursed and the profane over the life of the holy and consecrated, you are hindering the effectiveness and the power of the church to move forward.

You might say, “But what I do had no effect on anybody else.”

·         NOTICE what God said about Achan’s sin: Joshua 7:1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.

IV. Blessings or Cursing

God has given every one a choice. It is not a complicated choice. It is very simple. The terms are simple, and the results are simple.

·         Deut. 30:15  See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;

·         16  In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.

·         17  But if thine heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them;

·         18  I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish, and that ye shall not prolong your days upon the land, whither thou passest over Jordan to go to possess it.

·         19  I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

·         20  That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days:

Conclusion: God has given each of us the choice – to choose the holy or the profane? Do you know the difference?

Go Forward! :: 9/13/15 PM

Go Forward

Hebrews  6:1

Intro.

            1. The Principles (leaving the principles)

                        * Get a good foundation and then build on it.  Don’t stop with that.

            2. The Progress (let us go on)

                        *Don’t be content with your current level of spirituality.  Go forward!

            3. The Perfection (maturity)

                      

                     Go Forward...

            A. In Spite of the Criticism (Gen. 26:13, 14)

Surrounded by pagans, Isaac prospered; and the world envied him! 

He had every excuse to fit in and conform to their way of living, but he surpassed them in every way, and they noticed that he had something he didn’t.

He eventually was asked to leave the country because God was blessing him so much.

            B. In Spite of the Circumstances (Ex. 14:15)

In spite of overwhelming odds, thy went forward for God! 

Many times when it seems that the end is near, it’s just the beginning of something great. 

Keep going and see what God will do with the circumstances.

            C. In Spite of the Conflict (2 Kings 3:24)

They didn’t wait for God to do it all – they did their part, in spite of the miracles. 

God had performed some unbelievable deeds, but instead of sitting around talking about it, they moved forward and capitalized on His working.

            D. In Spite of the Complacency (Mark 14:35)

Don’t let lazy, lifeless church members drag YOU down.

Jesus moved past them and entered into a higher level of communion with God. 

He didn’t let a bunch of unconcerned, carnal believers limit His relationship with God.

The Ultimate Public Servant :: 9/13/15 AM

The Ultimate Public Servant

John 15:12-15

I. His Example  – vs. 12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.

Read and expound John 13:1-17

II. His Expression – vs.13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.

One of the characteristics that each one of us here today greatly admire and respect is the personal sacrifice that some have made and make every day.

Part of being a servant is understanding the importance of sacrifice.

Jesus demonstrated His love by paying the ultimate price – sacrificial death.

THIS DOCTRINE IS KNOWN AS THE SUBSTITUTIONARY ATONEMENT OF CHRIST.

Means literally that – HE TOOK OUR PLACE.

Jesus was innocent.

Notice the verdict of:

·         PILATE: - Luke 23:13  And Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,  Said unto them, Ye have brought this man unto me, as one that perverteth the people: and, behold, I, having examined him before you, have found no fault in this man touching those things whereof ye accuse him:

·         PILATE’S WIFE: Matthew 27:19  When he was set down on the judgment seat, his wife sent unto him, saying, Have thou nothing to do with that just man: for I have suffered many things this day in a dream because of him.

·         THE THIEF ON THE CROSS: Luke 23:41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.

·         Peter the Apostle:  I Peter 2:22  Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:  Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

But the penalty for the sin of man is death.

·         Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Jesus willingly gave Himself to be crucified to demonstrate His great love for us.

·         Romans 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.  For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

III. His Expectation – vs. 4 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

He doesn’t ask us to die for him.

He died for us. But rather, His expectation of us is to simply obey Him.

To do WHATSOEVER I COMMAND YOU.

NOTE THE GREAT COMMISSION: Matt. 28:19  Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Conclusion: He didn’t save us to serve ourselves – He saved us to serve Him.

The Oasis of the Church :: 9/6/15 AM

The Oasis of the Church

Psalm 63:1 ¶  « A Psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah. » O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary.

Intro: This year, our theme is “Build My Church”. We have looked at the:

·         Origin of the Church

·         Organism of the Church

·         Ordinances of the Church

·         Offices of the Church

·         Opportunities of the Church

·         Obligations of the Church

·         Oppositions of the Church

But this morning, I want to look at the Oasis of the Church.

Would you agree with me that the Church should be an Oasis?

·         Psalms 122:1 I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD.

In our TEXT, David is acknowledging that the sanctuary has a pull – an attraction to him as a thirsty man.

                1. Notice the Priority – early will I seek thee

                2. Notice the Pull – my flesh longeth for thee

                3. Notice the Problem – in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is (we shouldn’t find water in the world!)

IT IS AN OASIS BECAUSE IT IS A PLACE…

I. Saints are Edified

·         1 Corinthians 14:4  He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; but he that prophesieth edifieth the church.

After being beat down and mocked and laughed at and ridiculed all week, it is a blessing to come to church and to be surrounded with other Christians that believe the Bible and receive some encouragement.

II. Scriptures are Explained

·         2 Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

One of the key aspects of the local church is the teaching and preaching of the Word of God that will help us grow.

·         1 Peter 2:2  As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

The word “sincere” here means unmixed, unadulterated, pure, in persons: without dishonest intent,

This is why CHURCH ATTENDANCE EVERY SERVICE is so important!!!

The world has ALL DAY EVERY DAY to explain their agenda, their philosophy, their beliefs, their demands.

It is at church that the child of God gets to hear GOD’S AGENDA, GOD’S PHILOSOPHY, GOD’S BELIEFS, GOD’S DEMANDS.

·         Hebrews 10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

“FORSAKING” – TO LEAVE, TO ABANDON

III. Servants are Enlisted

Throughout the week, believers are busy working, providing for their family.

We get caught up in the rat-race and volunteering to help everybody and fulfill requests of our friends.

AT CHURCH, WE ARE REMINDED THAT WE SHOULD BE BUSY ABOUT THE FATHER’S BUSINESS!

It is at church that we are reminded of our priorities and it helps us re-calibrate our obligations.

It was seeing God in the Temple that got Isaiah’s attention in Isaiah 6.

Isaiah said, “Here am I Lord, send me!”

IT WAS AT CHURCH THAT I DEDICATED MY LIFE TO SERVE THE LORD AT THE AGE OF 15.

IT WAS AT CHURCH THAT GOD CALLED ME TO PREACH AT THE AGE OF 21.

IT WAS AT CHURCH THAT GOD BURDENED MY HEART FOR THE MISSION FIELD OF SOUTH AFRICA.

IV. Sinners are Evangelized

·         1 Corinthians 1:21  For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.