Dare to be Different Series :: God's Expectation of Separation :: 10/26/15 PM

Part II

God’s Expectation of Separation

Intro: Contrary to many people’s opinion, separation isn’t the brainchild of some denominational or ecclesiastical hierarchy.  Though several denominations and churches are known for their emphasis on separation, it wasn’t their idea.  The truth is, the Doctrine of Separation originated in the heart and mind of Almighty God.  He demonstrated his passion for this doctrine by his Expression of Separation on the first few days of Creation.  His Expression of Separation is followed by an Expectation of Separation that continues until today.

A. It is a Repeated Expectation

This doctrine is not mentioned only once.

Even if it were, it would still be important.

But this doctrine is repeated throughout Scripture.

There are laws of separation that affected every area of life.

·         God separated the light from the darkness.

·         God separated the water in the firmament from the water on the earth.

·         God separated the water from the dry land.

·         God separated the murdering, rebellious vagabonds from their law abiding family members.

·         God separated the builders of the Tower of Babel by confusing their languages.

·         God separated the family of Noah from the wicked and perverted generation of his day.

·         God separated the seed of Abraham from the rest of the world.

·         God separated the nation of Israel from the Egyptians following the Passover and the 10 Plagues.

·         God made laws of separation between the men and the women.

·         God made laws of separation between the Jew and the Gentile.

·         God forbad them from marrying each other.

·         God forbad them from worshipping the gods of the Gentiles.

Throughout the Scripture, there is a distinction between the people of God and the world.

Psalm chapter 1 begins with “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful…”

B. It is a Relevant Expectation

This doctrine was relevant to the Nation of Israel.

This doctrine was relevant to the early church.

This doctrine is relevant to the church today.

There has always been a distinction between the believer and the unbeliever.

There has always been a distinction between the saved and the lost.

There has always been a distinction between God’s people and the world.

There seems to be a prevailing school of thought that any belief in separation is unrealistic.

So-called “Christians” today are in complete denial at the relevance of separation.

QUESTION: If I’m supposed to be separated, but it doesn’t affect what I do, where I go, who I hang out with, what I wear, what I listen to, what I eat or drink or what I watch and how I act, then what does it affect??

·         How separated am I expected to be?

·         How distinct am I supposed to be?

·         How long should a person have to be around me to detect that I’m separated?

·         How well should a person get to know me before it is obvious that I am separated?

·         What EXACTLY is the “unclean thing” that I’m supposed to not touch?

·         What EXACTLY are the “things that are in the world” am I not supposed to love?
What EXACTLY is the “way of the sinner” found in Psalm 1?

·         If there are things I’m forbidden to touch, and things I’m forbidden to love, shouldn’t I know what they are?

·         Should the modern day believer be separated?

·         Should the modern day pastor preach on it?

·         Shouldn’t the teacher teach on it?

·         Shouldn’t the parents instruct it and model it in their home?

·         Does it apply to the modern believer?

·         Is there any clear Bible teaching that will make this clear to us today?

C. It is a Reasonable Expectation

                1. Because we are His Body

As a born-again child of God, we are members of His body.

·         Eph. 5:29 For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church: For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones.

The Bible is clear about one thing: When a person commits fornication, they violate themselves.

·         1 Corinthians 6:18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.

When a Christian, whose body belongs to God, walks after the lusts of the world, they are using their members – which are His members, and using them for unrighteousness.

·         Romans 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God.

When we are not separated and allow our members to promote unrighteousness, we are in essence taking the members of His body and using them to promote sin and unrighteousness.

                2. Because we are His Building

·         1 Corinthians 3:9  For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.

God expects separation in the life of the believer because He dwells within us.

·         I Cor. 6:19  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.

ILLUSTRATION: We have what is called “squatters”.

The definition is: a person who settles on land or occupies property without title, right, or payment.

To allow the world to “possess” your vessel after God has paid for it and owns it is UNREASONABLE.
God is perfectly within His rights to demand that His purchased possession be used only by Him for His purpose.

Our body is a Temple – not a boarding house with a multiplicity of boarders and residents.

Our body is a Temple – not a hotel or a motel where strangers come and go at will.

As His temple – we belong to Him and are dedicated to serving His purpose and bringing Him glory.

ILLUSTRATION: As homeowners, we have locks, gates, security systems, etc. for the sole purpose of keeping out unwanted elements and people.  Our home is not open to the public and what we have is not free for just anybody to come use.  Likewise, as God’s building, He has put up some security measures to prevent the elements of the world from infiltrating and taking advantage of HIS BUILDING.

·         Matt. 12:25  And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:  And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?  And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you. Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house. He that is not with me is against me; and he that gathereth not with me scattereth abroad.

Satan doesn’t just want to move into your “temple” – he wants to destroy it; to spoil it; to divide it; to scatter it.

                3. Because we are His Bride

The Old Testament Israelites were forbidden from going after strange gods and God called it “whoring” over 18 times.

·         Exodus 34:11 Observe thou that which I command thee this day: behold, I drive out before thee the Amorite, and the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and the Jebusite. Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves:

Paul preached to the Corinthians with this explanation of his motivation as a preacher.

·         II Cor. 11:1 Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.  But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.

·         Revelation 21:9  And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife.

How much more reasonable can a groom be to expect his bride to keep herself for him?

Over a dozen times, the Bible tells us that God is jealous.

One place said “his name is Jealous…”

It is PERFECTLY REASONABLE for the Bridegroom to expect a loyalty and a separation from others from His Bride! 

The Benefits of Hard Preaching :: 10/25/15 AM

The Benefits of Hard Preaching

John 6:60 Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?

Intro: The phrase here “hard saying” doesn’t mean complicated, or hard to understand. Their description of Christ’s message was that it was a “hard saying” - hard, harsh, rough, stiff, rough, offensive, intolerable

Here’s what we have to remember: we are hard people with hard heads, hard hearts, hard opinions – set in our ways.

Sometimes it takes HARD PREACHING to fix what is wrong in our life.

·         Jeremiah 23:29  Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?

There are a lot of people that seem to be confused about this matter of “hard preaching”.

What Hard Preaching IS NOT:

1.       It is not using crude and vulgar language in the pulpit.

2.       It is not treating God’s people like punching bags.

3.       It is not venting all your frustrations and pet peeves.

4.       It is not trying to make a name for yourself.

5.       It is not trying to impress other pastors with how “straight” or “hard” you are.

6.       It is not about seeing how many you can offend or hurt.

What Hard Preaching IS:

1.       It is Doctrinal - 2 Timothy 4:3  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine

2.       It is Discipleship – Jesus was preaching to so called disciples – vs. 59, 60

3.       It is Detailed – not broad, generalized abstract preaching, but very specific

4.       It is Demanding – it will produce a crossroads in your life and force you to choose a path

I. It’s a sign you might be where God is! – vs. 24, 25 they were seeking Jesus…and when they had found him…

·         NOTE: He is Omnipresent.

·         He was even present in the 7 churches of Revelation 2 and 3, but his presence wasn’t the prominent impression

·         Hirelings and false teachers will not preach hard. Isaiah 30:9 That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: Which say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits:

II. It is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart – vs. 26

·         Hard preaching will usually get to the bottom line.

·         Hard preaching will reveal the true motives and character of our hearts.

·         Hebrews 4:12  For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

III. It is absolutely essential for those that want to do something for God. – vs. 28, 29

·         Hard preaching will address your personal belief in Christ before it addresses your work.

·         You have to believe right before you can do right.

·         Good works do not offset wrong faith.

IV. It will produce a desire to have more than you’ve ever experienced before. – vs. 31-34

·         You won’t be satisfied with what your father had.

·         You will want a deeper, more fruitful, more intimate relationship with God than ever before.

·         Soft, warm and fuzzy “preaching” won’t produce that kind of hunger.

V. It will produce an awareness that there is so much more to Him than you ever thought – vs. 35, 42

·         He can do more for you than you ever realized – vs. 35

·         His agenda far exceeds your will. – vs. 38

·         His plan for you is eternal – vs. 40

VI. It will remind you that it is not a man, but it is God that is trying to teach you something – vs. 44, 45

·         When it occurs to you that GOD IS TALKING TO YOU, you will want to listen and learn!

VII. It will always rub the natural minded man the wrong way – vs. 48-58

·         Hard preaching will generate strife and controversy among carnally minded people.

·         Hard preaching will reveal the carnality of its hearers.

·         Hard preaching will separate spiritually minded people from carnally minded people.

VIII. It is spirit and it is life – vs. 63

·         Fleshly, ear-tickling “preaching” profiteth nothing.

·         It is hard, biblical preaching that produces growth, life, faith, fruit and spirituality.

IX. It will expose the doubt and unbelief in hearts – vs. 64 – 66

·         Hard preaching will expose the believers as well as the betrayers. – vs. 64

·         Some people can’t take it. They will be offended. – vs. 66

·         Matthew 13:21  Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.

·         Their reaction – WHO CAN HEAR IT?  How can anybody put up with this? Who can handle this??

X. It will produce unity and confidence among the true believers – vs. 67 – 69

Hard preaching will confirm:

1.       The Will of God – they said, “We’re not going anywhere! We are right where we are supposed to be!”

2.       The Word of God – they confessed, “Thou hast the words of eternal life…”

3.       The Walk with God – we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ…

Joseph's Bloody Coat :: 10/22/15

Joseph’s Bloody Coat

Genesis 37:31-35

Intro: We have all heard messages on Joseph’s coat of many colors. We have heard it preached many different ways. But tonight, I want to share with you a thought that God gave me today while eating lunch with one of our men. This subject came up, and immediately, I felt led to pursue this line of thought for tonight.

I. The Representations of the Coat

The Bible is clear – Jacob made the coat – the coat of many colors.

Take it from me – for a dad to physically make a coat for someone, that has to be a big deal!

Joseph was special – so much so that the Bible says he loved Joseph more than all the other children.

The endowment of the coat was far more symbolic than any of us can imagine.

By taking the time and effort to personally fabricate that coat, he was making a gesture of great importance.

Genesis 37:4 – When his brethren SAW THAT THEIR FATHER LOVED HIM MORE…

This gift was a statement. This gift to Joseph meant something to Jacob – it represented something major to Jacob.

                A. It represented Fruit of the Womb – 30:1, 2, 22 – 24 – Rachel was the recipient of a miraculous birth

                B. It represented Faith – 30:24 – the Lord shall add to me another son - Joseph= "Jehovah has added"

                B. It represented Freedom – 30:25  He had worked for Laban for now 20 years (31:38-41)

                C. It represented Fears – Gen. 33:1, 2 Jacob feared losing Rachel and Joseph – he tried to protect them

                D. It represented Fulfilment – he had a son that loved him and he could trust him; he had an ally

                E. It represented the Future – Gen. 37:11 even though Jacob rebuked him for dreaming, he observed it.

OBSERVE: to keep, guard, observe, give heed

II. The Ruin of the Coat

A. The Coat was Stripped

·         Genesis 37:23 And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him;

STRIPT: to strip, invade, strip off, make a dash, raid, spread out

In other words, they without warning and in an immediate, quick action invaded his life, his space and robbed him of his coat.

B. The Coat was Dipped

·         Gen. 37:31 And they took Joseph’s coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood;

They took his coat, and then proceeded to defile it in an unimaginable way.

They didn’t just sprinkle blood on it.  They didn’t take a branch or handful of grass and smear a little blood on the coat.

They killed a goat, then proceeded to dip this beautiful, ornate, handmade, handstitched family heirloom in the bloody pool of blood that was forming on the ground around this dead goat.

This coat – a representation of so many beautiful and amazing things – was now sticky, bloody, dirty, stinking and nasty.

C. The Coat was Shipped

·         Gen. 37:32 And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son’s coat or no.

This is a picture of the moment that the bloody, defiled, ruined, no doubt tattered and torn coat was handed to Jacob.

I don’t think we can begin to imagine the pain and anguish that one moment in his life would produce.

To make it worse, their attitude was one of DEVIOUS DECEIT.

They knew full well that was Joseph’s coat, and they knew how much it meant to Jacob.

They didn’t care. This valuable, beautiful, wonderful coat was being treated like a piece of garbage by the envious.

III. The Reception of the Coat

                A. Jacob’s Recognition – vs. 33 And he knew it, and said, It is my son’s coat;

The realization of what was going on slowly begin to seep into his consciousness and into his heart.

The facts before him were completely real. The bloody coat wasn’t a dream. It was a reality.

He wasn’t having a nightmare – this was real.

                B. Jacob’s Reaction – vs. 33 …and evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces.

Jacob did what most of us do when we are handed the ripped, torn, shredded, defiled, bloody coat of Joseph.

He imagined the worst. He was dogmatic – THAT WITHOUT A DOUBT Joseph is rent in pieces.

                C. Jacob’s Refusal – vs. 34, 35 …he refused to be comforted.

Even though there were people around him that tried to comfort him, he refused to let them.

His daughters and family saw his pain and tried to do something, and he wallowed in his misery.

He said, “I will go down to my grave mourning...”

IV. The Reality of the Coat

                A. It was indeed Jacob’s coat.

                B. It was indeed defiled and covered in blood.

                C. It was no doubt unusable and incapable of being salvaged.

                BUT!!!!! – GOD IS STILL GOD!

What the coat represented was not defiled.

What the coat represented was not unusable.

What the coat represented was not lost.

It wasn’t nearly as bad as he thought it was.

Jacob thought that his world was over.

Jacob thought that His life was over.

Jacob thought that His FRUIT WAS GONE.

Jacob thought that HIS FAITH WAS GONE.

Jacob thought that HIS FEARS WERE REALIZED.

Jacob thought that HIS FULFILMENT WAS GONE.

Jacob thought that HIS FUTURE WAS GONE.

But it wasn’t gone!

The reality of the coat was that the love he’s shown Joseph was not in vain.

The reality of the coat was that the miraculous birth to his beloved wife had not ended in tragedy.

The reality of the coat was that the sweet fellowship and love he had with Joseph was not in vain.

The reality of the coat was that the dreams he’d observed and waited for were still going to come true.

The reality of the coat was that no matter how bad it gets, or how bad it seems, GOD IS STILL ON THE THRONE.

Don’t let the bloody coat in your life cause you to give up and refuse to be comforted.

Dare To Be Different Series :: God's Expression of Separation

Watch this message preached at CBC here

Dare To Be Different Series

2 Corinthians 6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

Intro:  For some time I’ve wanted to preach a series of messages on the Doctrine of Separation.  Though one of the most needful messages to believers today, it is one of the most neglected. 

I would go so far as to say that it is the singular most controversial subject preached in our independent Baptist churches.  Rarely are churches torn over doctrinal issues per se, but there have been many church members leave a good, Bible preaching church over the simple preaching of Biblical separation.

Pastors have been run off, good churches have been split and rendered completely ineffective over their lack of reception to Biblical preaching and teaching on the Doctrine of Separation.

Many believers have failed to grow in grace and knowledge because of their failure to understand biblical separation.

Part I

God’s Expression of Separation

Genesis 1:4  And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

                A. It was an Expression of Purity

The division was between two things – light and darkness.

Notice a few things about the first mention of darkness.:

It describes a world without God or His Spirit.

It was in a place without form.

DEFINITION OF WITHOUT FORM: confusion; without order or shape; formless, chaotic

DEFINITION OF VOID: emptiness, waste

DEFINITION OF DEEP: abyss, grave

DEFINITION OF DARKNESS: obscurity

NOTE: Other use of this word: Isaiah 29:18  And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.

There is not doubt about it – the darkness in Genesis 1:2 and 4 is a picture of the unsaved life.

In numerous places, darkness is symbolic of sin, wickedness, and the life of the unbeliever.

·         Proverbs 4:19  The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble.

·         Isaiah 9:2  The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

·         Romans 13:12  The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.

·         John 3:19  And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

Light is first mentioned in Genesis 1:3

NOTE: It was the result of the Spirit of God moving.

It was the result of the WORD OF GOD.

It was instantaneous.

It was declared GOOD by Almighty God.

Light is a picture of the Word of God.

·         Psalms 119:105  Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.

Light is a picture of truth.

·         Psalms 43:3  O send out thy light and thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy tabernacles.

Light is a picture of the life of the believer.

·         1 John 1:7  But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

And on and on we could go.

Bottom line: God separated the light from the darkness to illustrate a key Biblical principle: SEPARATION!!

Just as God divided the light from the darkness, he calls out the Child of God to COME OUT FROM AMONG THEM!!

·         Ephesians 5:11  And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

                B. It was an Expression of Practicality

The question in our text makes it very clear: separation is a practical issue!

·         II Cor.6:14-16 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols?

God asked the same question 5 times!!

It’s like a Thesaurus of words to communicate this hypothetical situation.

·         What fellowship?

·         What communion?

·         What concord?

·         What part?

·         What agreement?

God is driving a singular point home – to not separate is IMPRACTICAL!

The point is simple – INCOMPATABILITY!

It is completely insane; it is ridiculous; it is counterproductive for believers to not practice separation!

This verse is based on an Old Testament civil law.

·         Deuteronomy 22:10  Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together.

                C. It was an Expression of Purpose

God divided the Night from the Day because they both serve a different purpose.

                THE NIGHT:

·         I Thess. 5:7  For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.  But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.

The night is when men sleep.  It’s when people rest. 

It’s also when the wicked get drunk and commit excessive sin.

                THE DAY:

·         John 9:4  I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.

The day is when men work; when productivity is at its peak.

God divided the Night from the Day because they both serve a different ruler.

·         Genesis 1:16  And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.  And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

NOTE: God is the greater light. Satan is the lesser light. Even if he transforms himself into an angel of light. : )

The same applies to the believer and the unbeliever.

                The Unsaved

·         John 8:44  Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do.

Just as God had a purpose for dividing the Night from the Day, He has a purpose for us to separate ourselves.

He gave two very specific motivations in our text.

                1. The Reminder of who we are – “for ye are the temple of the living God…”

We are where the Holy Spirit has chosen to dwell.

In the Old Testament, God built a Tabernacle for His people.

In the New Testament, God built a People for His Tabernacle.

·         1 Corinthians 6:19  What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

                2. The Relationship – vs. 18 “…and I will be a father unto you and ye shall be my sons and daughters…”

KEY PRINCIPLE: Separation isn’t about a bunch of rules.  It is about building a relationship.

The Father's Faith in Failures :: 10/18/15 AM

The Father’s Faith in Failures

Mark 16:20 And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.

Intro: There’s an old saying that, “It’s hard to soar with the eagles when you work with a bunch of turkeys!” At the age of 12, Jesus described his mission as “being about the Father’s business.  From that time forward, Jesus was consumed with accomplishing the mission that he had been sent from Heaven to fulfil – that is to further the kingdom of God.

I. Their Failure to Remember – Mark 16:10

It’s amazing how quickly they forgot the teaching and preaching of Christ.

Keep in mind – they were with him 24/7 and really had no other occupation or opportunities to be distracted from His message.

They heard him preach and teach about His death and resurrection on multiple occasions.

·         Matt. 12:40 For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

It’s funny – even the Pharisees, High Priests and the Roman soldiers remembered Him talking about rising from the dead.

·         Matthew 27:62  Now the next day, that followed the day of the preparation, the chief priests and Pharisees came together unto Pilate, Saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said, while he was yet alive, After three days I will rise again.  Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest his disciples come by night, and steal him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can.

Yet – somehow, Jesus’ very own, hand-picked, personally trained, highly experienced, well-informed disciples FAILED TO REMEMBER his teaching that he would rise after three days. How do we know this?

BECAUSE ON THE THIRD DAY, THEY WERE MOURNING AND WEEPING! (vs. 10)

You would expect them to at least WAIT UNTIL AFTER THE THIRD DAY to fall apart – BUT THEY FAILED TO REMEMBER!

TURN TO LUKE 24

·         6  He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, 7  Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again. 8  And they remembered his words,

It took God sending 2 angels in shiny clothes to REMIND THEM OF WHAT THEIR MASTER AND TEACHER HAD SAID!!!

How many times do we as BIBLE-BELIEVING CHRISTIANS simply FAIL TO REMEMBER the Word of God – WHEN WE NEED IT THE MOST!!!???

NOTE: THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR FORGETTING HIS WORD, when we understand the ministry of the Holy Spirit!

·         John 14:26  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

We hear a message on soul-winning, but forget to pass out tracts or tell others.

We hear a message on giving, then we doubt that God can meet our needs for being obedient in our giving.

We hear a message on faithfulness, and then we allow everything and anything to keep us from the house of God.

We hear a message on assurance, then we spend our days doubting our salvation.

We hear a message on prayer, then we enter into a routine of prayerlessness.

We hear a message on unity and love, then we argue and fight and fail to get along with one another.

We hear a message on loving your wife and your husband, then go home and create an atmosphere of strife.

What is it with God’s people – they continually FAIL TO REMEMBER HIS WORD?

II. Their Failure to Recognize – Mark 16:12

Turn to Luke 24:13-32

NOTE verse 15, 16 - And it came to pass, that, while they communed together and reasoned, Jesus himself drew near, and went with them. But their eyes were holden that they should not know him.

·         HOLDEN – to be restrained, to be limited, to be held in check

Their mood; their circumstances; their frame of mind had them in blinders.

They had walked everywhere with him for 3 ½ years.

They had spent countless hours listening to him talk and watching him preach, teach.

They had spent more time with the Lord than with their own families.

YET – they FAILED TO RECOGNIZE Him.

His tone. His gestures. His mannerisms. His vocabulary. His rebukes (vs. 25 he called them fools).

They failed to recognize the DIVINE INTERVENTION in their life.

How many times do we fail to recognize when God is working? (or mistake it for the working of the devil?)

How many times do we fail to recognize when God shows up in our life?

How many times do we fail to recognize when God steps up and begins trying to teach us something?

How many times do we fail to recognize when God joins Himself to us during the day to rebuke and teach us?

How many times do we fail to recognize when God questions our mood and our reason for being sad? (vs. 17)

How many times do we fail to recognize when God tests our knowledge of His word and truth?

How many times do we fail to recognize when God is walking in and out of our lives; talking to us, trying to help us?

III. Their Failure to Receive – Mark 16:11-14

Notice how many times it refers to their FAILURE TO RECEIVE the news about the resurrection.

·         Vs. 11 – they believed not

·         Vs. 13 – neither believed they them

·         Vs. 14 – upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart; because they believe not them…

Jesus dealt with their unbelief as much if not more than any other problem that they had.

Notice Matthew 28:16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.  And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.

All the way up to the minute Jesus ascended, He had to contend with their FAILURE TO RECEIVE the truth; failure to believe; failure to open up their hearts and minds to the facts.

HERE’S THE MESSAGE: In spite of their repeated and foolish failures, Jesus still decided to “WORK WITH THEM”. Vs. 20

1.       His Divine Commission – vs. 15 Go YE – he delegated the evangelization of the world to these bums!!

2.       His Divine Conditions – vs. 16 believe

3.       His Divine Confirmations – vs. 17-18; confirming the word with signs (remember, this was prior to the Scriptures)

4.       His Divine Cooperation – vs. 20 – the miracle of the Father’s Faith in a bunch of Failures.

Conclusion:

God has chosen in His Sovereign will to use sinful, doubtful, inconsistent men to reach the world.

Don’t let your failures prevent God from working with you. He’s got faith in you. He believes in you.

You may doubt Him, but He doesn’t doubt you. He will GLADLY WORK WITH YOU. In spite of your failures.

The Poverty of Prayerlessness :: 10/11/15

The Poverty of Prayerlessness

Intro: Contrary to the will of God, many of His children are living a life of spiritual poverty.  We know from several passages of Scripture that if a child of God is spiritually bankrupt, it is NOT God’s fault.

1. 2 Peter 1:3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:

2. Jeremiah 23:4 And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.

3. Psalms 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.

DEFINITION OF WANT: to lack, be without, decrease, be lacking, have a need; to diminish, decrease

The reason that many believers are spiritually broke and living an abject poverty is simply because they do not pray.  Prayerlessness produces a poverty that will affect the health of a believer not only spiritually, but mentally, socially, and even financially.

Without a life of prayer, you are living a life…

I. Without Access

·         Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

It is through PRAYER that the child of God has access to the throne – the presence – the ear of Almighty God.

Prayer is the key to the door of Heaven. Prayer is the way we access the throne of God.

Prayerlessness is a child of God of their own volition locking themselves out of the very throne room of God.

II. Without Assistance

·         Hebrews 4:16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

III. Without Answers

·         Jeremiah 33:3 Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.

·         Psalms 27:7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

·         Psalms 86:7 In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.

·         Psalms 102:2 Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.

IV. Without Ability

·         TURN TO Matt. 17:14-21

Matthew 17:21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.

QUOTE: If your church is powerless, it is because It is prayerless. - Andrew Murray

V. Without Assets

·         Matthew 6:6  But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.

·         John 15:16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

·         Matthew 7:8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

·         James 4:2 …ye have not, because ye ask not.