The Grace Gate

The Grace Gate!
April 22, 2012
Romans 5:2

Introduction

• Have you ever wondered, have I really been forgiven?
• Has God really wiped out that sin which I committed?
• We sometimes find it hard to experience forgiveness
• The first step to restoring relationship with God, is to bring ourselves and our sin, to Him
• Our sins separated us from god, now we need these sins removed from us
• God provided a way to take care of this, in the old testament
• When the Israelites were told to make the tabernacle, there was a courtyard around the tabernacle.
• It was made of posts covered with fine linen, on the north, west and south sides
• On the east side was a 30 foot entrance, which was special, the white linen was embroidered with blue purple and scarlet yarn
• When people would come to ask for forgiveness of their sins, they would bring their sin offering to the gate, or entrance
• The priest would instruct them to bring their goat to the place of slaughter, lay their hands on the head of the goat, and then the person who had sinned had to slaughter the goat of the sin offering
• The priest would pray for the man and he would be forgiven
• Nothing is said about doing penance, or payment of money
• All that had to be done was a symbolic act, transferring the sin onto Jesus
• This is grace

The gate was open

• God had provided a way for forgiveness to be extended
• The way was open for people to restore their relationship with God
• The way in which people received forgiveness was by grace
• God did not make it impossible to achieve.
• The person who wanted forgiveness had to come to the entrance to the tabernacle – I have called it the grace gate
• Grace and forgiveness was always available
• Jesus was represented by the animal
• The person was able to come to the place where forgiveness was extended, by entering the grace gate
• It was always open
• Grace is always available

What is grace

• Grace means favour, undeserved

1. grace 1a) that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, charm, loveliness: grace of speech
2. 2) good will, loving-kindness, favour 2a) of the merciful kindness by which God, exerting his holy influence upon souls, turns them to Christ, keeps, strengthens, increases them in Christian faith, knowledge, affection, and kindles them to the exercise of the Christian virtues
3. 3) what is due to grace 3a) the spiritual condition of one governed by the power of divine grace 3b) the token or proof of grace, benefit 3b1) a gift of grace 3b2) benefit, bounty 4) thanks, (for benefits, services, favours), recompense, reward

Grace is undeserved

• Grace is God’s favour on us, his desire to show goodwill to us, love us, and show us mercy
• It starts with God sovereignly wanting to not leave us in our wretched condition, but he draws us to him, he turns our hearts to Jesus
• This grace develops us in our Christian faith continually.
• It is the expression of God’s favor on us, his goodwill towards us.
• This grace continues to work in our hearts, to keep us close, to strengthen us, to draw us close to him
• If we want closeness and intimacy with God, we must understand grace

But do we live in grace?

• So often we come to Jesus, hungry, thirsty, dirty, and we ask for forgiveness
• We know we need grace, and we ask God for his free pardon for our sins
• We become a new creation
• But so often we then pick up the controls of our life
• We think that by our prayer and Bible study we will become a better person
• We think that it is now up to us to live a clean life, and get our life straight
• The truth is that God is the one who is doing this work in us
• This is grace
• Grace is lived out in allowing God to do his work in us
• Eph 2:8-10

The grace gate is open

• God has made access to grace available to us, not just when we accepted Jesus, but every day
• Daily we can come into his presence
• Heb 4:16
• Daily we can come before God and receive grace in time of n3eed
• I need God to clean me up, not myself
• The gate is open
• The entrance to god’s throne room is available for us to go through
• We are not unworthy, because God has made us worthy
• We can approach him, cleansed of sin
• But it all starts with approaching that gate, that entrance, and allowing him to take our sins upon him
• Is this a day when you need grace?
• Grace is available, without price, freely given as a sign of God’s favour
• The altar is open, if any would want to come forward
• We will close with a praise song – only by grace will we enter

Advent 1 - Jesus Our King - Mat.2:1-6

Title: Advent 1 - Jesus our King
Date: November 29, 2009
Verse: Matthew 2:1-6

Introduction

- Matt 2:1-6 - “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem,
- saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."
- When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
- And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.
- So they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:
- "But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel."
- This is the first week of Advent – a countdown towards Christmas, the day when we celebrate Jesus’ birth, the day when God stepped down from heaven and became a helpless baby who would grow up to become the Savior of mankind.
- This man Jesus, who was also God, was destined to be our King.
- So now I am lighting this first Advent candle to commemorate Jesus coming as our King
- Today we are going to examine what it means for Jesus to be our King

Jesus the King of the Jews!

- Jesus was born to be the King of the Jews
- Mat 2:2 - Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him."
- Jews were called to be a special people to God
- Ex 19:5-6 – Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel."
- The Jews were God’s special people – they were chosen to be lights in the world, to be an example of God’s rulership as King, in a very dark and pagan world
- The Israelites would sin and as a result they had to pay the consequences
- The role of the Messiah was to be the deliverer of the Jews, to come as a Savior of his people
- This is why the Jews, and the disciples, expected Jesus to come at that time as the King of the Jews

We too are Jews, spiritually

- Rom 2:28-29 – For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; 29 but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.
- We too have been chosen to be Gods special people
- 1 Pet 2:9 - But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light
- We too messed up and sinned, and have been paying the consequences
- Jesus has come as our Messiah, our deliverer, to save us from our sins

He is the King over the Kingdom of Heaven

- Mat 4:17 - From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
- Jesus preached that the kingdom of heaven was there, it was no longer represented by a future Messiah, but the King was standing right there
- The kingdom was at hand, it was able to be touched, it had approached and was available to them at that moment
- This kingdom of heaven has a King, Jesus
- It has territory, our heart and life
- It has rules, the command that we love God and love our neighbor as ourselves - these rules are for our benefit
- The King has gone before us, living these rules and showing the way
- He showed us how to serve each other, how to have compassion for a hurting world, how to give it a message of hope, both of eternal life on into the future, and of abundant life in the present.
- He showed the way to peace and healing and release from sin that has held us captive all our lives

But the Kingdom of heaven is not only in our hearts today

- Jesus will return to this earth as a King
- Zech 14 describes how Jesus will return
- His feet will stand again on the mount of Olives
- He will rule the nations and show what God’s government is all about
- God wants people to live with his own heart of compassion and hope
- Mat 25:31-46 –
- When Jesus returns he will not lie in a manger as a little baby, but sit on a throne
- He will judge people, some will be invited into his kingdom, and some will be left out
- The basis for determining whom he will choose will be those who evidenced his own heart for people
- People who care about the hungry, poor and needy
- This was evidenced in the way they conducted their lives – v.40
- The others, who refused to live that way, are cast out, into hell fire – v.41
- This is because they did not want to live according to the terms of the kingdom
- They did not want Jesus telling them what to do, or how to conduct their lives
- This was shown by how they conducted their lives, during this lifetime
- So the way we live today will have an eternal impact
- The Kingdom of heaven is for now, in a limited sense, but in the future will come in all its fullness, with Jesus as its King

Summary

- Jesus was born the King of the Jews
- We are spiritual Jews, as we have accepted him as our king
- Jesus does not rule as a tyrant, but is a kind ruler of his people
- He lives and rules in our hearts, when we accept him as our King
- Today, he is with the Father in heaven. The kingdom of heaven is here only in a limited sense, in the hearts of believers
- But one day, Jesus will return to this earth as King
- He will come with a shout and the voice of the archangel
- The dead in Christ will be raised and believers will be changed and receive their glorified body
- Jesus will establish the Kingdom of Heaven, on earth – first in Jerusalem and Israel, and then expanding to fill the whole world
- The whole world will experience the blessing of having Jesus as their King
- The question is, will we be part of this awesome event, or will we be on the outside looking in?
- The only way for us to make sure of this, is to allow him into our life, as our King
- This means that we are bowing the knee before him and asking him to reign: in our thought life and in our actions
- He will not force himself on us
- It is our choice

Veteran's Day - 2 Cor 10:3-5

Title: Veterans Day
Date: November 11, 2009
Text: 2 Cor 10:3-5

Introduction

- History of Veteran’s Day
- Back in 1918, in the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, a stop to hostilities was declared, ending World War I. An armistice to cease the fighting on the Western Front was signed by the Allied powers and Germany.
- President Woodrow Wilson immediately proclaimed the day "Armistice Day," kicking off the annual commemoration on November 11.
- In 1954, Armistice Day was changed to Veterans’ Day
in honor of all U.S. soldiers of any war. But 11/11 still represented the end of the Great War in the public's mind, and the date stuck
- In 1921, unidentified dead from the war were buried in Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia., Westminster Abbey in London, and the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The tradition to honor those killed in the war but never identified continues every year in the U.S. The ceremony is held at 11 a.m. at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery.
- This is a day designated as a time when we honor our veterans
- If you are a veteran who has served the United States flag in any capacity, would you please stand
- On behalf of the Reno-Sparks Gospel Mission, and on behalf of the moral majority of this nation, we want to thank you and all the men and women who have served in the armed forces, for your sacrifice on the behalf of this nation and in the cause of freedom.
- We know that many did not return alive from the battles that were fought. We remember you and honor you.
- Please be seated.
- This nation has been involved in may wars and battles
- The Christian as well is involved in a war, a spiritual war
- Our enemies are not physical troops, but the spiritual forces that want to keep us from experiencing the freedom that is available in Christ.
- This war is not fought on the sands of the desert, or the jungles of Vietnam – it is fought on the battlefield of our mind.

We need to be continually supplied

- The armed forces are made up of servicemen specialized in different forms of warfare
- We have the marines, the army, the navy, and the air force
- Each of these warriors needs to be supplied
- An army can be incredibly strong, but if food supplies don’t get forward to the front lines, this army will fail.
- During WW2 Germany attacked Russia, and they pushed on quickly, trying to do the job before the winter set in. They underestimated the weather, and were unable to keep the supplies coming in
- As a result they had to pull back in defeat
- As a Christian, we continually need to be supplied
- We need supplies of food, spiritual food
- The food has been provided for us in the form of God’s Word, the Bible
- Matt 4:4 – The Bible provides our spiritual sustenance and vitamins, so that we are able to continue the battle
- When we stop eating, we get tired and start making mistakes
- When we stop reading the word and listening to what God is saying to us, we make mistakes, and eventually we will die.

We need tactics

- God gives us ways in which we can fight our battles and win
- In the Bible we are given all the instruction we need in order to know how to attack the enemy, and capture his territory
- As we said, the battlefield is the battlefield of our mind
- Rom 12:1-2 Those of you who were just recognized for your service to the flag, have sacrificed.
- There is sacrifice involved in moving out to the front lines and facing the enemy’s firepower
- But we have a Commander In Chief who knows what he is doing
- Josh 5:13-15
- Jesus has stood the heat of battle
- He has lain dead on the battlefield
- But he arose again, and in doing so he vanquished the enemy
- Isa 53:8-12
- Jesus knows the enemy’s tactics
- He battled him himself in Mat 4
- And he won
- So can we

We need protection

- In a physical battle, the soldier needs protection
- That protection can come in numbers of soldiers fighting together
- The soldier who gets isolated from his fellow troops, is in a dangerous position
- The enemy can pick him off
- As we fight our battles, we too need the protection of not going it alone
- The Rambo concept does not work in the spiritual war
- We need the support of the church and others around us
- But in addition to that, we need armor
- The A-1 Abrams tank is reputed to be able to stop anything thrown at it short of a nuclear blast
- A tank provides protection for those who stay inside it
- The enmy can fire off any number of salvoes at your tank, but you are safe inside
- Now if you poke your head up, it could be shot off
- Pault tells us about our spiritual armor in Eph 6
- Eph 6:10-18
- Most all of the armor is protective
- The helmet, the breastplate, the belt, the shoes, the shield
- The shield is there to extinguish all the flaming arrows from the evil one, the enemy
- But sooner or later, defensive armor will break down
- We will drop the shield, or our helmet will fall off
- We do make mistakes as human beings
- When the enemy pushes in close, God gives us an offensive weapon, the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God
- We receive fresh energy from the Word, fresh instructions from our commander, and we are able to vanquish the enemy, using the truth of the Bible
- The enemy is engaged in deception and counter information
- He wants to portray himself as too big for us, a giant like Goliath
- But before God and his soldiers, the enemy is a weakling
- We need the courage of David, when he went after Goliath
- Our Goliath may be 10 feet tall, but before David, that giant fell
- Our giant can as well, so long as we do not lose heart.

Conclusion

- We are in a war, a spiritual war
- A war is made up of many battles and skirmishes
- It doesn’t matter if we lost a particular battle, the war is not over
- The committed soldier does not give up
- Just as Jesus lay on the battlefield, dead, and then rose again in victory, we too can rise again, and finish the battle

Discovering our Strongholds - 2 Cor 13:5

Title: Discovering our Strongholds
Date: November 8, 2009
Text: 2 Cor 13:5

Introduction

- Last week we looked at what a stronghold is
- We discovered it is a fortification with a number of characteristics
- It is often built on a hill, and has high walls
- This makes entry difficult for an invading army
- A stronghold is also a place the enemy uses as a base
- From the stronghold the enemy can invade surrounding territory
- When territory has been captured, the enemy plants a fresh stronghold, to control that area
- The strongholds are used to keep control of the captured territory
- Today we are going to look at how to discover our personal strongholds

The Bible defines a stronghold

- 2 Cor 10:3-5 – Paul defines a stronghold as anything that exalts itself against God
- In other words, it can be anything that hinders us in our relationship with God
- Ultimately, it is sin which cuts us off from God
- Isaiah 59:2
- In the Old Testament, when a person broke the law in a big way, it would say that that person would be cut off from his people
- This expression referred to that person being executed for his flagrant breaking of the law (here we are talking about such things as murder, etc)
- It is interesting that the expression cut off is used here
- Because when we sin, we incur a penalty
- Romans 6:23 – the wages of sin is death
- That death is described as eternal separation from God in a place of pain
- So a stronghold can be anything that cuts us off from God
- In other words, a stronghold is a sin in our life

The nature of a stronghold

- The nature of a stronghold is that it is strong, almost impossible to overcome
- When the enemy starts building a stronghold, he lays a foundation, and then starts building on it
- Christianity builds on Jesus, he is our foundation (Eph 2:20)
- I am the way, truth, life (John 14:6)
- The enemy builds strongholds on himself and his nature
- John 8:44
- The enemy is known as the father of lies
- So the enemy plants lies in our life
- These lies are the foundation for the structure he builds, which is so impregnable

Need to examine ourselves

- 2 Cor 13:5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you - unless, of course, you fail the test?
- Paul gives us a number of quizzes, to examine where we may have strongholds
- He refers to these strongholds as works of the flesh
- Gal 5:19-21 - "The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God".
- Col 3:5-10
- Some of these can be briefly summarized as immorality, idolatry, control, hatred, selfishness, deception and division
- A person who desires to continue living in this manner, cannot be a child of God – we are not talking about temptation, but about a willful choice of direction for our life
- When we examine ourselves, we need to identify which of these strongholds apply to ourselves.
- Col 3:5-10 "Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator"

Conclusion

- We are on a journey, right now, looking at ourselves. And what makes us tick
- Today we may have touched some raw nerves, some sensitive areas we know should not be there in our life
- Our next step will be to discover how to overthrow these strongholds
- We will examine how to do that, in the next sermon in this series.

The Prayer of Jabez - 1 Chron 4:9-10

Title: The Prayer of Jabez
Date: November 4, 2009
Text: 1 Chron 4:9-10

Introduction

- We set limits for ourselves
- I could never be . . .
- Have I disqualified myself?
- And yet . . .
- Is God limited?
- 1 Chron 4:9-10 NKJV "Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, "Because I bore him in pain." 10 And Jabez called on the God of Israel saying, "Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!" So God granted him what he requested"

What name do you have?

- Do you have a good name or a bad name?
- Prov 22:1 "A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, Loving favor rather than silver and gold".
- Jabez had a bad name
- My son caused me pain
- We may feel we have caused our family pain
- We feel we have caused God pain
- We have the wreckage of relationships all around us
- “His mother called his name Jabez, saying “I bore him in pain”

What if you were born with the name Jabez?

- Wouldn’t this set limits on what you felt you could accomplish
- Oh, there’s that guy who causes pain
- Oh, there’s Jack, who’se always using, he’ll never amount to anything
- Oh, there’s that person who made a huge mistake in his last job, he’ll never get anywhere
- What is your name? Jabez?
- Your reputation goes before you
- Your reputation opens doors for you, or it closes doors
- What does a name like Jabez do for your prospects?
- It limits your horizons, your future becomes claustrophobic

Jabez prays to God

- There comes a point when we turn to God
- Jabez says a 2 letter word – “oh”
- That word means a lot to me
- It means, Jabez is exhausted by his past
- He has reached the end of his rope
- He has seen pain and disappointment and hurt and devastation
- Jabez wants something more than the same old same old
- He has reached his limits, but he wants something more
- He cries out to God, he sighs about his past, and he makes a request

"Oh that you would bless me indeed and enlarge my territory"

- Jabez is not satisfied with the status quo
- Jabez decides, I am going to turn to God, and ask him to turn my life around
- My life has been one of causing pain and hurt
- I want my life to become one of blessing
- So he asks for God’s blessing
- He asks for God to enlarge his territory
- Does this sound selfish?
- In one sense maybe it could be
- God, I’ve gone through so much pain, please send me a time of blessing
- God, I’m asking you to bless me and enlarge my territory
- I’m not just in it for myself, God
- I want to reach an impact others with blessing
- Bless me so that I can be a blessing to others
- Matt 22:39 – You shall love your neighbor as yourself – Lev 19:18
- On the other hand, the rest of the verse shows it is not just for himself that he is asking this

"That your hand would be with me"

- He prays that God would not give up on him, that God would stick with him
- We have done so many things wrong, we wonder if God could ever forgive us
- He prays that God would not give up on him, that he would stay with him
- After David sins with Bathsheba, he cries out to God, “Lord, don’t cast me away from your presence, don’t take your Holy Spirit from me” – Psa 51:11
- God responds to this prayer that has echoed through the ages
- Jesus promises he will never leave us
- Matt 28:20 “Lo, I am with you always”
- Heb 13:5 “For he himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you”

“That you would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain”

- Lord save me from myself
- My natural walk is to go back to doing the same old things
- Lord, I’m asking you to keep me from evil situations which would lead me back to my past
- I’m asking for protection
- I’m asking you to guide me down new paths, paths that go towards blessing and enlarged territory
- Paths that lead me to not just receive blessing, but to BE a blessing to others
- Keep me from evil that I may not cause pain
- Lord, let the days of causing pain be over
- Let this be the generation when the cycle of abuse stops
- Let this be the year that the generations of alcoholism in my family come to an end
- Let this be the year that your blessing starts, and that instead of being the one who destroyed everything around them, I may be called the restorer of the breach
- Isa 58:10-12 "If you extend your soul to the hungry, And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday. 11 The LORD will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail. 12 Those from among you Shall build the old waste places; You shall raise up the foundations of many generations; And you shall be called the Repairer of the Breach, The Restorer of Streets to Dwell In.”
- Your name will no longer be, “He who causes pain”
- You will be known as the Repairer of broken down walls, the Restorer of streets to dwell in
- You will be known, not for causing hurt, but for being a restorer, a repairer, a peacemaker
- You will be a blessing

Conclusion

1 Chron 4:10 “So God granted him what he requested”

What is a Stronghold? - 2 Cor 10:3-5

Title: What is a Stronghold
Date: November 1, 2009
Text: 2 Cor 10:3-5

History of Strongholds

- When we look at Reno today, we might not recognize it as a stronghold
- Cities today generally do not have walls, nor are they fortified
- Walls would make very little difference today as aircraft could bomb a city into oblivion (ROTTERDAM)
- Even before aircraft were invented, walls became obsolete when cannon were invented
- With the right sized cannon, any wall can crumble
- When the walls come down, the inhabitants of the city would be shocked into quick surrender, like with “shock and awe” during Desert Storm
- The cannon signaled the end of walled cities
- Until that time, though, walled cities were considered to be strongholds (NINEVEH)
- If an invader were to come into your country he could not allow your stronghold to remain
- This is because you would use it as a base to counter-attack and drive out the invader
- The main purpose of armies is to remove strongholds inside conquered territory
- As Christians we have allowed Jesus into our territory, we asked him to come into our life
- He actually comes to dwell in us (John 14:23, 2 Cor 13:5)
- When we ask Jesus to take over the throne of our life, he now starts to consolidate His territory
- This involves removing the strongholds
- Mehmett II was the sultan of the Turkish or Ottoman empire (MEHMET)
- He had a Hungarian gunsmith construct cannons whose size was unheard of before
- He used these cannon to pulverize the walls of Constantinople and the city fell in 1453.
- Mehmet’s intention was to use the stronghold of Constantinople as a base to expand the cause of Islam throughout Europe and the Middle East
- He died before he was able to do so

What is a stronghold?

- A stronghold is a defensive position. (CASTLE)
- It is a walled city, a castle, anything which is protected from intruders or invaders
- A stronghold can also be offensive
- A stronghold can give an army a secure base from which to launch operations
- It would be a place where soldiers can rest and recuperate between offensive attacks
- The more secure the location, the more effective and powerful the force inside it could be
- From this secure position, the army could move out into the surrounding area and capture more territory
- As they moved away from the initial stronghold, they would create another fortification further away
- Dances with Wolves - Kevin Kostner
- In this way they would establish control over a region and eventually empires would be created this way

Strongholds were hard to defeat because of their design

- The design included the walls, their location, often on a hilltop, and the strength of the army within
- The army would be protected inside the city, would launch attacks outside the city and then return to the safety of the stronghold
- Spiritual strongholds are the same
- They are points of operation from where attacks are launched on outlying areas
- They become centers of offensive operations which are hard to remove without a concerted effort to eradicate them

Bible definition

- 2 Cor 10:3-5 – Paul defines a stronghold as anything that exalts itself against God (PAUL)
- It is a point of operation from where Satan can keep the unbeliever captive, or make the believer ineffective
- An example of physical warfare
- Israel enters the promised land
- Sent out spies
- Beautiful country
- Spies had even brought back some of the produce
- But as they cross Jordan and enter the land – someone else’s territory, their first obstacle was a walled city – Jericho (JERICHO)
- This obstacle was obvious, it faced them immediately
- This city had a double wall, 18 feet high, built on top of a hillside
- It seemed impregnable
- The fall of the city of Jericho is described in Joshua 6

Need to examine self, to discover strongholds

- Moses sent out spies to discover where the strongholds were
- We are told to examine ourselves as well
- 2Corinthians 13:5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?
- We need to examine ourselves for various reasons, but one of these is to know where our weaknesses, our strongholds are
- We will continue this series about overcoming strongholds, in the next few weeks

Answered Prayer - 1 John 5:14

Title: Answered Prayer
Date: September 20, 2009
Text: 1 John 5:14

Introduction
- How many of us would like to have answered prayers?
- Some say, God knows everything about me, so why do I need to ask Him for anything?
- Did you know that it is God’s intention and desire, to answer our prayers?
- But sometimes things get in the way and our prayers do not seem to be answered
- James 4:2-3
- You don’t have because you don’t ask God
- God is too busy with bigger things
- My need is too small
- I don’t know if God will answer
- We don’t have because we don’t ask
- When our motives are right, God will respond
- It is normal for a child to ask for things from their physical dad
- It is the same with God
- 1 John 5:14-15

1. Discover God’s will and then ask for it
- Read the Bible to find out how God thinks about it
- Be full of God’s word, and then pray accordingly
- When we find God’s will we can be confident in our request
- Mark 11:24
- James 1:5-6 – ask in faith not doubting
- Math 21:21-22 – if you believe you will receive whatever you ask for
- Knowing God’s will we bring our requests before Him
- Lord, I need wisdom
- Lord, I need financial help
- Lord, my body needs healing


2. Live a life that is pleasing to God
- 1 John 3:22 - We receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands
- John 8:29 - I do always those things that please him
- 1 Pet 3:7- When we behave contrary to God’s will, our prayers will be hindered
- Walk closely with God
- Mat 7:7 – ask and it will be given
- John 15:7 – if you remain in me, ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you

3. Pray in the right manner
- James 1:5-6 - Ask in faith, not doubting
- Mat 21:22 – if you believe you will receive whatever you ask for
- Faith is the key to answered prayer
- Matt 18:19-20 – if two of you agree on earth. . .
- Have a prayer partner – share your needs and pray for them together
- Maybe your spouse, a believing relative, a trusted friend (same sex)
- Great benefit of praying in church – others agree with you in your prayers
- Persist in asking
- Mat 7:7-8
- Luke 18:1 – always pray and don’t give up

Conclusion
- God wants to answer our prayers
- When we have needs, don’t be afraid to ask God to respond
- 1. Discover God’s will
- 2. Live a life that is pleasing to God
- 3. Pray in the right manner
- Keep a prayer journal
- Write down your requests, and then make a note when they are answered
- Will encourage you in future prayer requests

Repent and be Baptized - Acts 2:38

Title: Repent and be baptized
Date: September 15, 2009
Text: Acts 2:38

Introduction

- Once there was a young minister who kept boring his congregation with sermon after sermon on baptism. Finally church officers instructed him to preach on the subject of pills the following Sunday. They could see no connection between pills and baptism.
- So on Sunday, the young minister announced that would be his topic for the day. "There are big pills and there are little pills," he said, "bitter pills and sweet pills, cheap pills and expensive pills. Another pill is the gospill-and that gets to my real subject-'baptism.'
- The Bible instructs us to be baptized
- Mat 28:19-20
- Acts 2:38

Examples of baptism

- Mat 3:13-17 Jesus baptism
- Acts 8:26-39 Ethiopian eunuch

Baptism by immersion

- Jesus was baptized by immersion
- The eunuch was baptized by immersion
- The word baptidzo means “to immerse or dip under water”
- Example of pickle recipe
- Example of sunken galley

Jewish baptism

- repentance first
- self-immersion
- there had to be a witness
- for both men and women after conversion to Judaism
- a ceremonial cleansing after defilement
- seen as new birth
- spring or flowing river the highest form of ritual bath or mikveh

Being born again

- “The baptismal water (Mikveh) in rabbinic literature was referred to as the womb of the world, and as a convert came out of the water it was considered a new birth separating him from the pagan world. As the convert came out of these waters his status was changed and he was referred to as "a little child just born" or "a child of one day" (Yeb. 22a; 48b; 97b). We see the New Testament using similar Jewish terms as "born anew," "new creation," and "born from above."” - http://www.bebaptized.org/Jewishroots.htm
- John 3:1-7

Symbolism of baptism

- Rom 6:3-4
- Just as Jesus died, was buried and was raised from the dead, we die to our old life, are buried in baptism and come up to live a new life
- Baptism gives us a fresh start

God's Love - Romans 8:38-39

Title: God’s love
Date: September 13, 2009
Text: Rom 8:38-39

Introduction
- As we grow up we hear the word love all the time
- Our grandson Preston is regularly entertained by Barney on TV
- “I love you, you love me, we’re a happy family
- “With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you
- “Won’t you say you love me too?”
- We ask our parents what love is and they say when you find love, you will know
- An old song says, it’s love that makes the world go round with a happy sound
- And so we experiment all kinds of ways and find our own concept of love by trial and error
- And yet it is true
- Love is at the center of our existence
- Without love, life would be very cold
- One of our needs as people is to be loved
- Our concept of love is formed by our experiences with the important people in our life
- Preston may grow up with the Barney theme song in his head, but I hope he also remembers my lying on the floor with him building blocks and racing toy cars, because it is an expression of how I love him
- The way I express love, however, is very inadequate
- It always hurts when I have to leave and say goodbye to Preston
- I know he doesn’t understand why I can’t always be there with him
- Our experiences with love impact our relationship with God
- Today I want to talk about some aspects of God’s love
God’s love is unconditional
- In our experience people love us because of how we behave
- When we behave ourselves and do things the way they want, they love us
- When we mess up and wreck our lives, people don’t want to know
- It’s a hard world out there
- That is why we are so intent on making a good appearance
- Whether that appearance is as goody-goody two shoes, or as the mean tough gangster, whatever fits into our environment
- We want to blend in and be accepted by our crowd, our friends
- It is hard for us to imagine ourselves standing out and being different, people with values and prepared to live them out
- The way God loves us though, is not dependent on our actions
- He loved us before we even thought about him
- Before we found a relationship with Jesus, we were out there, living for ourselves and not concerned with who got hurt in the process
- This was totally opposite to the way in which God lives, or wants us to live
- God is selfless and his love for us is totally unconditional
- Rom 5:6-8 – “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7 Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us”
- Deut 7:7 – “The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.”
- Eph 1:4 – “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will”
- My love for Preston is unconditional
- I love him just because he is my grandson
- I would do anything for him that is in my power to do
- It is not dependent on how well he behaves, sometimes he behaves as though he doesn’t know me. But I still love him
- It is the same with each of us, and God
- God loves us, wherever we are at, whatever we have done
- His love for us is not dependent on our goodness
- He draws us to him and woos us until we surrender and allow him to have relationship with us
- God loves us because he has chosen to do so
- It is his sovereign will to love us, and have relationship with us
God’s love is unchanging
- When we meet that special person, and our heart flip-flops and goes head over heels, we say we have fallen in love
- We tell that special person, I love you, and we give them flowers and special things that show them we care about them and that they are special to us
- Later on, however, the storms of life and our own selfishness attack our marriage, and often we fall out of love and end up divorcing that special person and leaving them
- God’s love for us, however, does not change
- God’s love for us is persistent, it continues on through the hard times in our relationship
- Psa 103:15-17 – “As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; 16 the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. 17 But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children”
- I may get upset at someone and write them off and tell them I never want to see them again
- But God does not deal with me that way
- His love is from everlasting to everlasting
- From the very beginning to the very end – infinity to infinity
- Ephesians tells us that God chose us to be his sons, in love, before the creation of the world
- And that this love relationship will continue through all eternity!
- Think about this: there never was a time when God did not love you; there will never be a time when God does not love you.
- That love is not only in terms of time
- It also relates to the nature of that relationship
- God’s love is infinitely greater than any love I can show to Preston
- I can spend some time with Preston and I feel I have expressed love to him
- However, Preston’s mom, Becky, has a way deeper love for Preston and his brand-new baby sister, Layla
- God’s love for all his children is infinite in its depth
- Rom 8:38-39 – “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord”
God’s love is all-encompassing
- Just couple of weeks ago, Preston’s little baby sister Layla was born
- This is a major adjustment for an only child like Preston
- Mom and dad and all of us had to be sensitive to Preston’s need to be loved, even though everything seemed to revolve around the new addition to the family
- We can sometimes and perhaps often think – God loves mankind, and he loves the church, and I am sure he loves all those people around me, but what about me, does he love me?
- It is often when things go badly in our life when the clouds are dark and the winds of doubt batter us, that we wonder if God really knows what is going on
- We feel sorry for ourselves and question if God really loves us
- Our experience with people has been that most people seem to be fair-weather friends, so we think God is like that too
- Proverbs tells us
- Prov 18:24 – “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.”
- God’s love is greater than any trial or problem
- God’s love is greater than all our sins and the pain in our lives
- Prov 10:12 – “Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.”
- Yes, God loves us as a church, as a body of believers marching together towards our destiny
- But he also loves us as individuals, knowing all our needs and responding to us as we draw close to him
- God says he knows even our individual names
- Isa 43:1-2 – “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze”
- Jesus tells us “Fear not little flock, it is you father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom
Conclusion
- We can take heart because God does love us, personally and individually
- God knows everything we are going through and he loves us so much that he will never give up on us
- God’s love is not a temporary fuzzy feeling
- God’s love is unconditional, unchanging and all-encompassing
- John 3:16 - “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life”

God's Timing - Psalm 27:14

Title: God’s Timing
Date: August 23, 2009
Text: Psa 27:14

Introduction

- Ecclesiastes 3:1 “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.”
- Is this a fatalistic concept?
- “When I was just a little child,
I asked my mother, “What will I be?
Will I be pretty? Will I be rich?”
Here’s what she said to me:
“Que sera, sera, Whatever will be, will be;
The future’s not ours to see.
Que sera, sera, What will be, will be.”
- Is life just a matter of “whatever”?
- God is involved in our lives

God is a God of perfect timing

- God is not limited by time
- But he does things in an orderly manner, there is a beginning and an end
- Alpha and Omega
- Revelation 1:8 “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty”.
- There is a time of preparation
- Example of our call to Wisconsin

God knows us

- He knew us the day we were born
- Psa 139:13-16 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
- He knows all that is happening in our life
- Verse 1-4
- God knows about your personal issues, things you have spoken about to no one
-

God knows our needs

- Philippians 4:19 “And my God shall supply all your need,according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
- Example of providing for our needs
- Many times God has stepped in and provided for our needs
- Example of check for $4000
- I am restoring the years of the locust
- God knows what we need and when we need it
- He does not give it to us early, nor does he supply it too late
- He supplies our needs in the broader context of what we truly need

God knows the best time for us

- God knows the best time to call us
- He knows the best time to intervene in our affairs
- He is a God who leads us and draws us, not forces us
- Hosea 11:4 I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love: and I was to them as they that take off the yoke on their jaws, and I laid meat unto them.
- God’s ways are different from our ways
- Isaiah 55:8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD.
- One way in which God’s thoughts are different from ours, is that He looks long term
- He sees the end from the beginning
- Isaiah 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:
- On the other hand, we tend to live and think about the present
- That is the way we are made
- Jesus even tells us to live by the day
- Matt 6:33-34 “Mat 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

God knows when things are hard

- God is teaching us to live in relationship with him
- When we need things, he asks us to talk to him
- Philippians 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
- Sometimes the hard times are there for another reason, to teach us a lesson
- Sometimes we have brought things on ourselves and it is a form of discipline
- Heb 12:5-11

In all these things, God is with you

- Heb 13:5 “Never will I leave you, never will I forsake you
- God knows what the reason is for the trial
- We don’t
- It may be something to strengthen our character
- It may be something we brought on ourselves, but even then God is in charge
- And it may even just be time and chance
- But God can step in and deal with the situation
- So ask him if there is something to learn
- Or something we should change
- Or some action we should take
- Then make your requests known and allow God to do his work in his timing
- God is with you, wherever you are
- Psa 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
- Psalms 27:14 “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart: wait I say on the Lord.” NKJV
- And finally
- Psalms 40:1,2 “I waited patiently for the Lord, he turned to me and heard my cry He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and the mire; He set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.”

Called to be Cleansed - Isaiah 1:18

Title: Called to be cleansed
Date: August 9, 2009
Text: Isaiah 1:18
Introduction
- Background
- Isaiah lived during the early 700’s BC
- During his day, the House of Israel was taken into captivity by the Assyrians, in 721 BC
- Isaiah prophesies to the House of Judah, to turn from their wicked ways
- They had seen the results of the disobedience of the northern 10 tribes
- But they were going down exactly the same road
- In fact they were even more hypocritical
- They were bringing their sacrifices to the temple and seemed to be worshipping God
- But their lives inside did not match their outside form of religion
- God says they were like Sodom and Gomorrah
- Isa 1:2-15
- But God calls to them to repent
- 16-20
God calls to rescue us
- God makes the first move
- God always makes the first move
- God has to make the first move
- Because we are dead in our trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1)
- We cannot come to God
- Our nature rebels against him, we don’t want him in our lives
- So we battle against it continually
- Luke 19:10 – Jesus came to seek and save that which was lost
- We think there is some goodness in man that will cause him to seek God at some point
- No, man is utterly depraved
- Within me dwells no good thing (Rom 7:18)
- John 6:44 – I can never come to God except God draws me to him
- 1 John 4:19 – we love because He first loved us
- God sees our state way better than we do
- Have you ever been in a position of total depravity
- I respect every human being as a person, but there is nothing respectable about a drunk who is lying in his own vomit underneath a bush or out on the street somewhere
- If you have ever been there, you probably had no concept of how bad things were
- It is only when you sobered up that you saw the blood in your vomit and knew this had to stop
- It takes God to sober us up
God’s call is for now
- 2 Cor 6:2 – now is the day of salvation
- When a man has fallen over the edge of a cliff, and is hanging onto some roots to stop his fall to destruction, he does not argue about when he needs to respond to the rescue helicopter
- Oh, I’ll wait till tomorrow
- No, the time to deal with it is now
- Otherwise we are like the person described in
- 2 Pet 2:22
- This person is not yet sick and tired of being sick and tired
- God saw where the Israelites were going
- He knew what captivity would be like and the horrors of the punishment that they were bringing on themselves
- If we only could see and experience a little of where our sinful life is taking us
- If we could only see the video in heaven called, this is your life
- If we could see our shame and embarrassment when that video is played on judgment day, and the awful voice of him who says “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels” (Mat 25:41)
God’s call is personal
- Isa 1:18 – come let us reason together
- This is an intimate and very personal call
- This is not a pastor saying some words to the whole church hoping someone will listen
- This is a personal, intimate call to an individual
- So if we feel the nudge of the Holy Spirit, God is knocking at the door of our heart
- God says to us, let’s get together and settle this issue
- It will be sorted out, one way or another
- In this verse we sense God’s longing for us to get our act together
- This is a personal thing
- He draws a line on our heart and pulls on us to step across that line, to safety
- Do you see that line, do you feel that pressure, that sense that God is talking to you personally (Hos 11:4)
God’s cleansing is total
- God promises, when we come to him, our sins that were scarlet will be white as snow
- This is a total transformation
- God no longer sees us as being sinful
- Because ours ins have been blotted out
- We can now commence a journey of walking with him, without all the baggage of the past
- Amos 3:3 – can two walk together except they be agreed
- We can walk together with God, but only when we have sorted things out
- God says, lets settle this case out of court, I’m giving you a chance for freedom
- If we don’t accept this invitation, one day we will see the video and hear the words, and feel the torment
- We don’t want to go there, now is the time to change our future

The Agony of Gethsemane - Luke 22:39-46

Title: The agony of Gethsemane
Date: July 19, 2009
Text: Luke22:39-46, Matt 26:36, Mark 14:32
Introduction
- We do not often hear sermons about Gethsemane
- The story about Gethsemane is dark and foreboding
- There is something that is often overlooked, when it is talked about
- That is, why was Jesus in such intensity that evening, just before his arrest
- There is a lesson for us to learn
- We often focus on the intensity of Jesus’ prayer, and his agony
- But we can miss the reason for the agony
- Today we will be looking at why it was, that Jesus agonized so, about his impending crucifixion
The Last Supper
- The story starts in Luke 22:7
- Jesus sends out Peter and John to get ready to observe Passover with the disciples
- That evening they get together for the celebration of the coming out of Egypt
- Before the meal starts, Jesus washes the disciples feet, teaching them about humility and service – John 13
- Verse 14 – Jesus would be leaving them but he treasures this time of solemnity as they commemorate the exodus from slavery to the Egyptians
- At the end of the meal, he introduces what we call the Last Supper, or Communion
- Verse 19 – as we take the bread, it represents his body that was broken for us, was voluntarily given for us
- We are told to do this in remembrance of Him, to remember this selfless act of love
- Verse 20 – as we take the cup and share in this communion, we are remembering Jesus’ blood that was poured out for us
- Pictures of Jesus show a few drops of blood – they are not accurate
- Jesus poured out his blood, just like the Passover lamb they had eaten that evening, had had its throat slit and its blood soaked the ground beneath it
- PRAYER
The teaching – John 14-17
- Jesus then teaches the disciples, these are his last words to them
- The disciples are fighting amongst themselves about who is going to be greatest
- Jesus promises them that he will send the Holy Spirit to live in everyone who believes in him
- He tells about the intimate relationship that Christians will have with God
- He calls the disciples friends, not servants as they had been as students of the rabbi
- He talks about the cost of discipleship, that the disciples will be persecuted, just as he was
- He tells Peter that he has been praying for him not to fall, but that he will deny Jesus 3 times, that night.
- Jesus prays for the disciples and prays for the unity of al, believers
- Then they sing a hymn and go out to the garden of Gethsemane
Gethsemane – Luke 22:40
- the word Gethsemane means “oil-press”
- on the west slopes of the mount of Olives, is an orchard of olive trees
- in the middle of the orchard, was an olive press. The press consisted of two parts –
- the first part was a stone table, with a gutter running around it, leading to a container underneath
- the second part was a huge square stone pillar, five feet high
- when they used the oil press, they would place the olives into netting so they would not fall out. They would place them on the table. Then they would lift up the huge stone pillar and place it on top of the olives.
- The enormous pressure caused the olives to be squeezed, and the olive oil would run across the table, down into the gutter, and then into the container underneath
What Jesus experienced
- Matt 26:37-38 – began to be sorrowful and troubled – overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death
- Mark 14:33-34 – deeply distressed and troubled – overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death
- Luke 22:43 – and angel comes to strengthen him
- Now he is in anguish – prays even more intensely
- His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground
- I have never sweated blood
- None of us
- Jesus was not a wimp that he was so scared of what was coming, as to sweat blood
- Plenty of people have had courage, while facing death – Jesus was not a coward
- Jesus now started carrying the sins of the world
- Gal 1:3-4 – Gave himself for our sins
- 1 John 2:2 – atoning sacrifice for our sins – also for the sins of the whole world
- during his time in Gethsemane, Jesus was not being tested by God, or tempted by the devil
- he was not being tempted by his flesh
- In Gethsemane, Jesus started the journey of carrying the sins of the whole world
- In Gethsemane he was in an emotional and mental oil press, squeezing the life out of him
- The stress he was under must have been incredible
- Luke was a doctor, he describes the great drops of blood he is sweating
Baptism
- some of you will be baptized this afternoon
- baptism is not something to take lightly
- making that commitment before God and before witnesses is something we are instructed to do
- this sermon is intended so that you may know the enormity of the load Jesus carried, and the love he had for you personally
- we say I can’t forgive myself for what I have done
- but Jesus HAS forgiven you
- accept the gift he gives you so you can have a fresh start in life
- Isa 1:18 – Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool
- Wherever you have been, whatever you have done – Jesus carried it all for you, so that you can have a fresh beginning

The Names of God - Pt 2 - Exodus 3:143-15

Title: The Names of God – Part 2
Date: July 2, 2009
Text: Exodus 3:13-15

Introduction
- Last Sunday we examined four of God’s names
- Each of these names had something to do with God’s greatness
- 1. God is Yahweh – the existing One
- 2. God is Elohim – a God who is bigger than we are, able to change things
- 3. God is Adonai – a God who is our Lord and Master – someone to whom we surrender
- 4. God is El-Shaddai – the Almighty – the most powerful being in the universe
- Today we will look at other names of God in the Old Testament which tell some of the ways in which he relates to us as people.

5. Jehovah-jireh
- "The Lord will Provide."
- From "jireh" ("to see" or "to provide," or to "foresee" as a prophet.) God always provides, adequate when the times come.
- Gen. 22:14.
- IMPLICATION
- When we go through trials, God is able to provide a way
- Abraham had no idea where the lamb would come from
- But God provided
- 1 Cor 10:13 – God provides a way to get through the trial we are facing

6. Jehovah-rapha
- The Lord Who Heals"
- From "rophe" ("to heal"); implies spiritual, emotional as well as physical healing.
- Ex. 15:22-26.
- God offers us healing, in our spirit, when we turn to God, in our thinking and emotions, when we have been hurt, and in our body, when our body is damaged or ill
- (Jer. 30:17, 3:22; Isa. 61:1)
- God heals body, soul and spirit; all levels of man's being.
- IMPLICATION
- God desires to take care of us, not only in providing the things we need, or in changing circumstances, but also in our individual needs, in our emotions, body and in giving us life through Jesus
- James 5:14 – if sick, ask for prayer.

7. Jehovah-nissi
- The Lord Our Banner."
- Ex. 17:15. YHWH-Nissi – after Joshua defeats Amalek – Aaron and Hur hold up Moses arms
- God on the battlefield, from word which means "to glisten," "to lift up," Noticeable from a long distance
- See Psalm 4:6. Lift up the light of your face upon us
- IMPLICATION
- God is the One who fights our battles
- Learn to trust Him to do the fighting
- Turn our problems over to Him
- 2 Chron 20:15

8. Jehovah-M'Kaddesh
- The Lord Who Sanctifies"
- Lev. 20:8. I am the Lord who makes you holy
- God is the one who sets us apart and makes the difference, not our own efforts to be holy
- "To make whole, set apart for holiness."
- IMPLICATION
- Only God can make us holy
- Eph 2:10 – we are his workmanship
- 2 Cor 5:17 – a new creation

9. Jehovah-shalom
- The Lord Our Peace"
- Judges 6:24. Gideon comes face to face with JHWH – who tells him nothing bad will happen, God is our peace
- "Shalom" translated "peace" 170 times means "whole," "finished," "fulfilled," "perfected."
- Related to "well," welfare."
- IMPLICATIONS
- Shalom means that kind of peace that results from being a whole person in right relationship to God and to one's fellow man.
- Eph 2:16-17 – removed the enmity by the cross
- James 4:4 – friendship of world, enmity with God

10. Jehovah-tsidkenu
- The Lord Our Righteousness"
- Jer. 23:5, 6, 33:16. Messiah will be a wise, just and righteous King
- From "tsidek" (straight, stiff, balanced - as on scales - full weight, justice, right, righteous, declared innocent.)
- The Lord our Righteousness.
- IMPLICATIONS
- My own righteousness doesn’t cut it – I need Jesus righteousness inside me
- I can work as hard as I like, but it is only God who can make me totally righteous
- Phil 3:9 – righteousness that is by faith

11. Jehovah-rohi
- The Lord Our Shepherd"
- Psalm 23
- from "ro'eh" (to pasture).
- IMPLICATIONS:
- John 10 – Jesus is our shepherd
- He goes after the lost sheep
- He is not willing hat any should perish
- He finds us, cares for us, heals us, provides for us, protects us
- This is all described in his names

12. Jehovah-shammah
- The Lord is There"
- (Ezek. 48:35).From chapter 40 on, a description of worship after Jesus returns
- the temple will be rebuilt, and it says here that the Lord will be there
- IMPLICATIONS:
- When we accept Jesus, we invite him into our heart
- Our spirit now becomes His dwelling place
- Eph 2:19-22 we are now a dwelling where God lives
- And he tells us he will be with us always, even to the end of the world

Conclusion
- We have now looked at 12 of God’s names, as he is described in the Old Testament
- God is a God who is great and powerful, as well as kind and gentle and sensitive to our needs
- God is a God who wants to be with us, today, tomorrow and into eternity
- God is an awesome God

The Names of God - Pt 1 - Exodus 3:13-15

Title: The Names of God – Part 1
Date: June 28, 2009
Text: Exodus 3:13-15

- Introduction
- How many of us know what our name means?
- It may tell something about us or our ancestors, or how our parents thought about us, or what they expected of us
- I knew someone called Jim Smith – one of his ancestors was a smith who worked in a smithy, back in England
- One of my ancestors around 1800, was known as “old John”. He was married to someone called “Joanie Come To Bed”. I guess Joanie used to stay up late!!!
- When we name our children we think about what the name means
- It has an impact on how they see themselves and it also expresses our hopes for their success in life.
- God also has a name. In fact, he has many names, each describing a facet of His character
- Today we are going to examine 6 of these names, in the Old Testament, and see what they tell us about God.
- The Jewish Encyclopedia says “Like other Hebrew proper names, the name of God is more than a mere distinguishing title. It represents the Hebrew conception of the divine nature or character and of the relation of God to His people. It represents the Deity as He is known to His worshipers, and stands for all those attributes which He bears in relation to them and which are revealed to them through His activity on their behalf. A new manifestation of His interest or care may give rise to a new name. So, also, an old name may acquire new content and significance through new and varied experience of these sacred relations.

1. Jehovah (6823 x)
- LORD in our English Bibles (all capitals).
- Yahweh is the covenant name of God.
- From the verb "to be", havah, similar to chavah (to live), "The Self-Existent One," "I AM WHO I AM" or 'I WILL BE WHO I WILL BE" as revealed to Moses at the burning bush,
- Ex.3:13-15.
- Third century BC the Jews decided they would no longer pronounce God’s name – based on Ex 20:7 (not take name of Lord in vain), and Lev 24:11 (Jewish Encyclopedia)
- The name of God, too sacred to be uttered, abbreviated ( . . . . ) or written "YHWH" without vowel points. Known as the Tetragrammaton.
- Gen 2:4
- Deut. 6:4, 5 known to Jews as the Sh'ma uses both Jehovah and Elohim to indicate one God with a plurality of persons.
- IMPLICATION
- God exists, as opposed to all the other gods we have in our lives
- Not only that, but as the only God who lives, he is the only one who gives life
- This name sets God apart from all other Gods
- John 1:1-5 – Jesus has life and provides hope for mankind
- This is why Jesus says, I am the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6)– there is no other way to life

2. Elohim (2507 x)
- The word Elohim is a plural word
- It describes God as being Transcendent, Mighty and Strong. (Jewish Encylopedia)
- It describes a God who is a God, a divine ruler and a judge (Strongs-136)
- See Gen. 1:1.
- IMPLICATION
- God is a God who is bigger than we are
- We don’t want a God who is a weakling, who is impotent to affect us
- We need a God who can bring change into the important areas of our lives
- We need a God who can and will fight our battles

3. Adonai (434 x)
- Lord in our English Bibles (Capitol letter 'L ', lower case, 'ord')
- (Adonai is plural, the sing. is "adon").
- "Master'' or "Lord" always plural when referring to God, when sing. the reference is to a human lord.
- First use of Adonai, Gen. 15:2 – used as term of reverence in the place of Jahweh
- Heavy use – 101 times in Psalms and Isaiah. 214 times by Ezek
- IMPLICATION
- Surrendering to God as our Lord and Master
- John 20:24-28 - Thomas

4. El-Shaddai (48 x – 31 x in Job)
- God Almighty or "God All Sufficient."
- First used in Gen. 17:1, 2. – Almighty, most powerful – I can perform what I have promised
- Used to have a bank as I was growing up, “get with the strength, bank Commonwealth”
- Gen 49:24-25
- IMPLICATION
- God is the most powerful being in the universe
- He is almighty, able to perform what he has promised
- He uses that incredible power to bless us
- He is like a gentle giant, taking care of us with great sensitivity

Summary
- God is Yahweh – the existing One
- God is Elohim – a God who is bigger than we are, able to change things
- God is Adonai – a God who is our Lord and Master – someone to whom we surrender
- God is El-Shaddai – the Almighty – the most powerful being in the universe

Fathers' Day - 1 Thessalonians 2:7-12

Sermon: Fathers Day
Date: June 21, 2009
Text: 1 Thes 2:7-12
Introduction
- The third Sunday in June is generally observed as Father’s Day, throughout the United States
- It was a woman in Spokane WA, Sonora Louise Smart Dodd, who is most frequently credited with originating the idea for a Father's Day observance, in 1909 - http://www.historictrinity.org/fathersdayorigin.html
- Her mother had died when she was very young, and her dad, a civil war veteran named William Smart, had had to raise herself and five sons
- Recognizing the difficulties he had faced, and as an expression of appreciation for his devotion, Mrs Dodd urged the Spokane Ministers Association to sponsor the first Father’s Day Celebration, to honor all fathers
- This first celebration was held in Spokane on the third Sunday of June - the month of her father's birth - in 1910, with local ministers calling the attention of their congregations to the appreciation fathers deserved.
- William Jennings Bryan, complimented Mrs. Dodd on the inspiration for Father's Day , and remarked," too much emphasis cannot be placed upon the relation between parent and child."
- The observance of Father's Day did not spread rapidly - not, for instance, as rapidly as Mother's Day, which was started just before this time
- Several others also came up with the idea, independently, but Mrs. Dodd is credited with beginning the celebration.
- President Woodrow Wilson officially approved the idea of Father's Day in 1916.
- Then in 1966 President Lyndon Johnson issued a Proclamation that Father's Day be observed on the third Sunday in June.
- On Father's Day in 1970 Mrs. Dodd, still living in Spokane, stressed the fact the one very important, timely, practical value attached to Father's Day was to provide an occasion for children to express appreciation of their fathers and for fathers to acknowledge their responsibilities to their children.
- Many of us have had dads who did not live up to their responsibilities
- Many of us ourselves have not been the parents we should have been.
- But we can break the cycle, by being good role models in the future, and raising up our children to be responsible dads when they grow up
- Today we are going to look at some of the roles dad’s play in the family
- 1 Thes 2:7-12 “As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children.
8We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.
- 9Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.
10You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed.
- 11For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children,
- 12encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.
ABLE TO EXPRESS GENUINE LOVE
- 1 Thes 2:7-12 “As apostles of Christ we could have been a burden to you, but we were gentle among you, like a mother caring for her little children.
- The first attribute a father exhibits, is that of love
- This is important – it does not come naturally to most men
- We need to learn to show love
- In the Bible, women are rarely told to love their husbands because that tends to come naturally for them
- That can be stunted and crippled of course, by the experiences men have put them through
- But it the natural order of things, women are naturally loving.
- Men, on the other hand do not have this natural ability
- So Paul tells us in Eph 5:25 – husbands love your wives
- He describes this love as the love which will give up everything for the other person, including his life
- This does not come naturally, and it is something we have to learn
- This applies not only to our relationship with our wife, but also with our children
- How many of us are fathers?
- When our baby came home, we had to learn to cradle the baby in our arms, so the head is supported
- We had to learn to protect the soft spot on the top of the baby’s head, because it was vulnerable
- We had to learn how to deal with our baby when it cried, and when it needed its diaper changed
- For our wife, however, it seemed a more natural thing
- Our wives don’t seem to have the same learning curve in this area
- We have to learn to be affectionate dads
- But then one day, our baby is grown up
- Our grownup child still needs the same affection
- We don’t change diapers any more, but our kids still need hugs and kisses and affection
- In my case I never had a child of my own
- I have had to learn to be a dad to my step children
- I know I still have a lot of learning to do
- But I love them, and I tell them and they know it and love me back
-
- LIVING A TRANSPARENT LIFE
- The second train Paul talks about is transparency
- 1 Thes 2:8 We loved you so much that we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear to us.
- He speaks of sharing the gospel and his own life as well
- It is one thing to speak the gospel, it is another to live it
- Paul is saying he was a role model for these people in Thessalonica
- If you are a Christian, your children should know it by the way you live
- It will affect the way you speak, the things you watch, the activities you engage in, and the values you hold dear
- It means that when it is appropriate, you will tell your kids about mistakes you have made in the way in which you brought them up, in the e3xample you have set, and the ways in which you have let them down
- This will promote healing in your relationship
-
- CARING FOR OUR FAMILY
- 1 Thes 2:8 Surely you remember, brothers, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you.
- Part of being a dad is that we take care of those for whom we have taken responsibility
- This means that we get a job, build a stable home, and provide for our family
- In our lives, thing have often gone wrong
- We no longer have that relationship that we used to have
- But we still have a responsibility to our children, to ensure they are cared for and able to grow to maturity
- So it is important that we take care of these responsibilities
- We should pay our child support, to the utmost of our ability
- Some of us probably owe enormous sums
- But our role as dad, is also that of a provider
- After we divorce, we still have a responsibility to our children
- Financially, but also in our communication with them, our encouragement, and backing them up, and the example we set
-
- CONCLUSION
- A dad has many responsibilities
- But it is awesome to be a dad and have children whom we see grow up under our very eyes
- It is incredible that we have the chance to mold a new life as it grows up, to become a mature and responsible adult
- We may have messed up in the past, but we can make amends and change the course of the future, starting today
- We may need forgiveness, both from our child and from God
- But God’s forgiveness is available to us, so that we can move beyond the wreckage of the past
- The cycle can stop with us

Rahab - a Woman of Faith - Joshua 2:1-24

Title: Rahab - a woman of faith
Date: June 6, 2009
Text: Joshua 2:1-24

Introduction

· There once was a rather rough, uncultured man who for some reason fell in love with a beautiful vase in a shop window.
· Eventually he bought the vase and put it on the mantelpiece in his room.
· There it became a kind of judgment on its surroundings.
· He had to clean up the room to make it worthy of the vase.
· The curtains looked dingy beside it. The old chair with the stuffing coming out of the seat would not do. The wallpaper and the paint needed redoing.
· Gradually the whole room was transformed.
· When Jesus comes into your life, gradually your whole life is transformed.
· Today we are going to look at the testimony of the life of someone who lived 3,500 years ago, and see the change that happened in her life
· It was around 1425 B.C.
· The Israelites were about to enter the Promised Land, the country that had been their dream for 40 years
· Joshua became the new leader after Moses died, and he sent out spies to report on the town of Jericho, the first challenge that the Israelites would face
· These two spies mingled with the travelers and traders entering the city through the gates, and tried to find somewhere to stay the night
· Someone said, why don’t you try Rahab’s place?
· So they stayed the night
· Who was this Rahab they stayed with?

Rahab – a sinful woman of the world

· Josh 2:1 – Rahab was a prostitute
· The Hebrew word used here is Zahnah
· It comes from a root word meaning “highly-fed and wanton” and it means “to commit fornication, be a harlot, play the harlot”
· Some commentaries try to make it sound better by saying the word may mean inn-keeper, but the fact of the matter is that it literally means prostitute
· Rahab was a prostititute in a totally immoral city
· The implication is that she was doing pretty well and that her nature was that of someone who liked playing around
· Rahab was no worse and no better than each of us was before we accepted Jesus
· Eph 2:1-3
· Rahab was just fitting in with her surroundings
· People around her were messing up, so she followed suit
· Don’t we do the same?
· Most of us started using around age 13, when we get into high school
· What was the reason? Usually I hear you say, it was the friends I used to hang with
· I think the root word meaning wanton is interesting
· It tells me that this may have been a part of her character, not just a way to make a living
· She may have grown up in an abusive environment, and then started acting out her anger by throwing all moral standards to the winds
· She probably had a low opinion of herself, but knew no other way to live

Rahab – a repentant convert

· Joh 2:8-11
· Rahab had heard stories about the Israelites leaving Egypt
· All her life she had heard about the things God was doing with the Israelites
· Traders would come from Egypt, and as they sat around the campfire, they would tell stories of how a nation had been brought to its knees by a God no one knew about
· Six million Israelites leaving Egypt was a major occurrence – it would be today as well
· Midianites and Amalekites and Edomites would come as travelers and tell about how the Israelite army had whooped them and all but wiped them out
· Rahab heard all these stories
· She was not stupid, she knew the time was coming when they would be on the doorstep at Jericho
· But more than that, she also recognized that their must be a God behind all this who was way bigger than impotent idols she was used to worshipping
· So when the Israelite spies turned up, she chose to side with the God of Israel
· This was huge! Jericho was a major city and she was risking her life to side with these spies
· This took a huge step of faith for her. She was trusting a God she had not yet experienced, but she took that step of faith anyway
· When we come into this program, we learn about how we can know that there is a real God.
· We examine proofs that there has to have been a beginning, and if there was a beginning there has to have been a beginner, one who started it all, a Creator who is bigger than his creation.
· Recognizing this is a head thing, not a heart commitment
· It is when we take that step of faith, and say, ok, I am now going to commit my life to this God that my head says exists, but whom I have never seen - that is when it becomes a heart commitment
· Rahab took that step of faith
· That faith was expressed in her protection of the two spies
· We express that faith by praying to God and asking for forgiveness of our sins, and asking Jesus into our lives

Rahab – a transformed woman of faith

· Rahab was not yet a perfect Christian
· She lied to protect the spies and engaged in deception to get them out of town
· She had, however, turned to trusting God, rather than her old religion or lack thereof
· As a result of this she is mentioned in the list of heroes of faith in Hebrews 11
· Heb 11:31
· After Jericho fell, Rahab joined up with the Israelites, and adopted their God as her own
· She learned about the ten commandments, she learned about how to worship and what it meant to have God as her Savior
· Later on, she became the mother in law of Ruth, and the great-great-grandmother of King David. Through him, she became part of the physical ancestry of Jesus our Savior
· The Israelites had experienced God as a Savior when they were protected by the blood of a lamb on their doorposts
· Rahab had experienced God as a Savior when she let down the scarlet rope out of her window
· We experience Jesus as our Savior when we accept the blood of Jesus as payment for our sins

A step of faith

· God saving Rahab though, was after she had taken this step of faith
· The head knowledge of hearing about the miracles God had done, had been translated into action, by her taking a stand against Jericho and for God
· In the same way, we can agree that yes, I can see that there has to be a God
· That head knowledge needs to be translated into the step of faith when we turn our back on our old way, and ask Jesus into our life

God's Solution for Fear

Title: God’s solution for fear
Date: June 4, 2009
Text: 2 Timothy 1:7-9
Introduction:
- Everyone knows what it is like to be afraid. We all have things that we are afraid of
- Storms, spiders, snakes
- There are hidden fears that motivate us too
- Fear of failure causes many people to never start, or try anything that is not completely safe.
- Fear of rejection makes us afraid to do anything that could draw criticism or give someone a chance to laugh at us
- There are two kinds of fear :
- Fear that is good - Keeps us from driving 100 mph, or other foolish things that you can think of... and
- Fear that is harmful - This is the "spirit of fear" mentioned here
- This fear paralyzes us, keeps us from doing things we could or should do.
- Perhaps there is a fear that you need to overcome today.
Satan's Purpose For Our Fear
- Satan is a master at using our fears.
- He can keep us from being an effective Christian, or happy person by using our own fears ...
- He uses the "spirit of fear" to make our lives miserable. Worry and fear can make our life miserable!
There was a lady who died in 1916 named Hetty Green. She was called America's greatest miser. When she died in 1916, she left an estate valued at $100 million. But she was so miserly that she ate cold oatmeal in order to save the expense of heating the water. When her son had a severe leg injury, she took so long trying to find a free clinic to treat him that his leg had to be amputated because of advanced infection. I am sure she was worried about losing her wealth, so she didn't even enjoy her life!
- We can be so afraid of losing our wealth or job that we never enjoy or really experience life
- I know some people who are so afraid that something is going to happen to their marriage, that they never get close, or have the intimacy they could have ...
- We all know people who are "worry warts" and they are miserable!
- He also makes us ineffective
- Many times we do not share our faith with someone because of fear.
- What will they think of me? What if I turn them off? What if I mess up?
- They probably won't listen to me anyway!
- These are the common fears satan uses to make us ineffective witnesses!
- Sometimes we don't get involved in service because of fear-
- I could never teach or lead a Bible Study
- I could never encourage a brother
- I could never be a pastor, missionary ...
- Fear can keep us from serving God
- Satan's method for using fear:
o He uses our past sins
o He uses the possibilities of the future
o He uses the potential of failure
o He uses the certainty of criticism
- Satan is a master at using our fears to stop us, to bind us, and to rob us!
God's Gifts for Overcoming Our Fears
- 2 Tim 1:7-9
- God has not given us the "spirit of fear", But He has given us three things that will help us overcome fear:

A - The gift of Power
- Through Christ Jesus, I can do anything God wants me to do!!!
- (Phil 4:13) I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
- That means anything God wants me to do, I can do it...
- God gives me
- 1. Power to be saved - (John 1:12) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
- 2. Power to be a witness for Him - (Acts 1:8) But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
- 3. Power to be Joyful - (Rom 15:13) Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.
- 4. Power to make you a strong believer - (Rom 16:25) Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, ...
- 5. Power to endure trials – (2 Cor 12:9) And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
- If you are trusting in, drawing from , relying on, believing in the one who has the power, He will give you the power you need!
- God is a powerful God
- Don't be afraid! use his power!!!
B. The Gift of Love
- At first glance, It does not seem that Love could be effective in conquering fear
- (1 John 4:18) There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
- Here is how this works:
- 1. Love for God
- The more we love God, the less fear we will have.
- It is a matter of trust. When we realize that God will take care of us, it relieves our fear.
- (Rom 8:28) And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
- Love of God relieves our fears!
- 2. Love for Others
- The more we love others the less fear we will have.
- Love causes us to overcome our fear for the good of others .
- Rescue workers - Ambulance drivers ...
- Love causes us to tell others about Jesus.
- To serve in church
- To help others in need...
C. The Gift of a Sound Mind
- Most of the time our harmful fears are the result of wrong thinking.
- But something happens when we are saved and begin to trust God.
- Our mind is renewed! –
- (Rom 12:2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
- 1. In my way of thinking, I may be afraid I won't make it financially –
- but IF I trust in God and put him first, I will be assured He will take care of me!
- (Luke 12:28) If then God so clothe the grass, which is to day in the field, and to morrow is cast into the oven; how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little faith?
- 2. I may be afraid of dying...
- That fear is calmed by knowing –
- (2 Cor 5:8) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
- We could go on and apply this to every other fear we may have.
- When we think Biblically, we have a "sound mind".
Conclusion

- Conquering fear is not a matter of self determination, or will power
- It is a matter of dependence on the God whom we can trust and love. In Christ you can conquer your fear.

[Adapted from sermon by Rev. Otis Nixdorf
Pastor, East Side Baptist Church, Independence, MO]

Mountains out of Molehills - Exodus 4:1-5

Title - God makes mountains out of molehills!
Date - May 31, 2009
Text - Ex 4:1-5

Introduction

- We often have a low estimation of what God could do with our lives
- We do not recognize the gifts he has given us
- And I am not even necessarily talking about our spiritual gifts
- “Margaret Storm Jameson, the English author, once expressed the view that we all spend too much time living in the past, feeling regret for lost joys or shame for things badly done.
- “Even when our minds turn to the future, she said, we spend an inordinate amount of time longing for it or dreading it.
- "The only way to live," she said, "is to accept each minute as an unrepeatable miracle . . .
- “Work at your work. Play at your play. Shed your tears. Enjoy your laughter. Now is the time of your life." - Bits and Pieces, July, 1991
- Exodus 4:1-4
- God was telling Moses personally he was sending him to lead 6 million people out of slavery
- What an awesome task!
- But Moses did not feel adequate to the job
- He continued to come up with excuses even after God provided answers to each one, and eventually God even got angry at him!
- Moses had to learn that God could use anything for his glory

What are our abilities?

- God says to Moses, what’s that in your hand
- Moses has to say, a rod
- A rod identified Moses
- It meant he was a shepherd, who went around the desert with a bunch of smelly animals
- It meant he had a profession, even if it was lowly
- It meant he married a shepherd girl, Zipporah
- I am sure that Moses did not see his job as the ultimate in job satisfaction
- But it paid the bills, and under the circumstances, it kept him under the radar of the Egyptian FBI
- He used to be the heir-apparent of Egypt
- But his identity was now symbolized by that shepherd’s rod
- God said, what is that in your hand
- So what is in our hand?
- What are the abilities we have right now?
- Not, what did we used to be able to do, or what could we become with a lot of hard work
- God says what do you have in your hand, right now
- Right now, what you have in you hand is that you are clean and sober
- Right now, you have friendships and relationships with brothers and sisters who are making the journey with you
- Right now, you are learning perseverance, putting down the desires of the flesh and aligning yourself with God’s will and purpose
- These are your present abilities

Does God care about our past?

- For Moses, the rod also represented a former identity
- It represented times gone by, times of success
- The shepherd’s rod reminded him of the scepter he used to wield as the prince of Egypt, educated in the ways of the court
- He had been the general of Egypt’s armies and had waged a major and successful campaign against Ethiopia
- The scepter reminded him that he had all kinds of abilities
- His disability was, that that was no longer his identity
- He now had a shepherd’s staff
- What was in our past?
- We may have used to be very successful in our life before we were humbled by our addictions
- We may have used to be a top chef, or a successful carpenter, or maybe we used to teach at college, or we used to pastor a church, or lead a small group
- Our problem is that that was in the past. It is no longer in our present
- We have moved on in life, to places we wish we had never gone
- Our addictions have brought us down, and we feel we are no longer able to be of any value to anyone
- God says to us, what is that in your hand? He does not ask what it used to represent
- He does not ask, where have you come from, what have your past achievements been
- God asks what is that in your hand, today

What can God do with our present abilities?

- God was not ignoring Moses’ ability to lead people, his dedication to a task, his being educated in the court of Pharaoh
- God had a plan for Moses which would involve all his past experience
- But first of all, Moses had to focus on his present abilities, where he was right now
- Right now he was a lowly shepherd
- Isa 66:2 - This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.
- 1 Cor 1:27-29 - But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.
- 28 He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are,
- 29 so that no one may boast before him
- Eph 3:20-21 - Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,
- 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
- God is able to use the little ability we may have, and use it in a big way
- Remember the lady in Elijah’s day, who had a little cruze of oil
- God was able to multiply it
- God was only limited by the number of jars she brought to be filled
- The only limitation on what God can do through us, is the limitation we set on him
- Moses could not see beyond the shepherd’s rod in his hand
- But God had a bigger plan for him, to be the shepherd for a whole nation of ex-slaves
- The journey starts with being humble and recognizing our own inability to do anything hugely worthwhile
- Even Jesus said, “By mysef I can do nothing” – Jn 5:30
- He tells us in John 15:5 - “apart from me you can do nothing“
- It is only as we submit what we have in the present to Him, that he can make something useful out of it
- But when we do, there is no limit to what he can do

Conclusion

- As we consider where our life may be going, don’t focus on the past, whether good or bad
- Also, don’t be all focused on the future
- There is a place for planning and preparation and goals
- But keep your focus on the present, where you are today
- God is asking you, what do you have in your hand, right now
- This is what he wants to use, for his glory
- He will make it work, he will multiply the effect and impact
- He will make your life worthwhile
- Trust God that he will do it
- Zech 4:6 – 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the LORD Almighty