Category Archives: New Testament

For Me to Live

Gallery June 28, 1996 David

For Me to Live
June 28, 1996	Sermon by DRW	Passage Galatians 2.20

Introduction

Most of us grew up looking forward to Saturdays. When I was a kid in the 70’s, we had the beginning of many Saturday type things. Things such as: Bay City Rollers and their S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y Night, Elton John with Saturday Night’s Alright, Michelob was made for weekends, and the infamous Saturday Night Live, to name a few. Saturday was the day for many people. Most of my friends enjoyed it as they looked forward to getting out of school on Friday to party and wake up late on Saturday just to party again. Sundays were made for recuperation and realizing that Monday was coming. For many people in the world, Saturday was the day to live for and in.

For Christians, spiritually speaking, Saturday is probably the worst day to live in and for. The question that I have for you through this message is: What day do you live your faith in?

Follow me as we consider the weekend of our faith.

1. I have been crucified with Christ

The disciples didn’t want this to happen [add Campolo’s Friday part]. There was no victory, no approval. There is guilt here and it will consume you if you live on this day. We don’t know if God accepts us when we have a Friday faith. We ask what must I add to be accepted (like JW).

I realize that Friday and Saturday are needed for a Sunday faith. And Monday is the beginning of the reflection of a Sunday faith.

Why would we want this faith? It lessens who Jesus is, giving us more control and power in our salvation.

Is your God still nailed?

A. Friday Faith

1. Nailed

2. Dead

a. no hope

b. no future

both as viewed from this side of heaven.

B. Friday Failure

1. Nailed

2. Dead

a. no hope if lived here

b. no future if lived here

Is Christianity more than sayings to know and a church to attend? Friday faith says no because we live as if Christ didn’t rise from the dead nor that He is God.

What a waste that a man so young died after doing so much for so little.

1 Corinthians 15.12-19

2. . . . most of us live here

Why would we want to live here? It provides us with an excuse for waffling in our faith, for not living the way we are called to live.

They hid, were afraid, living life like most of us do on a daily basis. They were fearful of being found as followers of Christ. Flopping from a desire to honour Jesus to a desire to be accepted by society (at least not rejected by it). Their’s was a life of mourning and grief.

A. Saturday (synonym for faith)

1. Buried

2. Misery

a. hopeless

b. helpless

B. Saturday (synonym for failure)

1. Buried

2. Misery

a. hopeless

b. helpless

3. Nevertheless, I live

It is only here we taste victory and freedom for the resurrection was God’s stamp of approval for Christ’s death and burial. We stand approved before God because we are in Christ.

Resurrection verses

1 Corinthians 15

Is your God free?

A. Sunday (synonym for faith)

1. Free Galatians 5.1

2. Alive John 8.31

a. hope

b. future

We must realize that Sunday was always Jesus goal.

Unless a grain fall to the ground . . . there will not be a greater yield. Dandelion blown creates hundreds more.

B. Sunday Success

1. Free

2. Alive

a. hope

b. future

Why we don’t want a Sunday faith. I must listen to Him; even worse, He must be out there somewhere, loose (and that’s dangerous). He then becomes a force to be reckoned with.

Beuchner on Easter: “we can never nail him down, not even if the nails we use are real and the thing we nail him to is a cross” (The Magnificent Defeat, p 76).

Where is your faith lived? If you want to live abundantly you must live on Sunday. How? By faith in the Son of God who . . . Beleive the great news of . . . (verses on victory through the resurrection).

End with Campolo’s Friday but Sunday’s A-comin (either all or just the Sunday portion)

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Matthew, New Testament, Sermons

Why?

Gallery March 12, 1995 David

Why?
March 12, 1995	Sermon by DRW	Passage Matthew 28.18-20

We have all heard messages on missions. Every year at this time we hear the same type of message. A passage like ours, from Matthew 28.18-20, is chosen and we learn to go into the mission field or to support through prayers or finances a missionary. It really isn’t that complicated a thought: Jesus said “Go!” so we should go. Pastor Chen, Vincent, Yasa, and myself have all heard Jesus tell us to “Go!” and we have gone. Pastor Chen to overseas missions and as a pastor; Vincent, Yasa, and myself have gone into a ministry with EFCA. Most of us in this room have heard a similar call into the mission field. This call could either be to actually go, to help someone with finances and/or to pray for someone daily. All these are noble calls. None of them is more nobler than the other. If God calls you to pray, pray; to go, go; to give, give:

Romans 12.4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

Whatever God has called you to do, do. This is common sense. However, I see too many of us not willing to do what God has called us to do. We feel that another more qualified will take care of it. We feel that God doesn’t want to use us. This is what we say. We feel that we don’t have to do it. We don’t see the need to go, to pray, to give. If we did the world would be a more Christian community or would reflect more of the values of Christ. The world doesn’t because we don’t go out. We don’t believe the message for us to go out is really for us or there isn’t that great a need to go out (after all someone else will do it). Have we too quickly forgotten:

Matthew 28.18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Acts 1.8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

These verses are not talking to someone else, they are talking to me and you. This is God telling us to go, to pray, to give.

Allow me to digress. I have read stories in the newspaper that make me wonder what our world is coming to. Not too many years ago a women went for a drive with her kids. She, for some reason, decided to kill them and then commit suicide herself. Her plan was to drive her car into a lake, with the doors locked and drown with her kids. As she approached the lake she had second thoughts. But, instead of stopping the car, she drove the car into the lake and left her car. She didn’t take the kids with her. Her two kids drowned as she stayed in safety. Why? She was hopeless in her world. She felt she couldn’t carry on and didn’t want her kids to go through this torture. But she was also a coward and, after killing her children, she couldn’t kill herself. Bizarre? Not really. Strange? Not really. Rarity? Not really.

I can remember a businessman in Washington, after a hard day at work, coming home and eating dinner. After dinner, in a rather matter-of-fact manner, pulled a gun out and killed his entire family and then killed himself. Why? He was at his end, an end with no hope. He had nothing to help him make it through tomorrow. It was too much for him to bear.

I can remember a wealthy lawyer in Texas who wrote a note to his wife. He told her it was nothing personal but that he was tired and wanted to sleep. He then turned his car on and asphyxiated himself. Why? He couldn’t find rest, no peace; for him life was too busy and there was nothing for his soul.

I can remember a woman who had just gotten married, just purchased a new house, just received a promotion in the Army. Her newlywed husband came home one night to find his wife with a bullet in her head: she shot herself. Why? All her trials and pains of life weighed too heavily upon her. In order to be accepted by her peers she had to do things that made her feel bad. She didn’t feel accepted.

I can remember a man in Torrance that woke up one day just after a bitter divorce and decided that life was too hard for him. He, also, put a bullet through his head. His son found him. The note said: I can’t do it any more. Life is not worth it. Why? He didn’t believe in a loving Creator God but was an evolutionist. Life without God is worthless.

There are countless other stories like this and I would like to include one more. It is the story of two young school girls who gave a note to one of their mutual friends. They told her not to open the note until after school. After giving the girl the note the two left school and went to the desert and killed themselves. That afternoon their friend opened the letter that explained what they were to do but it was too late by then for they were already dead. Why? The note explained: We have given up hope and cannot go on living anymore.

This is why we need to go. There are people in the world without hope, without reason to live; without Jesus. This is why we need to go, give and pray. Jesus said the world is full of people like this:

John 4.31 Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.” 32 But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.” 33 Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?” 34 “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. 35 Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. 36 Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. 37 Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. 38 I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

There is a need for us to give people a hope to live today. You see a Christian is not simply a person who gets forgiveness, who gets to go to heaven, who gets the Holy Spirit, who gets a new nature. A Christian, in terms of his deepest identity, is a saint, a child born of God, a divine masterpiece, a child of light, a citizen of heaven. Being a Christian is not just getting something; it is being someone. Being born is becoming someone who was not there before. What you have isn’t the point. It’s who you are. And who we are gives hope to a hopeless world. It gives people who are not accepted, acceptance. It gives people who are worthless, worth. We need to give people ourselves whether through going, giving, or praying for the mission field. We are not allowed not to participate in God’s work in this world. As His children we are called to do what He has called us to do. This is why we go, pray, and give.

I would like to challenge each one here to consider God’s work in this world. Is there a place you can minister in this world, a ministry you can pray for in this world, an organization you can give to in this world? If there is then go, give, pray. And people there are places we can go as missionaries whether short term or long term. There are ministries like World Vision we can give to. There are organizations and people in the mission field we can pray for. The question for us is: Will we? We know we should go and we know why we should go, but will we.

Matthew, New Testament, Sermons

The Majesty of Christ Series-Who Am I?-Part One

Gallery December 18, 1994 David

The Majesty of Christ Series-Who Am I?-Part One
December 18, 1994	Sermon by DRW	Passage Matthew 16.13-16

Introduction

Location of Caesarea Philippi.

1. The Need to Withdraw (13)

a. For Himself

i. get away from the crowds

(1) when John the Baptist was killed (Matthew 14.1-12) Jesus withdrew (14.13)

(2) at this point His followers were leaving Him (John 6). He saw the weeding out of followers and true disciples.

(3) circumstances caused Him to withdraw

(a) either King or nothing

(b) Jewish power in Jerusalem was becoming more consolidated in their attempts to kill Him (ie, Pharisees and Sadduccees were aligning themselves together)

ii. keen realization of who He was and His mission

(1) Jesus was not seeking popularity (and wasn’t getting it at this point anyway).

(2) Jesus didn’t want to establish an earthly kingdom

(3) He saw the cross before Him and set His face as stone to get to it (Luke 9.51 – this statement followed soon after this retreat).

(4) The Transfiguration occured within days of this retreat.

b. For those who followed Him

i. opinion polls were down

ii. some were leaving and some remained

2. The Need to Question (13)

Background

His name was not Jesus Christ. That was a title. His name was Jesus bar Joseph.

Others called Him Christ the most, then Lord, then last of all (once) Son of Man.

Jesus called Himself (83 times) the Son of Man.

In Matthew we have Son of Man and in Mark and Luke it is merely Who I am. The difference is in the audience, Jews versus Gentiles.

i. Son of Man is historically equal to Son of God

ii. Daniel 7.9

(1) inner court

(2) divine figure (Philippians 2)

(3) descending and ascending (comp Acts 1.9-11)

iii. Deific assertions

(1) Matthew 9.1-8, only God can forgive sins

(2) John 5.1-18, Matthew 12.1-14, Mark 2-God made the Sabbath

* Draw your own conclusions

iv. He is God

b. Who do people say He is?

i. John the Baptist or Elijah

(1) why John the Baptist? He had been executed days earlier and people saw them together.

(2) he was the forerunner of the Messiah. As was Elijah. They may have transferred the work of John as the messenger who announces the Christ (Malachi 3) to Jesus.

(3) People thought Elijah was to return from Heaven for he had never died (2 Kings 2). A few days later James, John, and Peter see Jesus with Elijah and Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration.

ii. Jeremiah or a prophet

(1) announces the good news

(2) the prophet was thought by some to be the good one who overcomes politically the oppressing nations.

c. Who do you say He is?

i. John 6.66-70 the Holy One of God (=what the others thought of Him, good man)

ii. Matthew 16.16 the Anointed One, the Son of the living God

3. The Need to Respond to the Son of Man (13-16)

a. How do we respond to such an One?

i. John the Baptist Then He was merely a messenger of God bringing good news of a coming king, not much to worship.

ii. Jeremiah Then he was a good man who teaches good morals, not much to worship.

iii. God If He be God, and I believe Him to be, then He must be worshipped and obeyed. We will look into this aspect of Christ over the next few weeks.

b. In light of who Jesus is, what must we do?

i. draw closer through the disciplines

ii. thank Him

iii. tell others

c. Matthew 28.18-20 as benediction.

2 Peter, New Testament, Old Testament, Psalms, Sermons

Remember

Gallery November 27, 1993 David

Remember
November 27, 1993	Sermon by DRW	Passage 2 Peter 1.12-18 and Psalm 77

OUTLINE

INTRODUCTION

EXPLAIN THE MOUNT EBAL AND GERIZIM STORY IN DEUTERONOMY.

DEU 11:26-29

See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a <curse>–the blessing if you obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you today; the <curse> if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods, which you have not known. When the Lord your God has brought you into the land you are entering to possess, you are to proclaim on Mount Gerizim the blessings, and on Mount Ebal the <curses>.

Remember:

KEY TO CURSES/REMEMBERING

DEU 27:26 “<Cursed> is the man who does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out.” Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

DEU 28:15 However, if you do not obey the Lord your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these <curses> will come upon you and overtake you: use you did not obey the Lord your God and observe the commands and decrees he gave you.

DEU 28:45 All these <curses> will come upon you. They will pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the Lord your God and observe the commands and decrees he gave you.

To receive blessings remember.

THE KEY TO RIGHTEOUS LIVING IS REMEMBERING

MIC 6:5 My people, remember what Balak king of Moab counseled and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember your journey from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the Lord.”

ISA 64:5 You come to the help of those who gladly do right, who remember your ways. But when we continued to sin against them, you were angry. How then can we be saved?

To receive curses forget.

RESULT OF NOT REMEMBERING

JDG 8:33 No sooner had Gideon died than the Israelites again prostituted themselves to the Baals. They set up Baal-Berith as their god and JDG 8:34 did not remember the Lord their God, who had rescued them from the hands of all their enemies on every side.

WE SIN WHEN WE DON’T REMEMBER

PSA 106:6 We have sinned, even as our fathers did; we have done wrong and acted wickedly. PSA 106:7 When our fathers were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles; they did not remember your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea. PSA 106:8 Yet he saved them for his name’s sake, to make his mighty power known.

ISA 46:8 “Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. ISA 46:9 Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.

Remember things like:

2CO 9:6 Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.

EXO 20:8 “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.

EPHESIANS 2

EPH 2:11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)– EPH 2:12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.

DEU 5:15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.

DEU 15:15 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you. That is why I give you this command today.

DEU 16:12 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and follow carefully these decrees.

DEU 24:18 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there. That is why I command you to do this.

DEU 24:22 Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. That is why I command you to do this.

THE NAMES OF GOD AND WHY REMEMBERING THEM

PSA 119:55 In the night I remember your name, O Lord, and I will keep your law.

1. Forgetting

a. CURSES (GENERAL)

DAN 9:11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. “Therefore the <curses> and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you.

i. FALLING

PSA 119:21 You rebuke the arrogant (PRIDE), who are <cursed> and who stray from your commands.

(1) SIN–transgressed your law

(2) PRODIGAL–and turned away

(3) PRIDE–refusing to obey

ii. RESTORING

REV 2:5 Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.

REV 3:3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.

(1) SIN TO CONFESS–the transgression

MAT 26:75 Then Peter remembered the word Jesus had spoken: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

(2) PRODIGAL TO RETURN–to His way

(3) PROUD TO BE HUMBLE–to do His Word

b. FALSE PROPHETS

i. 1 TIMOTHY

ii. 2 TIMOTHY

iii. ACTS

c. LIBERTY AND OBEDIENCE

They knew it all, of course: the twin themes of faith and works, grace and effort, were not new to them or to any of the early Christians. But they needed to be put in remembrance of these things, particularly in their present situation when the grace of God was being used as a cloak for license (ii.19; cf. Rom. vi.1) and the knowledge of God as a substitute for obedience (cf. 1 Jn. ii.4).

i. 2 PETER 2.19 AND ROMANS 6.1

ii. 1 JOHN 2.4

2. Remember

CONCLUSION TO NEGATIVES

REV 22:3 No longer will there be any <curse>. The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him.

PURPOSE OF REMEMBERING

NUM 15:39 You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the Lord, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. NUM 15:40 Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God.

a. PRESENCE

i. CONFIDENCE

EXO 32:13 Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: ‘I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I <promised> them, and it will be their inheritance forever.'”

ILLUSTRATION

Judy Chang and her court case Wednesday.

If God is in control and you know what He has promised, then you can rest in Him with confidence.

PSA 78:35 They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer.

ii. BOLDNESS

DEU 11:25 No man will be able to stand against you. The Lord your God, as he <promised> you, will put the terror and fear of you on the whole land, wherever you go.

DEU 31:23 The Lord gave this command to Joshua son of Nun: “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I <promised> them on oath, and I myself will be with you.”

ILLUSTRATION

Paul the Apostle and his preaching.

1 Timothy 1.7

b. PROMISE

Annie Johnson Flint’s “What God Hath Promised”

JOS 21:45 Not one of all the Lord’s good <promises> to the house of Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

KEY TO PROMISES AND OUR RESPONSE TO THEM

2CO 1:20 For no matter how many <promises> God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.

2CO 7:1 Since we have these <promises>, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God.

1 JOHN 3.1-3

2PE 1:4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious <promises>, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

2PE 2:19 They <promise> them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity–for a man is a slave to whatever has mastered him.

2PE 3:4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he <promised>? Ever since our fathers died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.”

2PE 3:9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his <promise>, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

2PE 3:13 But in keeping with his <promise> we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

1JO 2:25 And this is what he <promised> us–even eternal life.

i. IN DARKNESS

That state where we are seeking after God but there seems to be no direction, no confirmable direction He wants us to go. Which school does He want you to attend? What major? Who should you marry? Where should I go to work? When we seek after the will of God for our lives, in these areas, He seems to turn of the lights and asks us to trust in Him and His promises. To remember what He did for us in the light and allow that to guide us through the dark.

(1) Sarah

GEN 21:1-2 Now the Lord was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did for Sarah what he had <promised>. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had <promised> him.

HEB 11:11 By faith Abraham, even though he was past age–and Sarah herself was barren–was enabled to become a father because he* considered him faithful who had made the <promise>.

(2) Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob

GEN 50:24 Then Joseph said to his brothers, “I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land to the land he <promised> on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”

HEB 11:13 All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things <promised>; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance. And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth.

EXO 33:1 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Leave this place, you and the people you brought up out of Egypt, and go up to the land I <promised> on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, saying, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’

DEU 34:4 Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land I <promised> on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it.”

ROM 4:20 Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the <promise> of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, ROM 4:21 being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had <promised>.

ii. IN LIGHT

(1) Paul the Apostle (his ministry–Philippians 1.20-21)

(2) Peter the Apostle (his death–John 21 and 2 Peter 1.12-15)

ACT 3:21 He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he <promised> long ago through his holy prophets.

ROM 1:2 the gospel he <promised> beforehand through his prophets in the Holy Scriptures

c. PASSION

i. EMMAUS DISCIPLES

1TH 1:3 We continually remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

2TI 1:5 I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 2TI 1:6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

PSA 106:12 Then they believed his <promises> and sang his praise.

PSA 119:50 My comfort in my suffering is this: Your <promise> preserves my life.

PSA 119:76 May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your <promise> to your servant.

PSA 119:140 Your <promises> have been thoroughly tested, and your servant loves them.

PSA 119:148 My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your <promises>.

PSA 119:162 I rejoice in your <promise> like one who finds great spoil.

PSA 145:13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is faithful to all his <promises> and loving toward all he has made.

SCRIPTURE READING

PSA 77 I cried out to God for help; I cried out to God to hear me. When I was in distress, I sought the Lord; at night I stretched out untiring hands and my soul refused to be comforted. I remembered you, O God, and I groaned; I mused, and my spirit grew faint. Selah You kept my eyes from closing; I was too troubled to speak. I thought about the former days, the years of long ago; I remembered my songs in the night. My heart mused and my spirit inquired: “Will the Lord reject forever? Will he never show his favor again? Has his unfailing love vanished forever? Has his promise failed for all time? Has God forgotten to be merciful? Has he in anger withheld his compassion?” Selah Then I thought, “To this I will appeal: the years of the right hand of the Most High.” I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your miracles of long ago. I will meditate on all your works and consider all your mighty deeds.

2 Peter, Galatians, New Testament, Sermons

Grand Canyon

Gallery October 11, 1992 David

Grand Canyon
Fruit of the Spirit
October 11, 1992	Sermon by DRW	Passage Galatians 5.22-23 and 2 Peter 1.3-15

As I was attempting to explain everything we have seen concerning the Fruit of the Spirit, I became overwhelmed with the material we had covered. We have spent several weeks in the chasms of God’s work within us. We have seen the carvings that He is making and has made on our lives and in our hearts. We have seen where the river of God’s power has flowed within us to create canyons of beauty. An etching of love, faith, patience, self-control, kindness, goodness, peace, joy, and gentleness. We have seen the Master at work on His billboard called our life. Taking a look back at what God has done is amazing.

We began by standing at the edge of a broad canyon when we looked into Psalm 1 and the man and woman of God. From there we began to walk down into the canyon to look at the bright and beautiful aspects that create the man and woman of God. Some, even as we were walking, were touched by the hand of God as He added an extra touch of beauty to their life in Christ. Some realized the need for repentance from pride, the desire for rest in Christ, and even the patience that God requires. God was making His announcement to the world evident in the work of these peoples lives.

But now it is time to come to the top of that canyon. We could spend the rest of our lives in the canyon looking at the make-up of that canyon and never see the entirety of it. It is a grand canyon, carved by the hand of God. When God makes something, He demands glory and praise from that which He created.

That is what we want to look at as we leave the floor of the canyon and return to the edge–once more, we look down at the whole and praise God.

LET’S PRAY:

God, creator God. Re-creator God. GOD! We praise You. We thank You. We thank You for Your Spirit You have given that we might become more like You. We praise You for bringing to us Your goodness and glory that we might be more like You. Be with us this afternoon as we hear Your word–be glorified.

Today we want to look at 2 Peter 1.3-15. The outline is on the back of your bulletin.

I. A REMINDER OF THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT (3-7)

A. OUR APPOINTMENT

1:3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.

1:4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

As believers, we are called into a life of godliness, a life that is from God, the divine nature, and is not tainted by the world.

To look at it another way, we have been called by the manifestation of God’s glory and goodness to live a life characterized by purity and not by the corruption in the world. It is the time that the believer is renewed by Christ as the Holy Spirit begins to restore the image of God within him.

Stop to consider the impact of these verses.

3 He has given us everything we can ever need, not necessarily what we want, but what we need. The purpose for his giving what we need: to produce Himself in us–life and like Godness. It is key to know how this divine power is given, or how we become like Christ. Can you see it? It is through our knowledge of Him. I looked at “knowledge” in this passage (verses 2 and 3) and noticed something interesting: It is knowledge that produces godliness, which receives the promises which produces the divine nature. The knowledge goes beyond mere knowing of something. It must mean the joining together intimately with the thing learned. In this case, knowledge of Christ is to become intimately acquainted with Him. As we begin to know Him, we begin to live our life as if He were always with us (He is, you know). It is a knowledge of the heart: knowing what hurts Him, what causes Him to rejoice, what He is sensitive to.

4. We must become in practice what we already are in God’s sight. This is the promise, we can become in reality–someday–as God sees us now: participants of His divine nature.

God has called us to this. He has chosen to stop and turn and call us to Him. There is another side to the coin. It is true that salvation is free, we cannot work our way into heaven. We can only listen for His call and come. Because of His call and His great and precious promises and His divine power, we cannot sit back and be content with our faith. This is where the responsibility comes in (verses 5-7):

B. OUR ACCOUNTABILITY

1:5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge;

1:6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness;

1:7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.

Sounds sort of like the Fruit of the Spirit. Now can you see why we could have stayed in the canyon forever looking at the intricacies of the Christian life. Instead of dwelling on these, allow me to briefly mention them, then we will press on to our second point.

Faith: this is believing in something that has worth, it is staying faithful to that no matter the cost. This is the greatest need of our age–belief in God. Here is an example: everytime we are lonely or feeling blue we are denying God. We are telling Him that we don’t believe His Word. We don’t believe Him when He tells us He will never leave us nor would He forsake us.

Goodness:Moral excellence. This is the willingness to stand out from the crowd, to stick your neck out (to be Shedrach, Meschach and Abedneggo). Not being pleased with mediocrity, only with the best. It is not striving to be like Paul, nor like Joe but it is striving to be like Christ. True moral excellence is Christlikeness. Never settle for second best when God offers the best.

Knowledge: We discussed that above. It also means to live life wisely. In a sea of decisions, we wisely choose the best one. It is what Heb 5.14 calls the ability to distinguish bad from good; it is also the ability to distinguish the good from the best. It is in essence the practicing of the presence of God.

Self-control: Remember last week, this is the ability to allow the Spirit to control you. It knows that our Christian life is a holy war between flesh and spirit and the spirit is winning.

Perseverance:Patience–living in God’s time. Allowing God to work in you to remove anxiety and hopelessness. It calls us to look forward to the future when God’s patience will be spent and the world will be judged. It is looking to the future, and the hope that it brings. It is the ability to hang in there because we know what the payoff is, it is not merely surviving another day until He returns.

Godliness: This is an awareness of God in every aspect of my life.

Brotherly Kindness: This means that we guard one another’s dignity and fight against gossip, slander, jealousy, prejudice for the sake of unity. It is stopping and telling that person sitting next to you, “I love you because you are my brother or sister.”

Love: This is turning to the person next to you and saying, “I love you because God loves me.” Do you see the difference. Brotherly kindness is based upon the person receiving the love; love is based upon the person giving the love.

In short, another aspect of the Fruit of the Spirit. But with this comes responsibility. The outworking of God in our lives is the assurance of our belief and salvation.

II. A REASSURANCE OF THE FAITH (8-11)

A. OUR FRUITFULNESS

1:8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We need to be productive, fruitful in our Christian walk. We need to earnestly seek the better way. We need to possess these qualities in increasing measure. We cannot be content with where we were yesterday in our Christian life, nor where we are today, not even where we think we should be tomorrow. We need to, as Paul said, press on toward the mark of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Here is the principle then: Grow or die. Climb or fall. If we don’t keep growing in the fruit we will become ineffective ministers for Christ on the earth.

Let’s negate that last sentence: If we possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will cause us to be effective and productive in our knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. A sign of a true believer is growth.

How does this growth come. We saw it earlier, it is through our knowledge of Him. It is knowledge that produces godliness, which receives the promises which produces the divine nature. The knowledge goes beyond mere knowing of something. It must mean the joining together intimately with the thing learned. In this case, knowledge of Christ is to become intimately acquainted with Him. As we begin to know Him, we begin to live our life as if He were always with us (He is, you know). It is a knowledge of the heart: knowing what hurts Him, what causes Him to rejoice, what He is sensitive to.

Knowing who we are in Christ and knowing who Christ is will never be enough to glorify God. We must be productive and effective.

B. OUR FRUITLESSNESS

1:9 But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

Peter here is warning the believer of what will happen if he tends to forget Christ, one who is not increasing in the fruit. He is blinded by Satan (2 Co 4.4) and is also causing himself to be blinded. He tends to blink at the opportunities for growth. He will tend to close his eyes to God’s opportunities, have no eternal values, just see today having no hope for tomorrow. Worst of all, he will have forgotten his forgiveness, his repentance, his cleansing.

Let us take a look at the positive side of this. If you are increasing in the fruit, if you are productive you will be able to understand the schemes of the devil and not fall for them. You will see the opportunities God places before you. Most of all you will keep falling in love with Him day after day. Your knowledge of Him will increase. You will not think anything of waking up and saying “hello” to God. This is what John said about remembering our cleansing–he called it remembering our first love. Jesus called our salvation, knowledge and increasing intimacy with Him (John 17.3).

Have you ever climbed a mountain? Either by hiking or rapelling? If you have then you know what Peter is talking about. We need to keep climbing. Sometimes it seems as if we will never make it to the top, it seems as if the mountain keeps growing. Or if you are like Ben and run cross country, you begin to think they keep moving the finish line. But the reward comes only when we reach the top or the finish line.

We know that we strive toward the finish line, that we are truly Christians when we can see the work of God in our lives–in His fruit.

C. OUR FAITHFULNESS

1:10a Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure.

This is what Peter means. He doesn’t mean we can lose our salvation. He means that we must remain faithful to Him because of our salvation. He means, if we are saved then others will see it and we can have assurance of salvation by the fruit that God produces in us. John put it another way when he said that we who have the Son have life, those who don’t, don’t. They are both saying, if we are intimately acquainting ourselves with God we can know we have eternal life.

D. HIS FAITHFULNESS

1:10b For if you do these things, you will never fall,

1:11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

What is the outcome of our seeking to know Christ and have Him grow Himself in us? Look at these verses: never falling and a grand reception into heaven.

Never fall! Is it to good to be true? We are going to stumble (James 3.2) in this life but, when we follow Him, we will never fall.

He also talks of entering the eternal kingdom. Better he tells us we shall be welcomed into the eternal kingdom. Even better, he says we shall receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom. The ticker-tape parades pale in comparison. Peter is using a description of the olympians who return home after victory in the games. When they came home, they were not welcomed through the normal gate that everybody else uses. No for these they tore open a brand new gate in the wall and welcomed them richly. Jesus did they same when He died for us. When He calls us to His home He wants us to come home victoriously. He wants us all to strive for His calling in our life. He has even tore open a new gate for us. Do you remembering the curtain that tore wide open as He died. He broke open a new gate, the only gate into His presence–the gate of grace.

III. A REMINDER TO THE FAITHFUL (12-15)

A. REMEMBER

1:12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have.

B. REFRESHED

1:13 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body,

1:14 because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me.

1:15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.

Galatians, New Testament, Sermons

Faithfulness

Gallery September 20, 1992 David

Faithfulness
Fruit of the Spirit
September 20, 1992	Sermon by DRW	Passage Galatians 5.22-23

Introduction:

The prisoner sat in a poorly lit cell.
they tried starvation, torture and mental anguish to get the prisoner to bow before the ruler.
they came to take the prisoner to a room with a high ceiling.
they lifted the prisoner high on a rope, “BOW!”
“Forsake your God. BOW!”
Sounds like a story out of Paul’s life, or a first century Christian.
She would not bow.
She stood for God, no matter the cost.
They figured if they could get here to bend forward and take a picture, and publicize it they’d ruin her testimony.
They raised her three stories in the air.
They let the rope go and she plummeted toward the floor.

Why would she go through all this? She knew her Saviour. She may not have known why she was put through this but she knew her Saviour: He is faithful and she realized she needed to be faithful, after all she was a disciple of her Lord.

I. This poses an interesting question, “Is God faithful?”, if so, how does He show it?

A. God keeps His promises

1. Deuteronomy 7.9

2. 1 Corinthians 10.13

3. People often ask me how I know the Bible is true and not just partial truth. Every time I answer, “Look at me!” . . .

B. God does no wrong, He is just.

1. Deuteronomy 32.4

2. Isaiah 42.3

C. Faithfulness is part of His glory, who He is

1. Psalm 89.8

2. 2 Timothy 2.13

3. There are times when we feel we have no faith, no purpose to carry on for, no God to lean on. But He remains faithful. The One who said, “Lo, I am with you always” will still be there, even when we are without faith for it is His character.

I can only imagine this is what my friend’s aunt knew as they raised her high and threatened her to bow before Mao. Flashing through her mind was Proverbs 2.8–God is faithful in His promises, in His justice, and true to His character. She bellowed, “I will not bow! For I am faithful.” She exemplified Revelation 2.10.

II. God has called us to be imitators of Him. How can we do this? By being faithful.

* Kim and Eric story that Kathy told me.

A. Faithful in Word, God keeps His promises

1. Psalm 89.1

2. Isaiah 29.1

3. Prayer has got to be the greatest acts of faithfulness in word that a believer has. In prayer we praise God, worship Him, make requests of Him, communicate with God. Prayer always precedes doing.

B. Faithful in Deed, God does no wrong

1. Joshua 24.14

2. Romans 12.12

3. When the world says forsake God and bow, do you? When the world causes others to deny Christ, do you? *Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego* When there is a choice between self and God, who do you choose? When the devil tempts do you fall for the temptation and ultimately into sin. Are you faithful in deed?

C. Faithful as our way of life, faithful is God’s character

1. 1 Timothy 1.12

2. 1 Peter 4.10

3. Revelation 13.10

Daily, we are asked to stand for Jesus in some way: rejecting false teaching from godless professors (whether in school, on T.V., billboards, etc); refusing to take heed to our friends who deny Christ or blaspheme the holy God we worship; telling someone about Christ; praying. Daily we are called to stand. When we don’t we bow to the world, the flesh, or the devil.

I know there are times when we wonder if its all worth it, those times we are raised to the ceiling, the moment we plummet toward the earth, not certain. In those moments of we need to remember His faithfulness (1 Corinthians 10.13; 1 Samuel 12.24) and cling faithfully to Him

What happened to my friends aunt? We left her hanging a while back. As I said, they let the rope go with the intention of taking a snapshot of here when she hit the ground. When she hit, they thought, as they placed a large photo of Mao before the spot she would land on, in full range of the camera shutter, she would fall forward in a “reverential” bow to Mao for all the Christians of China to see.

But, and this is a big but, they did not know that she was a faithful follower of a faithful God and He was about to show this to her and to the officials of the communist Chinese government in the 1960’s. As she was falling to the ground she praised her God, re-counting His faithfulness to her. When she hit the ground, she landed standing! What a picture of God’s faithfulness Premier Mao now had. Too bad the camera did not have a spiritual eye. If it did, can you picture what would be in the picture? I can only imagine it would have contained what Elisha saw in 2 Kings 6. It would have shown an elderly woman standing defiantly before a picture of Mao DeZhong, being upheld by the mighty angels of God! The only explanation, God gave His angels charge over her lest she dash her foot. AMEN!

The world, the flesh, the devil (all that Mao embodied) can get you by the throat and damage your testimony. Stand firm! Be faithful! God will be well pleased with you and be glorified because of you. Then the Proverb will be answered, “I am that faithful person.”

Remember,

1. God is faithful to His Word–you be faithful to your words.

2. God is faithful in not doing evil–you be faithful in your deeds.

3. God is characterized by faithfulness–you live a life that is characterized by faithfulness.

In so doing, we imitate God and are the greatest billboard for Him, and we bear His Spirit.

Scriptural Truths for Today's World