Archive for The Work of Christ
The Crucifixion of Jesus — Easter sermon
Posted by: | CommentsThe Crucifixion of Jesus
Following is a powerful message I have preached several times through the years to remind people of the awesome love and work of Jesus on the cross. Please add other supporting texts and preach it to the glory of God.
Mark 15:16 Then the soldiers led Him away into the hall called Praetorium, and they called together the whole garrison. 17 And they clothed Him with purple; and they twisted a crown of thorns, put it on His head, 18 and began to salute Him, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 19 Then they struck Him on the head with a reed and spat on Him; and bowing the knee, they worshiped Him. 20 And when they had mocked Him, they took the purple off Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him.
21 Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross. 22 And they brought Him to the place Golgotha, which is translated, Place of a Skull. 23 Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink, but He did not take it. 24 And when they crucified Him, they divided His garments, casting lots for them to determine what every man should take.
25 Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.
Like holding a diamond to the light and slowly turning it, you see different reflections and images of the diamond. Let’s look at the cross and allow the light of God’s word to see Jesus from five different perspectives through this message.
I want you to see Jesus as a:
1. A Sinless Substitute
Illus–Usually we think of a substitute as someone who fills in for the really good first string players. The substitute usually comes in when the game is won just to get some practice. However, imagine a basketball game where Michael Jordan came in as a substitute. Jesus was the perfection of humanity. The best that ever played the game of life. We had all fouled out and He came into the game and turned everything around. He died in our place to do for us what we could never do for ourselves.
2. A Selfless Savior
With reckless abandom Jesus threw himself in front of the train of wrath and judgement in order to knock us off the tracks and save our lives. He did it willingly. No power on earth could have put him on the cross outside his own will.
Jesus said that no one would take his life from him that he would lay it down of his own will.
Remember he told Peter that he could call for legions of angels to come and rescue him.
I once heard a preacher say that Jesus did not stay on the cross because he could not come down, but because he would not come down. Wow! What incredible love. It was not the nails in his hands that kept him there, it was the love in his heart.
3. A Suffering Servant
Imagine the pain and anquish of bearing all our sins. The weight of the curse rested on him and he willingly bore it to his death for us.
All the sin, the ugly, the hate, the envy, the murder, the lies, the unfaithfulness, the gossip, the brutality, the abuse, the evil man is capable of was placed on Jesus, the innocent who bore our guilt.
-His face was buffeted with clinched fists and slapped with open palms.
-His scalp was penetrated with long thorns beaten into his skin by cane poles.
-His beard was plucked from his face
-The spit of angry men drenched his face
-His back was ripped to shreds by a cat of nine tails whip made of leather strips onto which was sewn bits of rock and bone and metal.
-He had to bear the weight of a heavy timber beam
-His hands and feet were nailed to the cross
-His body twisted in spasms and he hang there having difficulty breathing
-He was mocked while he hung on the cross
-Our sins were placed on Him
-He experienced separation from HIs precious Father
-The earth he created hid its light from him
-His side was pierced
-His heart erupted
4. A Sufficient Sacrifice
He said, "It is finished." He declared our freedom by announcing he had paid for it in full.
Illus–Imagine Mr. Goodfellow informing you that he was giving you a new Lexus of your choosing just because he loved you. When it arrived and he placed the keys and title in your hands, you pitched a nickel into his hand saying you wanted to help pay for the car. Afterwards, you go around bragging how you and Mr. Goodfellow bought a new Lexus. We dare not brag that we have anything to do with purchasing our salvation. It does not rest on our imperfect works but on Jesus perfect work.
Jesus paid it all, all to him I owe…
5. A Submissive Son
He obeyed the will of the Father. In Gethsemane he laid it all down and said, Not my will but thine be done. He then picked up the cross and walked it out. When he could no longer walk, he hung there because of love for you and me.
The great exchange is that the sinless son God became a sinner so that we sinners could ultimately become sinless sons of God.
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In the Face of Shame — free online bible study
Posted by: | CommentsThe following is a post from my wife’s blog. I thought it contains a lot of material that will enable you to minister to your people concerning an issue with which every human being will struggle at one time or another.
In the Face of Shame
by Mikki Lawrence
Have you ever felt ashamed of something you did? Have you ever been embarrassed to look people in the eyes?
On Sunday I began to ponder the effects of shame. I was praying for a beautiful young woman whom I had not seen in a couple of years. The last time I saw her, she asked for prayer because of her marital situation. I had counseled with her, prayed with her and had given her a book as a resource. And here she was again, having a hard time looking into my eyes. The longer I spoke with her, the more obvious it was that she was very ashamed. I knew something of her story. An abusive husband whom she just literally
caught in the act of being unfaithful. Not a new story with her. As she cried to me for help, she said, “I don’t want to leave him.” My heart was heavy for her. How I wished I could have taken her troubles away! I wished I could have made her marriage whole. But deep within, I knew that aside from a work of the Spirit of God, things were not going to change in this marriage. She was going to continue to be beaten and betrayed. If she continued to be a prisoner of her shame, she was never going to take the steps she needed to in order to experience acceptance and freedom.
I thought of the shame in her eyes. It was haunting. The tears. The grief. The heartache. I thought of the shame Christ experienced on the cross. The Word says that he despised the shame of the cross while focusing on the joy which was set before him.Why was Christ ashamed on the cross? What brings shame into a human life?
My mind kept going to Romans 5.
Today, I did a little study on the original meanings of the words in Romans 5. Here is
my translation: (MV – Mikki’s version!)
Since we have been made just and innocent by faith, we have peace with God. This peace flows through the channel of our Lord Jesus Christ. This channel of access gives us admission by faith into the grace where we stand. We have confidence in the hope of the very apparent glory of God. Not only that, but we can also be confident during the pressures and trials of our life knowing that they will accomplish the purpose of teaching us to endure. This endurance brings to a maturity our trust in Christ. This trust helps us hope with anticipation, expecting and confidently believing. And hope does not make us ashamed. It does not disgrace us or cause us to be dishonored because God’s love is poured out in our hearts, in our feelings and thoughts, and our minds, by God’s Holy Spirit who has been given to us. The hope we have in God through Jesus Christ will never make us ashamed because the love of God pours into our hearts and minds.
Can you visualize having water poured over you –covering you from your head down? If God’s love is poured over us and we find
hope in Christ, we will never have to be disgraced or dishonored in our relationship with Christ. Isn’t that the source of shame –pain that comes from relationships? This young woman I prayed with was so ashamed – not because of what she had done but because of what had been done to her. She was never intended to be put to that shame in her marriage relationship. What was intended was for her husband to minister to her in such a way that one day he would present her to Christ as his bride who was beautiful – with no shame.
Shame makes us bow our heads in disgrace. We don’t want to look into anyone’s eyes.. We want to avoid everything that makes us think of our shame.
Shame causes us to hide. Adam and Eve hid from God because of their sin. But God came after them. He always comes after us. He calls us out of hiding and asks us to allow Him to cover our nakedness just as He did Adam and Eve’s. The first shame separated man and woman from each other and from God. But God called Adam and Eve into light and truth, and He covered them.
Christ became our ultimate covering. He covers us with his blood. His red blood washes us and makes us clean, and our life is in His blood.
As I studied the Greek word for shame, I found that one of the meanings is to disfigure. Dan Allender teaches that we can find the glory of God in the face of others. Is it any wonder that Satan would try to disfigure our faces with shame and the painful effects of sin?
This passage in Romans 5 talks about how we stand in grace. Shame or disgrace bends us low. Grace calls us to stand and look into Christ’s eyes. When we do that, he promises that his hope will not disappoint us because he will fill our hearts with his love. A heart that understands God’s love doesn’t have a lot of room for shame. His love pours over us.
On the cross, Christ took our sins into his heart so that our hearts can be whole. We can know that when our hearts are broken, Christ has felt our brokenness. He has felt our shame, our disgrace. He has experienced the ultimate shame. Our sins on his sinless body. His body hanging naked as a public display so that our sins can be covered. Not excused, but covered. How
do we deal with shame in our lives?
Here is my simple list:
1. Identify it. Find the source of what makes you feel disgraced, dishonored, what makes you blush in shame.
2. Begin to think about the fact that Christ was “put to an open shame” so you could be free from shame. When he paid for our sins, he literally took onto his own body all the things that make you and me ashamed. Although he had never committed sin, he embraced our sins. He took them upon himself – into his heart and he bore them. He carried them all. Then he paid for them. He took their penalty.
3. Realize that God does not want you or me to live in shame. He doesn’t want us to live in avoidance. He wants us to live in freedom. Not as a prisoner who is condemned because of his or her wrongdoing, but as one released from the prison of our own condemnation and the condemnation of others.
4. Take the first step of offering your shame to God and exchanging it for His acceptance and glory.
5. Do the hard work that is necessary to live free of shame. Enlist the help of those who can guide you in that work.
Christ always draws us to him. He always invites us to look into his eyes. He always pursues us. He always calls us to
stand in his love unashamed. Satan always condemns us. He always bows our heads down in shame. He always pushes us away from the One who loves us most.
I guess my favorite Bible story is of the Samaritan woman. Some of you know that already. You are probably saying, “Does she know another story?” No, not really. I don’t. The only story I know is that in my shame, he accepted me. He called me out of hiding and asked me to look into his eyes of love. Then he paid for my shame. Just as the woman came to Jesus in desperation, I found him the same way. I couldn’t resist one who would offer me that kind of love.
Is there anything more irresistible than love? Is there anything that makes us feel safer than experiencing unconditional love? Is there anything more beautiful than feeling that we are loved in our weakness? In our imperfection? In our sin?
Our earthly relationships are designed to give us a glimpse of this kind of love. They will always fail us at some point. I don’t say that to be discouraging. It is just that we humans are imperfect, and we all fail one another in many ways.
But God invites us into a place of hope that will never disappoint us. A hope that calls us to stand. A hope that gives us peace. A hope that will take us through troubles and trying times. A hope that will birth in us the character of God. A hope that pours His love on us.
I once heard that called “Living drenched”.
The hope still pours out today. Will you stand under the flow? Lift your face to the One who will take all your shame. As his love pours over you, everything else will wash away.
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Changing Your Look — free sermon outine
Posted by: | CommentsChanging Your Look
This is a relevant message which I will be sharing in the morning where I minister. It is to challenge people to change the way they view a person who is seen as ungodly, they way they view Jesus and the way they view themselves as believers. Of course, you will need to expand the following thoughts, but there are enough of them to get you started down a good trail of thought, hopefully "inspired" thought.
The Central Challenge of this Message is “We have to change the way we look at lost people.”
The CentralTruth of This Message is "Christ Died for the Ungodly."
Key Passage
Romans 5:6 For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. (NKJV) For different version, click here.
1. What is the meaning of ungodly?
Illustration–Remember the advertising campaign that 7-up ran where 7-Up was called the UN-cola? In other words it was not dark and like other colas? Well, GOD is GOD and the ungodly are not like him.
Godly = like God
Ungodly = unlike God
We are to become more and more like Jesus (The God Man).
2. Who are the ungodly?
We have all been UN-done or done by the UN.
We often speak of the ungodly as them. The ungrammatical truth is THEM IS US and US is THEM
Before we are saved, we are without Christ. Even after we saved, we can experience time when we choose to do what we do as if we were without Christ.
Christ died for the ungodly v6
Christ died for us v8
All of us were saved as ungodly people.
There is still ungodliness in us all that the Spirit of God will expose and change if we allow Him. This is the process of sanctification. We are complete in Christ but we are not yet completely like Christ. I am not saying we are all still in rebellion. I am saying that within us all there are still areas that can lead to rebellion if we do not allow Jesus to change us.
3. We need to reorient our thinking.
We often view people who are lost and even believers who are struggling with ungodly behavior in a way that causes us to avoid them. Yet Jesus came across the galaxies to become a man in order to seek them (us) out.
We can avoid the ungodly
We can attack the ungodly
We can approach the ungodly
—To share with them
–To serve them
–To sacrifice for them. Jesus died for them.
4. Christ died for us.
If he died for us then we have to remember he did what he did when we were totally ungodly. It was not because of our great merit and the need of the Kingdom for our great gifts and talents. It was because of the heart of God toward us, certainly not our heart toward Him.
5. We have to look at lost people the way Jesus looks at them.
Illus—Dying for others
There have been men who have won the Congressional Medal of Honor for throwing themselves on a grenade to save their buddies. This is an extreme example of laying your life down for your friends. But the passage we study today says Jesus laid his life down for his enemies. Imagine a soldier throwing himself on a live grenade to save the person who threw it. This is what Jesus did. Each of us in our own ways have thrown a grenade at God.
6. We have to look at Father the way the Jesus looks at him.
Illustration – Franklin Graham and His Daddy
Jesus only did what He saw the Father do. So his responses to lost and ungodly people reveal to us God’s heart for them as well.
7. We need the revelation that Father looks at us the way He looks at Jesus.
We have been reconciled. We have been justified by his blood. We have peace with God. We are joint heirs with Jesus Christ. We receive all the benefits that belong to Jesus.
Conclusion — WE MUST CHANGE THE WAY WE LOOK AT GOD, OURSELVES AND LOST PEOPLE.
To hear this message preached as I preached it, click here.
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God is Still God — free sermon outline
Posted by: | CommentsGOD IS STILL GOD!
Through the Holy Spirit
Through Circumstances
Through His People
Through Prayer
Through the prayer of the Elders
Sovereignly
With Joy
With Peace
With the Holy Spirit
Prayed in Faith
Prayed according to His Will
Prayed with the right heart motive
Prayed in desperation
Through the Truth of His Word (John 8:31-31)
Through the Spirit of Adoption (Romans 8:14)
By using you as a witness
By preaching and teaching about Jesus
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Five Reasons to Keep On Keeping On — Sermon Outline
Posted by: | CommentsFIVE REASONS TO KEEP ON KEEPING ON!
vain in the Lord (1Cor. 15:58 NKJV)
The word “Therefore” that begins verse 58 is referring back to the fact that through the Lord Jesus Christ we will overcome death itself. As believers there is nothing that can harm us in the permanent sense. And because of such victory we need to be laboring for the Lord of our glorious future.
Jim Elliott—Modern Day Martyr—He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.
II. WE HAVE A LOVING FAMILY
Notice that Paul refers to the Corinthian believers as “my beloved brethren.” This calls attention to the dear relationships that
we can enjoy by virtue of our salvation. Do you respond to your fellow church members as your brothers and sisters in Christ?
III. WE HAVE A SOLID FOUNDATION
“Steadfast” and “immovable” remind us that we can enjoy a solid and stable Christian life because of the facts of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ (1Cor.15:3ff). We can keep going because Jesus has gone all the way and will likewise see us through. Our faith is based on fact not farce.
Because of that we can sing the old hymn,
IV. WE HAVE AN ONGOING PURPOSE
“Always abounding in the work of the Lord” means just what it says! There is plenty to be done and we are the people to do it. We are not to view the Lord’s work as drudgery but as a delight. We have the exhortation and invitation to join God in His work. The “enough to get by” attitude must be replaced by the “I’m going to do more” commitment. “Abounding” sees “average” as a relic outgrown.
Our “labor is not in vain in the Lord.” If no other person ever encourages you for what you are doing for the Lord, please know that Jesus doesn’t overlook any of his servants. What you do for him is the greatest thing you will ever do–period! Everything here will burn up; but, in heaven what you have done for Jesus will turn up!
words–He is risen, it is not in vain!!!
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5 Truths to Remember in Uncertain Times — sermon outline
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5 Truths to Remember in Uncertain Times
(Alternate Title :5 Truths to Remember in 2009) by Eddie Lawrence
Photo by Baltimore Heritage
Phil. 4:19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
Paul wrote the Philippians from a Roman prison cell. Yet we find Him encouraging them to rejoice in tough times. He did not allow the circumstances he was in to bring defeat into his life. He had something he clung to and that was stronger than the bands of men that were around his feet. Listen to his declaration and it is one we all need to learn to use and use regularly to keep our heart properly aligned with our true source of strength!
1. He is the God Who is Personal 'My God"
-Paul could say He is "My God." God desires a personal relationship with each person on the planet.
-He wants us to acknowledge Him as our God. The deeper our intimacy with Him, the more secure we become in knowing we belong to Him.
-Sometimes you just need to declare "He is My God!" to yourself and to your circumstances.
-What an intoxicating thought–The God Who has all power knows me and wants me to know Him personally.
2. He is the God Who Promises "shall"
-This does not say He "might" supply our need but He "shall"
-God has the power and will to keep all His promises
-When you are staring at a need, remember to stand on a promise!
-Trade in what the News broadcast says for what God says!
-God has the power to shift the facts in your favor
3. He is the God Who Provides "shall supply"
-It is one thing to have the power and resources to provide, but the willingness to do it, is the key.
-A billionaire may have the resources to help you in your circumstance but if he is not willing then you are still without help.
-You have access to God Who has it all, and He wants you to come to Him. He has a big willing Father's heart.
4. He is the God Who is Powerful "all your need"
-There is not an area of legitimate need in your life that God is unable to respond to.
-He is aware of all your needs and is willing to be involved in meeting all of your needs
-When Paul wrote this verse he was in prison. Yet, he knew God knew right where he was and just what he needed.
-He knows your address and your need and has the power to meet it.
-Make the choice right now to trust God to meet your need.
-Don't assume or be blind to how God will meet it.
-Pray for the sensitivity to recognize when and how God meets your need and praise Him for it.
-Exercise your faith right now and go ahead and thank God that He is going to meet your need.
5. He is the God Who is Parent "according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus."
-Jesus came to introduce us to the Father and reconnect us to the Father.
-We have authority as children of God through the atoning work of Jesus.
-All Heaven's resources are accessible to us because we are part of the royal family.
-A good Parent always desires to know where the kids are, what they are doing, and what they need. God knows all this about you.
-One of the greatest breakthroughs in the Christian life comes when the child of God really recognizes that they are "a child of God."
-Remember what Jesus said in Matthew 7. If we are evil and want to give good things to our kids, how much more will Father do
so,
-We have been given heaven's checkbook and it has been signed by Jesus in his own blood and Father has declared he will honor all checks issued in the name of His Son.
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Wineskinology 101 (Pt.5) Sermon Series
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Wineskinology 101 (Pt. 5)
The Truth about the Cluster
Scripture Text for Series and for this sermon:
Matthew 9:17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
Isaiah 65:8 Thus says the LORD:
“ As the new wine is found in the cluster,
And one says, ‘Do not destroy it,
For a blessing is in it,’
So will I do for My servants’ sake,
That I may not destroy them all.
Remember we have studied:
The purpose of a Wineskin
The Purpose of the Wine
Today we will study the Truth About the Cluster
The new wine has a blessing in it! This is what we are after. Isaiah says that the new wine is in the cluster. What truth can we draw from this so that our wine will have a blessing in it?
Main Points to Emphasize:
1. A Cluster means more than one (Making good wine is not about a single grape but about the cluster)
2. Hang out together (We must do this together. We can all hang together or die separately)
3. All connected to the same vine (John 15:5)
4. Touching other grapes (We must focus on developing an environment so that each of us are touching other grapes)
5. Wine is produced when they carry the weight of others (Jesus on the cross. The nature of the winepress and the making of wine is that the wine comes forth under pressure)
6. The lowest point of a man (In the old days the grapes were tread by the feet of man. Spiritually it is the same. Man at his lowest point often puts pressure on us. What comes forth under pressure reveals who we are inside. What kind of wine would come forth out of you today?)
What is the world is thirsty for?
-Freedom
-Comes from Forgiveness
-Civil War (still bitter, then not free)
-Marriage Problem/Parent or child problems,etc
-Divorce (still bitter then not free)
-Church Split
Deut 32:32 For their vine is of the vine of Sodom
And of the fields of Gomorrah;
Their grapes are grapes of gall,
Their clusters are bitter.
We must not become bitter and produce cheap wine!
Jesus desire to be together with us.
Matthew 26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, blessed[b] and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”
27 Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. 28 For this is My blood of the new[c] covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 But I say to you, I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father’s kingdom.”
30 And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
“with you” Jesus would not drink the wine if he was not with the cluster. He is committed to seeing people set free and fellowshipping with him.
Provide the blessing of the new wine to thirsty people in order for them to experience forgiveness and freedom.
-An environment of grace and mercy
-An atmosphere of righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit
-A willingness to allow God to prune and cultivate us
-A commitment we will do it together
-A knowing that we will be squeezed in order to release what we carry
-A focus on Jesus alone
You can hear this message as I preached it at http://www.gracehouse.info
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Wineskinology 101 (pt.4) Sermon Series
Posted by: | CommentsWineskinology 101 (Pt. 4)
Review of Pt. 3
THE PURPOSE OF THE WINE
Matthew 9:17 Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
Review: The Purpose of the Wineskin
The wineskin is a container to hold, carry, and pour out wine deliberately.
The Wine is to be drank by people.
The Wine is drank for a reason.
The Pupose of the Wine:
Look at N.T. uses of wine in the natural and compare to wine in the spiritual. Represents the ministry of the Holy Spirit (Eph.5:18)
1. Celebration
2. Fellowship
3. Comfort (Easing Pain)
THE PURPOSE OF THE WINE (Continued–Part 4)
Today we will see three more purposes of the wine:
4. Cleansing and Healing
Luke 10:34 So he went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.
-He went to him (We often expect people to drag themselves to church. We even commend people when they come sick)
-He bandaged him—Bandaging means he covered his wounds. This is one way we stop the bleeding. Keeps more dirt from being added to the wound.
-He poured oil and wine (Took what he had and used it to help. We all have oil and wine)
-He set him on his own animal (He set him implies that he had to lift and carry him in order for him to recover) Remember the religious guys left him in the ditch to die. He was willing to be seen with the wounded one.
-When you help the wounded you often get blood and dirt on yourself. You have to risk being accused onr criticize because of your association with the person. Jesus was accused of being the friend of sinners.
-brought him to an inn (got him to a place where he could get help and recover)
-took care of him (continued to help him and even paid for what others did)
it is interesting to note that nothing is mentioned of looking for the guys that beat him up. The mission was to help the wounded.
1 Timothy 5:23 No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach’s sake and your frequent infirmities.
THE HOLY SPIRIT LOVES TO BE POURED INTO WOUNDS AND TO MEND THE BROKEN
-Cleansing removes the dirt—no longer feel guilty and dirty
-hurts but it is necessary ( I remember as a little guy when Mom would pour alcohol over my skinned knees. It was painful but necessary.
-Keeps you from becoming infected. Deals with those foreign things that are not good for you.
5. Boldness
-Day of Pentecost
The same people who ran now took a stand. The wine did it. It made them brave.
THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL GIVE COURAGE AND BOLDNESS TO ACCOMPLISH GOD-SIZED ASSIGNMENTS
-Note it was outside where the boldness was needed
-Out side the temple
-outside the gate called beautiful
-In the natural as people drink, they become uninhibited and the walls come down and they tell you everything they think. The new wine also causes all kinds of walls to come down and we have the courage to face things and do things we would not normally face or do.
6. Affects Judgment
Rev, 14:18 And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over fire, and he cried with a loud cry to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, “Thrust in your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe.” 19 So the angel thrust his sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. 20 And the winepress was trampled outside the city, and blood came out of the winepress, up to the horses’ bridles, for one thousand six hundred furlongs. Revelation 19:15 Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
-The winepress is a symbol of a place of wrath. This is the meaning of the term in Steinbeck’s novel and the Scripture in Revelation THE GRAPES OF WRATH.
-The wine that flows out of the such a winepress represents something that has been judged.
-We drink the new wine (represented in the New Covenant when we partake communcion) that has already been through the winepress of God’s wrath. In other words, we do not carry God’s condemnation on our lives and therefore will not pass it off to others. This is an awesome quality of the new wine.
THE HOLY SPIRIT WILL LEAD US TO OPERATE FROM A PLACE OF NO JUDGMENT OR CONDEMNATION
THERE ARE TWO BASIC CAMPS ON THIS VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE—
1.The church needs to be more holy. Meaning—more separated—meaning detached from the world.
2.The church needs to be more holy. Meaning so full of love and grace that she can wade into the worst of places the world has to offer and release the fragrance of grace and forgiveness.
1. Results in finger pointing, accusing, condemning, criticizing, hating, discriminating and judging
2. Results in becoming more broken over people’s sin, more compassion, more desire to touch them, more desire to understand them in order to reach them, willing to bear reproach to get to them.
1. Results in building our own fortress cities where we can live our lives more unaffected by the everyday world. We spend all our time together talking about how the world needs what we got. For the most part, it is a private party.
2. Results in building an open-house where people constantly come and go in order to get bread and drink to carry to the hungry and thirsty. Spend a lot of time going to the people who don’t yet know about the good stuff you have found. Wants everyone at the party.
Which one would Jesus join?
Conclusion—Imagine with me for a moment such a place, such a people. We choose to allow the Holy Spirit to move us away from all our religious baggage and become vessels through which the new wine can be poured out.
Across this city the wounded, bruised, bad, and broken cross our paths each day. Through pouring giving them a drink of the new wine and pouring it into their wounds we begin to see a people and place:
celebration, fellowship, comfort, cleansing and healing, boldness, and no judgement.
We must become this way with each other and then pour it out all over this city!
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Living The Thanks Filled Life!
Posted by: | CommentsThanksgiving is just around the corner so these thoughts could be used for a stand alone message for Thanksgiving as well as the third message in the three part series the last three posts have referenced. Let’s jump in and I’ll give you some bullet points to mull over for inclusion in the sermon idea Living the Thanks Filled Life.
- Illustration of a water balloon. If you gouge it, what pops out? WATER of course. When someone gouges you, what pops out? Is it thanksgiving? Paul said in everything give thanks….1 Thess. 5:18
- We give thanks in every circumstance not necessarily for every circumstance.
- True thanksgiving is really thanksliving.
- Think of one person you looked in the eye today and really expressed thanks to them for something they did or have done. Can you think of someone? If so, good for you. If not, ……
- Being thankful is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
- An attitude of gratitude is a sign of humility.
- Never being thankful is a sign of pride.
- A pig eating acorns in the pigpen never thinks about looking up at the tree where the acorns came from.
- Challenge your people to try the thanksgiving test. Wherever they work, or with their family, or at school, etc., encourage them to purposely express thanksgiving to three people tomorrow and see how it affects the atmosphere (office, home school,etc.).
- Think of the most under-appreciated person at your job and go to them and plant some seeds of appreciation in their lives.
- Let’s take the second mile thanksgiving test—Think of something bad that has happened to you, now try really hard on this one, think of what there is that you can thank God for in that circumstance.
- Some questions for you to ponder as you work on this message….What is it about giving thanks that so affects us? What does giving thanks change? What dos it do in our relationship with God?
- The Bible says the plowing of the wicked is sin. Could it be because that person is using God,s dirt, rain, seed, and sunshine and never says “Thanks”?
- In the Old Testament they gave “Thanks” offerings. What could we do to make our giving more meaningful?
A simple outline I suggest to you is:
I. The Sphere of Thanksgiving (In everything….)
II. The Sacrifice of Thanksgiving (give thanks… It is a gift we give. It acknowledges we have received something and we appreciate it. It demonstrates our dependence on another)
III. The Seriousness of Thanksgiving (It is God’s will)
Thanks for reading the post! Blessings!
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Three Simple Steps That Will Change Your Day
Posted by: | CommentsA couple of years back on a Sunday evening I shared a simple little message that I still hear people referring to. I have a preacher friend who regularly shares the message in his travels because it has so affected him. Don’t ready yourself for some big revelation. It is so simple and you have probably preached from the passage many times. Yet, the way I phrased it has allowed people to hang onto it and use it effectively in their daily lives. All of we preachers need to work harder to make our preaching simpler.
The simple outline is from 1Thessalonians 5:16-18
You can adjust the title to your liking of course:
Three Truths, Three Steps, Three Attitudes, Three Decisions, etc.
Here are the points:
Three Simple Truths that Will Change Your Day!
I. Be Joyful!
II. Be Prayerful!
III. Be Thankful!
These simple challenges are life changing if we will take them to heart and decide that this is the kind of person we are going to be. The Holy Spirit will supply us the grace to do them because this is how we are commanded to live. Share it and see what your folks think.
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