Sremon On the Net

THE LORD’S PRAYER

 

Luke 11: I should have a question mark following the title for a very good reason. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray He gave them a model. There are six petitions in this model and are some of what He wants us to pray about. Actually Jesus was against people ‘praying’ by speaking repetitive phrases. Today you will find structured prayers and expressions of prayers in religions. If you ever have the opportunity to attend a born again believers service you will never hear anyone repeating this prayer nor any other type of repetitive ‘prayer.’ When a true believer prays to God, he or she talks to Him. This is true worship and is what He wants. He does not want to hear repetitive, meaningless for the most part, babbling. Jesus makes this point in Matthew 6:7: “And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.”

 

Jesus then spoke to them about perseverance using an analogy of a man asking to purchase bread from the baker after he had gone to sleep. This led Him into telling them in verse 10: “Everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

 

The crowd was beginning to accuse Jesus of performing miracles by evil spirits. He explained to them that He was able to drive out evil spirits because of His Father giving Him this power. He informs the crowd that the Kingdom of God is upon them but they refuse to accept the truth. Following a discourse about evil spirits He said in verse 29: “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” He then chastised them saying they are a wicked generation that asks for signs. He said the only sign they are going to get is that of Jonah, as he was a sign to the Ninevites who will stand at the Judgment and condemn this generation.

 

When Jesus had finished speaking a Pharisee invited Him to dinner and when He sat down to eat the man noticed that Jesus did not wash his hands. Jesus then told the man how his people strive to be clean on the outside but are unclean on the inside; full of wickedness and greed. Then Jesus gave them a discourse of six ‘woes’ condemning them with each one. One in particular that is so appropriate today is the one about the lawyers burdening the people with the law that they don’t adhere to and confuse the people. Verse 52: “Woe to you experts in the law, because you have taken away the key to knowledge, you yourselves have not entered, and you have hindered those who were entering.” When Jesus finished and left they became furious and were trying to devise ways to get rid of Him.

 

Not much has changed today; buts let us focus on the positive. Jesus wants us to ask, seek, and knock on His door when we need Him and He will respond. God says in Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” He wants the believer to be a light to the world and we should respond to that call. Non-believers should seek Jesus, tell Him you are lost and have sinned and he will respond because he says He will in His Word. He will give anyone the Holy Spirit that asks. And remember God is your Father and as you would speak to your biological father, so speak to God the Father in prayer. If you used repetitious sayings with your father how would he know you simply want to talk and have fellowship with him. God is our Father, talk with Him, He listens. And praise Him.

 

The real Lord’s prayer is in John 17.

 

 

 

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THE GOOD SAMARITAN

Luke 10: Jesus sent 72 workers to the surrounding areas preaching the Word and healing the afflicted. They reported back to Him of their success. An interesting point here is Jesus’ instructions of not taking any provisions with them because they will be provided. This action supports my personal conviction that God will provide the needs of anyone doing His work with a deep conviction. I never believed, and still don’t today, that one has to ask for money for His work. Jesus set a tone that we (Evangelists and church leaders) should emulate. Jesus said that people who listen or reject the workers are doing the same as if to Him. Verse 16: “He listens to you listens to me; he who rejects you rejects me; but him who rejects me rejects him who sent me.” Another very interesting point in this chapter is Jesus telling them to be more grateful that their names are recorded in Heaven (verse 20), rather than their success evangelizing. We should all say amen to that.

 

We all know the parable of the Good Samaritan, how he was the only one of three passersby who stopped to help a person in need and provided for him until he recovered. This is a good lesson for us to follow. One never knows who it is that is in need. I believe that when we do something good for others it is the same as doing it for God. In Hebrews 13:16 it says, “And do not forget to do good and share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”

 

The last point Jesus made in this chapter is that we should be more concerned with listening to His words than anyone else in this world.

 

His most important words to us are to love, honor, worship Him and to love others as we love ourselves. We can never be reminded enough of these two commandments. Most important is to remember to praise Him daily.

 

My friends; honoring and worshiping God is to accept His free gift of eternal life and to fellowship and praise Him every day. To love our neighbor as ourselves is to do exactly that; love them without expectation of return. Doesn’t God love in that way? Did He allow His Son to be crucified on the cross expecting a return? No, He did not. He desires that we will accept His gift but He won’t force it upon us. Why not accept His unconditional free gift of life so that you, too, can rejoice that your name will be recorded in Heaven?

 

 

 

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THE TRANSFIGURATION

 

Luke 9: Jesus sent the apostles on a missionary journey. He told them not to take any provisions with them and to stay in homes that welcomed them. They did as He instructed, preaching and healing, and when they returned He took them to Bethsaida. When the crowd learned of their presence they came to Him and He preached and healed them. Late in the day Jesus fed the crowd of about 5,000 men with 5 loaves of bread and 12 fish and they all had plenty to eat and 12 baskets were left over.

 

One time Jesus was alone with the disciples and He asked them who people thought He was. They said various people of long ago and then He asked them who they thought He was. Peter said He was the Christ and Jesus told them not to tell anybody. He then told them of the events that would soon take place but they didn’t fully understand what He was saying. This is the passage where Jesus said in verse25, “What good is it if a man gains the whole world and loses his soul?” Jesus also said one should be willing to give up everything for Him. Those that deny Him will be denied by Him on judgment day.

 

Eight days later Jesus took Peter, James, and John with Him up onto a mountain to pray. As He was praying His appearance changed, becoming extremely bright and His clothes turned as bright as a flash of lightening. Two men appeared, Moses and Elijah, and began talking to Jesus concerning His departure. The disciples were very sleepy and when they woke up they saw Jesus and the two men. They were glad they were there and wanted to build a shelter for them, but while Peter was speaking a cloud came upon them and a voice came from out of the cloud saying in verse 35, “This is my Son whom I have chosen; listen to Him.” When the cloud lifted Jesus was alone. The disciples decided to tell no one what they witnessed.

 

The next day a large crowd met them and a man asked Jesus to heal his son of a very bad demon, which He did. While the crowd was marveling at what He did, Jesus told His disciples that He would soon be betrayed. They did not understand what He was telling them.

 

Later, an argument occurred among them regarding who was to be the greatest. Jesus knew their thoughts and took a child and had him stand beside Him and He told the disciples in verse 48, “Whoever welcomes this little child in my name welcomes me; and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. For who is the least among you all—he will be the greatest.” 

 

This chapter concludes with Jesus telling them that nothing should prevent a true follower of His from following Him.

 

My friends we read of a continuing demonstration of Jesus’ compassion and love; the reason for His presence on earth. Compassion when He heals, love when He is crucified.

Could we heal a people who want to kill us? I think not. Could we suffer and die a horrible death for a people who want to kill us? I think not. But Jesus did exactly that.

Those of you who have not accepted Jesus as Savior are living under the rule of Satan. This is a strong and bold statement I know, but it is a fact. You can change your destiny by a simple request of Jesus, asking Him to be your Savior, telling Him you are a sinner and lost; and you will be found. Jesus promises that. He will accept all who come and at any time. Praise the Lord! Someone once told me that praising the Lord was more important than prayer; read the last 5 Psalms.

 

 

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MIRACLES

Luke 8: Jesus uses the parable of the farmer who sows seeds to explain the various reactions of people who hear the word of God. Some don’t listen, some hear without heart, some listen and believe for a little while but eventually fall away, some hear but they allow life’s worries, riches and pleasures to overcome their belief, and finally there are those who not only listen and are saved but they produce a good crop and stay steadfast in the word.

 

Jesus used another parable to explain to the disciples that they are to go out into the world and spread the good news of salvation. The more they do, the better it will be for them, those that do less will receive less.

 

Someone made a comment about His mother and brothers and He said in verse 21: “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.”

 

One day Jesus told the disciples to go with Him to the other side of the lake and on the way a storm arose. The disciples became afraid of the wind and begged Jesus to do something. He calmed the wind and rebuked them because they did not have enough faith to know that He would not let any harm come to them. Verse 25: “Where is your faith?”

 

When they arrived on the shore of Gerasenes they were met by a demon possessed man who had was naked and bound in chains because these demons were many and had possessed him for a long time. Jesus told the demons to leave the man and to enter a herd of pigs that subsequently raced to a cliff and fell over into a lake and drowned. He told the man to go to town and tell the people all that God had done for Him.

 

On their return trip a man asked Jesus to heal his daughter who was dying. On the way to his house Jesus felt power leaving Him and He asked who it was that touched Him. A sickly woman admitted touching His garment in hopes of being healed. Jesus told her faith healed her in verse48: “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace.” When Jesus reached the man’s house He was told that she had died. He said she was asleep; He took her by the hand and said to her in verse 54; “My child, get up.”

 

‘Miracles’ is certainly an appropriate title for this chapter. When I was in business I used the seed sower parable to train my sales people and to train myself to follow the same principles inherent in this parable. This eliminated a great deal of frustration and concern for everyone who listened and put into practice what was being taught. The main issues were that people (prospects for life insurance) came in all sorts. Some people wouldn’t talk to them, some did and made appointments they didn’t keep, some purchased insurance and cancelled it prematurely, but there was that one person who purchased and became a client and center of influence with many referrals. Those who followed my teaching did extremely well; as did I. As Jesus said, “love much and receive much, love little and receive little.” Are you listening to Jesus? If you can’t hear Him it may be because you haven’t made Him part of your life. Jesus says that if you listen and accept, based on faith, you will receive Him, be saved, and then you will be able to hear Him; your choice; your time; your future.

 

Sermon On the Mount

FAITH

 

Luke 7: Jesus went to Capernaum and upon His arrival a servant of a centurion approached and told Him that his master requested His presence because his servant had become seriously ill. While Jesus was on His way the centurion had sent friends telling Jesus that He didn’t have to come, but to just heal the servant. Jesus was quite impressed with his faith and when the friends returned they found the servant healed. In fact Jesus mentioned that He did not find as ‘great a faith in anyone, as in the servant; even in Israel.’

 

In another town Jesus came upon a funeral and discovered a widow’s only son had died. His heart went out to her and He told her not to cry and brought her son back to life.

 

Meanwhile John the Baptist sent two of his men to find out if Jesus was the one spoken about that was to come for His people. Jesus told the men to report back to John to tell him of the miracles that He was performing. After the men left Jesus began to speak to the crowd about John and told them that no greater man has ever been born of women than John. Yet the least one in Heaven is greater than John. He then chastised the crowd for not believing in John or Him. Verse 28: “I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”

 

A Pharisee invited Jesus for dinner and while He was there a sinful woman came in and cleaned Jesus’ feet with her tears and perfume. They criticized Jesus because she was a prostitute and Jesus answered them with a parable of two men owing money, one more than the other. The creditor forgave their debts and Jesus asked them who would be more grateful. They got the point and said the one who had the greater debt. Jesus acknowledged their correct answer and said that she loved much and her many sins were forgiven. Those who love little receive little. Jesus looked at the woman and said in verse 50:  “Your faith has saved you, go in peace.”

 

The events in this chapter illustrate the results of faith. Faith saves, faith heals, faith comforts us in our time of need. The deeper our faith the more we can live the life that Jesus wants for us. Remember in John 10:10 when He said, “I have come that they may have life and live it to the full.” It is absolutely amazing how your faith will deepen by reading His Living Word. Are you living your life to the full? Jesus wants you to. If you have yet to ask Jesus into your heart, in faith, now is a good time to step out in faith; this is His requirement. He wants you to confess your sins to Him and ask Him to come into your heart. No man, no organization, nothing can help you but faith in Jesus Christ, Amen!

 

 

 

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LOVE YOUR ENEMY

 

Luke 6: The Pharisees accused Jesus and the disciples of breaking the Sabbath because they picked and ate grain in the field. In verse 5 Jesus told them: “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” On another occasion they accused Him of dishonoring the Sabbath because He healed a man with a withered hand on that day.

 

Following a night of prayer Jesus chose the twelve apostles. He then went down with them and began to preach and heal those who had come to Him. Jesus gave a sermon to the apostles telling them that the poor and the hungry would receive the kingdom of God and that they would be blessed even though men will hate them for their convictions. They are to leap for joy because of blessings they will receive. Conversely, those who laugh now, the rich, the ones of whom men speak well, these will be the ones who will mourn and weep. Verse 20: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.”

 

“Love your enemies,” treat them well, even lend to them if they have need. It is easy to love someone who loves you; there is nothing special in that. Be humble and loving to all. And don’t do things with the expectation of getting back; this is not giving in a loving way; be merciful to those in need. Verse 31 says to, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

 

Jesus told them not to judge others, especially a brother or sister. We should be concerned with ourselves. A tree is known by its fruit; a good tree produces good fruit and a bad tree produces bad fruit. What comes out of one’s mouth is coming from the heart; we are exposed with our mouth.

 

Jesus used a parable of a builder who builds on a solid foundation and one building on sand to portray the one who does the will of the Father. The truth will always be victorious and the lie will always be exposed; we must build on the truth of God.

 

In this chapter I believe the most important lesson is the one of love. Love can change the world. Can you imagine living in a world of love with everybody loving each other without the expectation of return? We all know this is impossible in this world, but in Heaven we can expect to live in a world of love because we will be with God and He is Love. The clearest evidence we have of His love is His willingness to have sacrificed Jesus on the cross for us. He did it without expectation of return; as a matter of fact He did it to provide a way for us to be able to be part of His family. He has given everyone the opportunity to be free from the clutches of Satan and to be welcomed in His arms of love. Where are you? Are you in His arms? If not, all it takes is an act of admitting your sinful nature and receiving Jesus as your Savior, once and for all time. We will have not only a great future but an opportunity to live out the rest of our time here with His blessings. I always think of that tremendous verse, 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.”

 

 

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LISTEN AND REAP

 

 

Luke 5: Yes indeed, if we listen to the Lord we will reap the many and mighty blessings He bestows upon His children. Peter listened to the Lord when He told him to cast his net overboard, after a fruitless night of fishing and catching nothing. They almost lost their boats from the weight of the fish; two boats overflowing with the blessings of the Lord. The Lord told them they would soon become fishers of men in verse 10: “Don’t be afraid; from now on you will catch men.” They followed Him after He called them to come; no hesitation, they dropped everything and followed Him.

 

While Jesus was walking in one of the towns a man with leprosy approached Him and asked to be healed. Jesus healed him and told him to tell no one, but news of Jesus spread throughout the area.

 

One day while Jesus was teaching, some men brought a paralytic to Him to be healed. When they couldn’t get through the front door they climbed on the roof and lowered him through the roof. Jesus was impressed with their faith and told him his sins were forgiven. The Pharisees that were there accused Jesus of speaking blasphemy. He then told the man to get up and go home, which was a further demonstration of His authority on earth. The crowd was finally impressed.

 

Jesus left and soon spotted Levi, a tax collector, and told him to follow Him; verse 27 says, “Follow me.” Again, without hesitation, another disciple obeyed immediately and without question. Later they had supper at Levi’s house and He was criticized because of eating with sinners, to which Jesus responded by telling them that He came to save men such as these and not the righteous. Verse 32: “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentence.” Jesus continued to speak to them using parables to make His points.

My friends, now is the time for those of us who don’t know the Lord as their personal Savior to listen to His words. Seek, ask, confess your sins, receive His gift and you will be saved. You will be part of God’s family. Our God has done everything possible for your salvation, except force you into a decision, which of course He won’t do. He left the choice up to each one of us. We can either accept His call and live with Him or reject Him by doing nothing and be separated from Him for all eternity as unsaved people have chosen to do. We are born to live and we can live forever in Him. The choice is yours.

 

Sermon On the Net

IT IS WRITTEN

 

Luke 4: Yes indeed everything we need to know is written in the Bible. In the first part of this chapter Lucifer is tempting the Lord following His 40 days of fasting in the desert. He was hungry and Lucifer was trying to break His will by offering Him the world and everything in it; as if He didn’t own it already. Jesus responded by telling him in verse 4:  “man does not live by bread alone.” In verse 12 Jesus said: “It says: Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” He also said in verse 8: “It is written, worship the Lord your God and serve him only.”  

 

Jesus went to Nazareth and went into the Temple. He was handed a scroll and Jesus read the words which told them in verses 18-19 that He was sent to ‘preach the good news’ to the people, ‘to proclaim freedom to the prisoners, restore sight to the blind and to release the oppressed.’ He gave the attendant the scroll, sat down and began to teach them. He told them in verse 21 that the scripture He had just read “was fulfilled that day.” He also said that a prophet is not recognized in his own home town. He continued to preach to them and they became furious with Him and drove Him out of town where they tried to kill Him but He slipped away. He then went to Galilee and while He was in the synagogue He ordered a demon possessed man to be free of the demon which amazed the people.

 

Jesus went to the home of Simon and healed his mother who had been stricken with fever. He healed many people in the area. At daybreak Jesus went to a solitary place to pray and the people found Him and tried to prevent His leaving. But He told them that He must do what He was sent to do which was to preach the good news of the kingdom of God; salvation; verse 43: “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.”

 

Of all the things ever written, the two most important are to love the Lord and to love others. Before we can love the Lord we need to know Him and the only way to know Him is through the name of Jesus. We need to accept the meaning of His words preached throughout the Gospels; to recognize we are sinners and to know that the forgiveness of sin can only be achieved through accepting God’s free gift; Jesus. Yes, Jesus bridges the gap between God and man. Without Jesus people are lost to eternal separation (Hell) from God. God gave us the free will to accept Jesus or to reject Him by doing nothing. As was once said, ‘if it is to be it is up to me.’ Your choice.

 

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BAPTISM DOES NOT SAVE

 

Luke 3: There was a time in the life of Billy Graham when he was very disturbed over his belief in Christianity due to the constant torrent of criticism he was receiving from a very dear friend, Charles Templeton. Satan is always working and Billy was certainly a threat to his efforts. Charles himself had a change of belief and after a long period of preaching alongside Billy refused to believe any further in Jesus and what He represented. He became an agnostic.  Billy knew he had to come to grips with his faith, so one night he fell to his knees in prayer and confessed to God that he couldn’t answer some of the theological and psychological questions that Templeton and others were raising. He finally told the Lord he would accept the Bible as the inspired Word of God and he would not allow the words of others to influence his faith. When he got up he said he felt the power of God permeate his body and we all know the rest. His main point of all his preaching was and still is coming to Jesus in faith. The one thing I admired Billy was the Bible was always in his hand; he knew the power of the living word of God.

 

Why did I shift this letter from my usual format? Because I firmly believe that we are to keep a very simplistic approach to salvation. In this chapter we find John the Baptist fulfilling his destiny; baptizing and preparing the way for Jesus. What we need to realize is that John is baptizing the repentance of sins, that is, for people to admit their sin and try to change their ways. What we must also realize is that this type of baptism will not save anyone from the eternal separation of God. John told the crowd that his baptism was one of repentance and also told them that Jesus was coming and He would baptize with them with the Holy Spirit. A look at verse 4 reveals John’s commitment to God: “A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”

 

Today there are many who would have you believe that you must be baptized or have some other type of ritual applied to your life to be saved. This is a blatant misleading of the people because the Bible is very simple in its message of salvation. There is one requirement of the Lord and that is to believe, in faith, that Jesus is the eternal Son of the eternal God. God and His death on the cross was the FINAL and ONLY payment for sin. Confess your sins to Him and you will receive (baptism) the Holy Spirit and you will be saved. It’s as simple as that. Billy Graham and all the great preachers believe that, why not you? 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.” Oh what a loving God we have.

 

If you just take the time to read His Word and let Him speak to you directly; if you do I’ll probably see you in Heaven; if you don’t I pray every day that you will do just that.

  

 

Sermon On the Net

LIVE IN PEACE

 

Hi Everyone:

 

Luke 2: At the time of the birth of Jesus Joseph and Mary went up to the town of Bethlehem. Finding no place to spend the night they settled n a manger in which Jesus was born. There were shepherds living in the fields nearby tending their herds when all of a sudden an angel appeared before them. He told them of Jesus’ birth and the good things He will bring to the people, where to find Him, and how they will know it is Him. Suddenly a great host of Heavenly beings surrounded them saying; “glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.”

 

When the angel left they went to see for themselves and they found Jesus. They told them what had happened and all the things concerning Him. The people were amazed at what the shepherds told them. They left and were glorifying God all the while.

 

On the eight day it was the custom in those days to have a purification ceremony in the Temple, which they did. There was a man named Simeon who was told by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he would see the Christ. When he went into the Temple and saw Jesus he knew it was Him. He held Him and praised the lord for His kindness in fulfilling the promise made to him. His words of praise included the prophecy that Jesus would be a light to the Gentiles and a glory to the Jews. He told Mary and Joseph that Jesus was destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel and would be a sign that many will speak against. There would be pain.

 

There was a widow living in the Temple who devoted her life to praying and fasting. She approached Mary and spoke of Jesus and the redemption of Israel. They left and went back to Galilee.

 

Every year they would travel to Jerusalem for the feast according to custom. When it was over they left only to discover a day later that Jesus had stayed behind in the Temple. They went back and found Him listening and questioning the teachers who were amazed at His words, especially for a twelve year old. Mary was a little upset but He told them that ‘He had to do His Father’s business.’ They left and Mary treasured all the things that happened and were said. Jesus grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men.

 

My friends we are (believers in Jesus) in God’s favor. He wants us to know that and to live our lives accordingly. He wants us to live in the peace He has provided with His suffering and forgiveness. Our future is provided for us in Him forever. While we are here in this temporary body and place, let’s do what He has told us to do. Worship Him, love others and enjoy our station in life wherever we are and whatever we are involved in. We should never be concerned about what others have and what we don’t. Always look to our destiny. Remember the least of what is in store for us is better than anything on this earth. There are many who live without the assurance of God’s promises. This can be remedied immediately by anyone choosing to do so. Just tell Jesus you repent of your sins and you want Jesus to come into your life as your personal Savior. He has promised all who ask to do exactly that. How fortunate are we that that choose His way.  “Come all ye who are heavy laden, come into my arms.”

 

I remain your friend and servant, Nick                                        Number 116   

 

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PURPOSE

 

Romans 15, 16: Paul ends his letter with greetings to all in Rome so I thought I would combine these last two chapters. As noted by Paul those of us who are strong in the faith should help those who are weaker. We should not think the Lord has graced us with maturity for our own benefit. Jesus didn’t come to please Himself; He came to help others. Paul tells that everything written in the past is for our benefit of learning and strengthening our faith; EVERTHING, not just certain selective things. Of all the religions in the world believers in Christ are the only ones who do follow the Bible, literally; at least they should. Paul expresses his desire that all Christians should have a spirit of unity to worship and glorify God. We are to accept one another just as Christ accepted us. Jesus became a servant of the Jews to confirm the promises made in times past. It is written that He will praise His people among the Gentiles and tell the Gentiles to rejoice with His people.

 

Paul was committed to preaching the good news of salvation to all those who never heard of Him. He traveled to all parts of the region to accomplish his goal. He explained to them that this is why he was delayed in his visit with them. Paul says that he is going to visit them on his way to Spain. Paul finishes by asking them to pray that he will have the strength to finish his mission and to be protected from those who do him harm.

 

Chapter 16 completes the letter to the Christians in Rome with Paul sending his greetings to many of the believers. His last instruction to them was that they should be mindful of fakes who preach a different Gospel and try to confuse and turn them away from the truth.

 

Paul’s last words are extremely important to us today for we should always be on the alert for false teaching. There are so many false religions today that it is almost impossible to know right from wrong. This complex arena of false religions is the reason why I have always preached to all who would listen to discover for themselves the truth by reading and meditating on the Word of God. For those of you who have not accepted Jesus as personal Savior, do not be afraid to read the Bible and discover its truths. If you have a sincere heart God will open your eyes and ears and you will travel a journey whose destination is Heaven He will make it clear to you. If I may use a personal reference of my experience with the Bible I will tell you that I made several attempts to read it during my early years without any success. I found it difficult to believe what I was reading, but you see I didn’t have a sincere heart at the time. I really wasn’t seeking God. However, when I sincerely sought Him and opened the Bible, He opened it to me and I have never laid it down again. No matter how many times you will read it there will always be a new or confirming message. As Paul says in Hebrews 4:12: “For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any double edged sword, and penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” May God bless you my friends.

 

 

Sermon On the Net

M Y O B

 

Romans 14: The title is unusual but the meaning should ring a bell. Mind Your Own Business. This is what this chapter is telling us, i.e., not to be judgmental, critical or insensitive to others. Paul tells us to accept those who may be weak in the faith department. One’s depth of faith will guide that person’s character and actions. Some will do things that others may frown upon but who are we to criticize someone else’s servant. If God has accepted them into His family, who are we to question His decisions? Did He appoint us to be the judge and jury of His servants? Of course not, therefore let us not condemn any, rather, let’s love and encourage our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Verse 10: “You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.” Verse 11: “It is written; As Surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.”

 

Some will do things one way, others will do it another. As long as it is not contrary to God’s will, let us not condemn. As an example some might be vegetarians and others meat eaters, however God invited us all to the table so let’s not look down upon God’s chosen people. Let’s be thankful we have been invited and praise the Lord instead. And remember the day is coming when each person that has ever lived will stand before the judgment of God and every knee will bow before Him and confess to Him. There will be no exceptions, (verse 11).  “So then, each of us will give account of himself to God,” (verse 12).

 

Let us do everything in a way that is peaceful and loving. God is a God of love and He wants us to live that way. We should not engage in things that could cause a weaker brother or sister to stumble just because we may know that it’s okay, and they may not. Some times we may even question what we do and whether or not it is spiritually okay. A good rule to follow is, whatever it is, can we do it to the glory of God? Would we do it or say it if God were in our presence? Well I’ve got news for you, He is. He sees our every action, knows our very thoughts, but most of all He sees into our hearts. That’s why we are His children and we can not praise Him enough for what He did for us on the cross.

 

My friends, if you have yet to confess your sins to Him and ask Him to come into your heart and believe Him, please take a moment to do so. It is a life changing experience, believe me, I know as have so many others.

 

 

Sermon On the Net

SUBMISSION

Romans 13: This is a short passage but it carries powerful and fulfilling messages. Paul tells us to submit to authority because if we do we can live without fear. God appoints or allows authority as part of His plan. We are not to question it but to follow it. We must understand that when we rebel against authority we are rebelling against God. I don’t think anyone wants to do that. Verse 2: “Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those that do so will bring judgment on themselves.”

 

We are not to incur debt except for the debt of love. All the law is fulfilled in love. I’m sure you‘d agree that if we were to love everyone as God loves us there would not only be a fulfillment, but there would never have been a need for the law. Remember when God created Adam and Eve there was no law. Creation and implementation of the law was a result of man’s moral decay or sin. Verse 10: “Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

 

As Paul says, ‘let’s wake up and live our lives as we should, i.e., be loving and kind to everyone, holding no one in greater esteem than the other.’

 

Let’s sum it up; submit to authority and live a life of love. Oh, if it were only possible. While this is an impossible task because of our human nature there is a way to help each one to at least try. Jesus, yes, Jesus says in John 14: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” He is the way, the truth and the life. If we (those of you who have not already done so) can accept Jesus as our Savior and begin to understand His sacrifice, then we will be better able to understand what submission and love is all about. Jesus submitted to the Father’s will for our sake so that we will have an opportunity to spend eternity with Him. Please take a moment and tell Him of your need to confess and accept His free gift. You will live a more peaceful life, even in times of despair, I promise, no, I can’t promise, but God does.

 

 

 

Sermon On the Net

COMMITMENT

Romans 12: In everything we do we should do it as if the Lord were in our very presence, which of course He is but we are not always aware of it. We are worshipping God when we commit our selves to Him in our every day living. This is very pleasing to Him. We develop a spiritual maturity by pleasing Him. I think we can all agree the culture around us is constantly trying to drag us down; therefore it is vital we arm ourselves with the spiritual maturity we obtain from God, and that is accomplished when we live in a manner that is pleasing to Him. Verse 1; “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, this is your spiritual act of worship.”

 

We should be aware that we are a community of people who need to get along with each other, we need each other and no one is greater than the other in the eyes of God. We each have a function; it’s like parts of our body each being important and dependent on the other. A chopped off finger is of no value and doesn’t mean very much by itself, but when attached it is useful. Let’s remember that and let’s not try to be more important than the next guy. We need each other.

 

As Paul says each of us has a function or a gift, if you will, and we should use that gift to its fullest. If it’s preaching then preach; if it’s teaching then teach; if it’s to exhort then do so. Let’s use it or lose it, as they say.

 

When we love let it be from the very center of our being. Stay away from evil and as Paul says, ‘run from it.’ We should always try to be cheerful and helpful. Christians need each other and we are to be ready at all times to help and encourage. When things get tough pray all the more. God is always ready to help us so let’s do the same to each other. And let’s not forget our enemy, if he is hungry feed him, if he is down lift him up. Pray for him and in that way we might win them over to Jesus. The best way to conquer evil is with goodness.

 

My friends I believe you will agree with me that commitment to the things in this chapter should be our goal. Jesus will reward us for this attitude. If you have not committed yourself to Jesus yet, this would be a good time to ask Him into your heart as your personal Savior. Remember the Bible tells us that good works will not save us, good living will not save us, being kind to everyone will not save us; faith in what Jesus did for us on the cross is the only way. ‘He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.’ John 14:6.

 

 

 

Sermon On the Net

ON THE SHELF

ROMANS 11: God has never rejected His people and He never will. Even when they were at stages of growth when God would have been justified to abandon them He didn’t. Verse 3: “God did not reject his people whom he foreknew.” When Elijah was distraught he appealed to the Lord because he thought he was all alone and the Lord told him that He had reserved a remnant of 7,000 Jews who did not bow their knees to strange gods. Paul reminds us that there is still a remnant that have been saved by grace. There have always been a certain number of faithful people of God.

 

We can ascertain now that the Jewish nation never fell beyond the point of recovery, but because of their transgressions Gentiles have been invited to experience God’s grace. As guests, if you will, we must always remember what we are. We should never boast, quite the contrary we should be humbled by our opportunity.

 

At this time and as it has been for quite some time Israel has been ‘placed on a shelf’ for God to deal with at some point in the future. We don’t know when, but we do know it won’t be until ’the full number of the Gentiles has come in.’ Then God will deal with Israel. As Israel will receive mercy even though they were disobedient, we the Gentiles are receiving mercy at this very moment even though we are also disobedient. His grace is what is saving those who choose to be saved.

 

My friends, we are the centerpiece at this moment. I am so thankful for my salvation and the salvation of all those who have accepted His free gift. I f you have yet to do so, please take a moment and confess your sins to Jesus and tell Him you believe in what He did on the cross and ask Him to come into your heart once and for all. You have His assurance that once you accept His free gift, you will never, never lose it. You can live in the peace knowing that your last breath on this earth will be your first breath in Heaven.

 

Sermpne On the Net

ARE YOU LISTENING?

Romans 10: Paul repeats his cry for his fellow Jews who are lost in their own ways, i.e., refusing to accept the righteousness of God, preferring their own. Jesus is the end of the law but they do not accept Him as their Messiah. Verses 3-4: “Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone that believes.

 

Moses describes the difference in the law and faith: those who live by the law will die in that law and those who live by faith will live in Jesus.

 

Verse 9: Paul says, “That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved.” He goes on to say that it must come from your heart to be justified and professed with your mouth to be saved. Isaiah 28:16 states that ‘those who trust in Him will never be dismayed.’ Verse 13 says, “Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” 

 

How is it possible to hear? How is it possible to know? Verse 17 says, “Consequently, faith comes from hearing (listening) the message, and the message is heard (hearing) through the word of Christ.” God has given us a tremendous opportunity. There are two sources of hearing; one is by listening to Preachers reading from the Bible and the other is by reading the Bible yourself. I prefer the latter because it allows me to ‘hear’ from God directly. The Bible is not a book of mystery, it is simple and self explanatory, especially if you read the Gospels and ‘listen’ to Jesus’ own words. If you seek God with your heart you will find Him and he will ‘speak’ to you from His Word. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of your getting involved and reading the Bible. I remember the circumstances of my own conversion 45 years ago. I was reading the Gospel of John and Jesus revealed Himself to me. It was then that I realized that God was alive and well and what I needed to do was to accept what he was telling me. Finally, I listened.

 

I will conclude with God’s ‘secret formula’ found in John 3:16,’ “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him would not perish, but have eternal life.” I listened, I believed, I have faith.

 

For those who do not know Jesus as their personal Savior I ask you to do what I did. SEE AND HEAR FOR YOURSELF, BY READING His Living Word.

 

 

Sermon On the Net

WHO IS IN CHARGE?

 

Romans 9: In the beginning Paul confesses his deep anguish and sorrow for his fellow Israelites, willing to trade his place with Jesus for their salvation. Verse 3: “For I could wish that I myself were cursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, those of my own race, the people of Israel.” He contemplates the fact that everything was originally given to the Jews, being the ancestry of Jesus. He realizes that it is not the natural children of Abraham who will inherit eternal life; rather it is the children of the promise. Man has no say in the matter as it is up to God. He is in charge, He is the potter, so to speak, who determines what will become of the clay. Be it for good or bad. He is the God of all; a fact we should never forget, and never forget that He is a just and loving God who would have all as His children. But He does give us free will to choose our own destiny.

 

God has chosen His people. If He didn’t then none would be saved. However as I have written before, the fact that that believers are chosen does not preclude the fact that anyone, yes anyone can be a child of God, that is, anyone who believes what God proclaims in His Son Jesus Christ. A very fitting verse in Isaiah describes the situation very well: Verse 29 says, “Unless the Lord almighty had left us descendants, we would have become like Sodom, we would have become like Gomorrah.”

 

Paul finalizes this chapter by stating that the Gentiles obtained righteousness by faith verses 31-32; “a righteousness that is by faith;” and the Jews did not because they tried to obtain it by works; “…Because they pursued it not by faith but as it were by works. They stumbled over the “stumbling stone.”” Paul once again quotes Isaiah stating that the ones who trust Jesus will never be put to shame. Do you trust Jesus? Have you accepted Him as your Savior? If not I pray that you will take a moment and tell Him that you are sorry for your unbelief, that you repent of your sins and want Him to come into your heart. If you do you can be assured you are one of the chosen.

 

 

 

 

Sermon On the Mount

NO CONDEMNATION

 

Romans 8: Tremendous news for all believers: yes the title tells it all, there is no condemnation for anyone who has accepted God’s free gift of salvation. We all know the most quoted verse in all of scripture telling us that God loves us so much that He was willing to sacrifice His Son for us on the cross; John 3:16. Hallelujah! Paul tells us that the spirit of the Lord set us apart and free from the law. Therefore we are to live according to the Spirit, not according to the law. Verses 1-2: “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death.”

 

The mind of the sinful man is death while the mind of the righteous man is life in Him. The sinful mind is hostile to God and cannot please Him. Therefore we have an obligation to live a righteous life and rid ourselves of living according to the natural man’s sinful nature. People who choose to live by the sinful nature are living in death (spiritual separation from God); a sad state, particularly at the end. Believers, on the other hand, are heirs of His glory and as such live in the glory of God. It is the believer’s right to claim. Verse 3: For what the law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the sinful nature, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man.”

 

We should not compare our present sufferings with the glory that will be revealed to us at the appointed time. Even creation waits for that glorious day when it, too, will be changed to the glory of God, no longer to be a victim of its decay brought about by sin. Paul explains how the Holy Spirit intercedes for us in prayer and takes our utterances and moaning to the Lord who fully understands the mind of the Spirit. Verse 26: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that we cannot express.”

 

God is omniscient, and as such knows all from the beginning of the beginning and He knew who His family would ultimately be. Therefore, as Paul states, we are predestined to become children of God. Verse 29: “For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” Do not, I repeat DO NOT take this as meaning that not everyone has a chance to be a child of God. ANYONE who chooses to be a child of God can be. His personal invitation is open to all; it is your choice. To make my point I will say that God does not try to influence anyone. He made the offer and it’s up to each person to accept or reject it.

 

I will conclude this letter with Paul’s final and most encouraging words in verses 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.”

 

My friends, I extend God’s invitation to you; ‘come and behold His glory’ He loves you.

 

  

 

Sermon On the Net

EXPOSED

Romans 7: Paul gives a wonderful explanation of the true purpose of the law, (the 10 commandments). The law is not for us to follow, its true purpose was to show man what sin is and the fact that he cannot fulfill its requirements, resulting in death i.e., eternal separation from God.  An example Paul uses to more fully explain the meaning of the law is that of a married woman who is bound to her husband, under the law, and if she divorces him and marries another she would be guilty of living in adultery. If, however, the husband were dead she would not be under the law and therefore free to marry another man.

 

Verse 4: “So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God.” If we cannot live by the law what must we do to be freed from the effects of the law, that is, eternal loss? When one accepts Jesus as Savior they die to the law and are no longer subject to it. We then come under grace, the grace of God. Grace is unmerited favor, we do nothing to earn it, nor can we. It is God’s free gift to all those who believe in His Son, Jesus Christ.

 

What can we say about the law then? Is it bad? No, because without the law Paul tells that we would not know what sin is. Again I repeat, as Paul is so desperately trying to convey in this Chapter, that the 10 commandments are to demonstrate how short we come to the glory of God. This is the reason why so many people will not gain access to Heaven, because they try to earn their way into Heaven and that, as Paul says, isn’t the way. Jesus is ‘the way, the truth and the life.’ See John 14:6.

 

Another interesting point Paul makes is how the weakness of man is amplified under the law. To quote Paul in verse 19, “For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing.” Paul says we have a sinful nature and unfortunately we follow that course because it is natural. Our only hope therefore, is the One who conquered sin and its companion, death, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

 

My dear friends, as I have appealed to those of you who have never accepted Jesus as Savior, I pray that you will take a moment and ask Him to come into your heart. God’s grace is available for you if you accept His free gift.

 

 

Sermon On the Net

BAPTIZED UNTO DEATH                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

 

Romans 6: As Paul says we are baptized to the same death in Jesus that was for the glory of God and resurrected to the new life in Christ Jesus. When Jesus gave up His Spirit on the cross He paid for the sin of man and gave new life to all who want it when He was resurrected to the glory of the Father. We are no longer slaves to sin; the dead in Christ have been freed from the consequence of sin which is eternal separation from The Father.

 

We should be absolutely clear in our understanding of the result of His death; Paul is very clear when he says in verse 10: “The death he died, he died to sin once for all; but the life he lives, he lives to God.” It is your choice to accept or reject His free gift of salvation.   Once you accept Jesus as your Savior, there is no further need to continue to confess sin for the purpose of salvation: remember His last three words on the cross were, “It is finished.” In other words the debt of sin is fully paid; for believers. See John 19:30.

 

Paul appeals to the Christian to live a life free from the clutches of sin because we are no longer slaves to sin but rather we are ‘slaves’ to Jesus. We are dead to sin because of Him and we are alive in Him because of Him. Let us rejoice in His righteousness.

 

Paul’s last appeal in this chapter is to remind everyone in verse 23 that ‘the wage of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’. This is a wonderful thought for those of you who have not exercised your right to be a true child of God. There is no magic formula; nothing that anyone or any religion can do for you what Jesus did for you on the cross. Accept His sacrifice and free gift and you will be saved, you will be able to live in the joy of knowing you will be with Him for eternity. This news is exciting. There are some who read this letter whom I have not had the pleasure of meeting; I would like to meet you in Heaven.

 

Sermon On the Net

PEACE AND JOY

Romans 5:1-5: “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith; we can have peace with God through our Lord Jesus, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.” We can enjoy the hope and the glory of God. These things are possible even when we are suffering, ‘because we know that suffering produces   perseverance, perseverance produces character; and character, hope.’ We also know that we will not be disappointed because ‘God has poured out His love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit,’ and we grow closer to Him as a result of our problems. Remember Jesus died for us while we were yet sinners. Always remember we have been reconciled to God through Jesus.

 

Sin entered the world through one man, Adam, and all men were condemned. The introduction of the law illustrated the need for God’s grace, because even before the law was given men were guilty and condemned to death because of Adam’s sin. Now we have salvation through one man, Jesus, because of one act of righteousness for those who believe that God did, in fact, send His only Son to be crucified unto His death for all people. The bottom line, if you will, is that while one man brought condemnation, one man brought salvation. Verse 18-19: “Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life to all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.”

 

My dear friends for those of you who need to look to Jesus for His grace, please take a moment, and ask Jesus into your heart. Tell Him that you are a sinner (‘all have sinned and come short to the glory of God;’ remember Romans 3: 23); He will answer you and you will be born again. Please don’t rely on any one organization to help you or show you the way. God has provided a blueprint for us (the Bible) and you don’t need   magic to understand it; all you need is to recognize your need. Try the Bible, it is the best source of unbiased information available and always has been.

 

If any of you enjoy reading, I would suggest a book that I have read. It is ‘The Case for Christ’ by a former atheist and journalist with a legal background who interrogated Biblical scholars for his information. The author is Lee Strobel. You will not be sorry, I promise.

 

 

 

 

 

Sermon On the Net

JUSTIFICATION

 

Romans 4: Abraham was justified by faith before the law and before he was circumcised. Circumcision did not and could not save anyone, just as today baptism does not and cannot save anyone. Verse 3: “What does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness.” Paul says circumcision is merely an outward sign of a heart that is right with God; the same is true of baptism. The idea that baptism washes away original sin does not wash with the word of God. We all know the story of Abraham willing to sacrifice his son but it really wasn’t necessary, because of his faith; indeed he was a faithful servant.

 

Paul also tells us that works cannot save anyone. Again, works are merely an outward sign of a born again believers heart as so stated in the book of Ephesians 2:8, 9: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” Psalm 32:1, 2, says: “Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit.” This blessing is available to all the people who believe Jesus is the Messiah.

 

Paul further testifies of the faith of Abraham and the fact that he is the father of all who believe in Jesus. We are all heirs of Abraham, both Jew and Gentile. We have so much to be thankful for because of Abraham’s faith, a faith that many today need so desperately. If you are one in need of salvation, be like Abraham, accept what Jesus has done for you and you too will be saved to Heaven and all its glory.