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.