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John’s sermon -
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Thanks
Carl’s sermon from the 23rd July 2023
Keeping the axe sharp
The apostle Paul wrote in Phillipians Chapter 3 verse 12
“Not that I already attained
or already perfected, but I press on that I may lay hold of that for which Christ
Jesus has also laid hold of me”
and he continues in verse 20 to say:
“For our citizenship
is in heaven for which we eagerly await for the Savior the Lord Jesus Christ.”
People
ask, how do we take hold of Christ and draw near to Him?
Firstly, by separating ourselves
from the world’s teaching and immorality and taking on the Holy character of Christ.
Secondly,
by prayerfully studying the word of God so we know how to live as followers of Jesus
Christ.
My late mom used to say many Christians do not know how to live a godly life
because they have not studied the Bible.
Prayer: If we wish to deepen our relationship with our Father in Heaven and the Lord
Jesus Christ, we need to spend time praying and seeking His will for our lives.
When
we pray and study God’s word, we are given understanding through the Holy Spirit
or the Spirit of Truth ( as He is also called in the Bible).
Lucifer hates a person
whose righteousness is in Christ and prays much. He knows that it says in James
5 verse 16 “ The effective prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
Lucifer, therefore, uses a number of temptations in order to cause a righteous person
to stumble and be in wrong standing with God. He does this to keep a person from
praying righteously and damaging his kingdom here on earth.
The first thing he uses
to trip men of God is the spirit of lust and chasing after women.
Proverbs 6 verse
23 says: “For the commandment is a lamp, and the law is a light, reproofs of instruction
are a way of life to keep you from the evil woman, from the flattering tongue of
a seductress.” The writer of Proverbs continues “For by means of a harlot (prostitute)
a man is reduced to a crust of bread and an adulteress will prey on his precious
life.”
If you think Satan cannot tempt you to fall, beware! Are you more godly than King
David, wiser than Solomon or stronger than Samson?
God cannot condone sexual immorality,
fornication or adultery. If you do these things it will damage your relationship
with God and block your prayers until such a time as you repent and stop these things.
Pornography
falls into the same category as it will corrupt the mind with unclean thoughts and
images. This is why Jesus said whoever looks upon a woman with a lustful eye, has
committed adultery in his heart.
The next great trap is the spirit of mammon (love of money, wealth and power).Satan tried to trap Jesus by mammon. He offered Jesus all the glory of the kingdoms of the world, if He would worship him. Jesus rebuked him with the scripture from the 10 commandments “You shall worship the Lord, your God alone”. The person who loves the world and its riches and wants to rule over everyone disqualifies himself from God’s work.
Another trap he uses is the love of worldly pleasure. Chasing after the pleasures of this world will damage your body physically and your spiritual life and block your prayer. These include drugs, alcohol, gambling, going to places that God is not glorified by people’s behaviour and gluttony (constant over eating for pleasure). If we do any of the above things, they are a stumbling block our lives will not be sanctified or acceptable to God.
The Bible says “In Him we live and move and have our being”. Therefore apart from
living in obedience to what Christ taught, we can do nothing, as God cannot reward
disobedience.
The apostle Peter who failed a number of spiritual tests of his character
when tested by Jesus, wrote:
2 Peter 1 v 5 to 11. At this stage he was a leader in
the early church, having been restored by Jesus after His resurrection and filled
with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
“But also for this very reason, giving all diligence
(doing your best)
add to your faith, virtue (practice of God’s righteousness) and
is a fruit of the Holy Spirit
to virtue, knowledge (knowledge comes by studying God’s word and by time spent in
prayer)
to knowledge, self control (Self control comes from standing on God’s promises
and resisting the enemies temptation)
to self control, perseverance (or long suffering,
a fruit of the Spirit, developed by facing ongoing persecution and trials)
to perseverance,
brotherly kindness (a mark of God’s character which is formed in us by the Holy Spirit)
to
brotherly kindness, love (the greatest gift of the Holy Spirit being formed in us.
God showed His love by sending Christ to die for the sins of all men.)
If you abound
in these things, you will neither be barren or unfruitful.
In other words, you axe will remain sharp, you will have the fruit of God’s spirit in your life and you will begin to see things from God’s perspective and act accordingly.
John's sermon (with thanks to Byron Chicken) in point form.
Sunday 13th August 2023
Praise is on the endangered species list
Should we be concerned about losing the practice of praise in the church?
Praise definition:
to praise is to call attention to the greatness and goodness of God.
WORSHIP is our response to the greatness and goodness of God.
Scripture teaches, invites, encourages and commands praise!
Ps 150v6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
Ps 150 says praise the Lord 13 times.
Commands and invites to praise approx 250 times in scripture.
PRAISING GOD is not an option – it is an obligation.
It is both our delight and duty.
All have to agree, God is worthy of our praise.
The deepest truth about ourselves is that we have been created to praise Him.
Praise is the pathway to His presence. Ps 100v4
Praise clears the way for us to enter the presence of God...
to enter His gates and courts...
It's the pathway into His praise.
God inhabits the praises of His people. Ps 22v3
Praise produces productivity -
Ps 67v5-
Then the earth will yield it's harvest and God our God, will richly bless us.
Productivity and fruit follows praise.
Praise is an effective weapon against the enemy.
Satan hates praises and opposes it.
Acts 16 Paul and Silas – Everything was chained except their mouths.
God is worthy of praise. Ps 145v3
Reason why we don't praise?
Hebrews 13v14 Let us offer a sacrifice of praise.
Praise shifts the atmosphere and culture in our Lord's Church.
It brings energy, brings boldness, courage, and resilience to our people.
1. Praise brings largeness of heart
2. a strength of spirit
3. an atmosphere of faith
4. a mindset of mission.
Largeness of heart – praise takes the focus off ourselves – gets us focused on the greatness and goodness of God.
Strength of spirit – chases away despair and brings joy.
An atmosphere of faith – we declare Who God is and what God has done.
A mindset of mission – if we are only thinking about ourselves, we're inwardly focused. We need to be unselfish and care about the world.
Carl’s sermon notes on
John’s sermon notes on
Who is your master?
Carl’s sermon notes from the 3rd September 2023
Matthew 25 and Rev 20, 21 and 22
The final judgement Matthew 25 v 31 to 46
v 31 When the Son of man comes in His glory,
and all the angels with Him, then He will sit upon His glorious throne.
V32 All the
nations shall be gathered in His presence, and He will separate the sheep and the
goats.
V33 He will place the sheep on His right hand and the goats at His left.
V34 Then
the King will say to those on the right, “Come you blessed of my Father, inherit
the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”
v35 For I was hungry
and you fed me, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was a stranger and you invited
me into your home.
V36 I was naked and you gave me clothes, I was sick and you cared for me. I was in
prison and you visited me.
V37 Then the righteous ones will reply “Lord when did we
ever see you hungry and feed you or thirsty and give you a drink
V38 or a stranger
and show you hospitality or naked and gave you clothes. When ever did we see you
sick or in prison and visit you?
And the king will tell them when you did it for the least of these my brothers or
sisters, you did it for me.
V41 Then the king will turn to those on His left “Away
with you cursed ones into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.
V42
For I was hungry and you did not feed me, I was thirsty and you did not give me a
drink,
V43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me into your home. I was naked and you
gave me no clothes. I was sick and in prison and you did not visit me.
V44 Then
they will reply” Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or
naked, sick or in prison and not help you?
And He will answer, I assure you when you
refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you refused to help me.
And they shall go away to eternal punishment but the righteous to eternal life.
In the above passage Jesus speaks clearly of the final destination fate of the righteous in Christ and those who serve the prince of power of the air or ruler of this world. Those who choose to serve their own selfish desires and mammon, the love of power, wealth and authority.
Last weekend my wife and I stayed at Battlefields caravan park as we needed to rest and refresh our souls and seek God’s peace. I took my Bible and read the 3 epistles (letters) of John to the early church. These were written to expose false teachers and teach believers in Christ the importance of loving God and others as Jesus taught us.
While we were there I also found a small book on the history of Dundee showing old buildings and giving its early history. When coal was discovered there it became a wealthy area known as “coalapolis” and attracted people and investments from all over the world.
The more I read the more it became clear that there were two major driving forces in the early town. The first, the wealthy and influential, built large houses, masonic halls and a masonic hotel. Their business centred around those who followed this lifestyle of pleasures of life and attended their secret exclusive meetings.
The second group were the Christian or Godly minded. They built Churches , a printing press to take the word of God to the local people and elevate them. They used their building as a hospital for wounded during the Anglo Boer war and built hospitals, missions and uplifted people regardless of their financial status. This was in contrast to the elitism of the other group.
This is what Paul spoke about in 1 Corinthians when he spoke of love or charity in the old translation. Having the love of God in our hearts and showing it by our lifestyle and actions as was done in the early church. In contrast Matthew 25 v 41 talks of the lake of fire prepared for the devil and his angels. The old Pentecostal teacher Derek Prince comments that Gehena ( the lake of fire) was made for the devil and his angels but if we serve him we will end up there. We have a free choice. Satan and his angels rebelled against God are destined for the lake of fire.
Let us go to the book of Revelation and see what it says about the destiny of the
ungodly.
Revelation 20 v 11
I saw a great white throne and I saw the One sitting on
it. The earth and sky fled from His presence, but they found no place to hide.
Here
at white throne we see God in the fullness of His might , power and glory.
If you appear at White throne it will be for judgement. God’s saints will not be
there for they have passed from judgement . There is no way to escape. All who reject
God’s provision in Christ will be there to be judged by God.
V 12 I saw the dead both
great and small standing before God’s throne and books were opened, including the
book of life and the dead were judged according to the things written in the book
according to what they have done.
Nothing is hidden from God who knows all things and judges fairly. Unlike the judges
of the world, God cannot be bribed or swayed to do injustice.
V13 The sea gave up
its dead in it, death and the grave gave up its dead in them. They were all judged
according to their deeds.
And death and hell were thrown into the lake of fire. This
is the second death, the lake of fire.
God in His righteousness now judges all that caused pain and suffering and brings
them to an end. Sheol means place of the dead in Hebrew referring to the place
of those who are spiritually dead will end up.
V15 And anyone whose name was not
recorded in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
God has given us life and shown us His undeserved favour during our earthly lives. If we choose to reject His grace and love, shown to us and do not show it to others and continue in ungodliness, we will go into the lake of fire. The devil and angels who cannot repent as well as the beast , the false prophets and the 10 final rulers of this world will be there already.
In contrast to the lake of fire, Revelation 21 tells of the new Heaven and earth,
the new Jerusalem, which the Godly in Christ shall inherit. It shall be there new
home. Those who follow the instructions of God, and the Lord Jesus Christ will be
rewarded as God’s faithful servants.
Revelation 22 verse 3 to 5 gives an insight
of the final home of the righteous in Christ.
Chapter 22 v 3: No longer shall there be any curse and the throne of God and the
Lamb shall be in the city, and His servants shall worship Him , and see His face
and His name shall be written on their foreheads.
Night shall no longer exist so they
will need neither the light of a lamp, nor the light of the sun, because Adonai God
will shine upon them. And they will reign as kings for ever and ever.
The Kingdom of God does not require materially rich people but those who are
spiritually
rich in their faith and deeds (acts). Those who possess the riches of God’s mercy
and grace, through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
The Bible warns us clearly that
if we work for evil we are making a big mistake.
We as Christians must remember our earthly deeds and works must pass through the test of God’s Holy fire. These are His Holy standards which are much higher than man’s. If our works are not done in love from a heart surrendered to God in Christ, and as directed by his Holy Spirit, they will bring us no reward. They will have been done in vain.
So be awake and knowing the hour is late, and the hour we live in is also evil, as the anti Christ is at work as never before. Choose to be salt and light in a dark world that lacks God’s true love shown in Christ.