Sunday, September 23, 2012

What must Go On for it to Get On


Psalms 95

There are some things that should Go On in Church, and if they do, the meeting can Get On!!!

Worship is a vital part of what should go on in church, but not everything that folks are calling worship is truly worship.

We see a model of worship:

·         Rejoicing 1-5

·         Reverence 6-7

·         Response 7c-11

 

Rejoicing (1-5):

Rejoicing is an outward expression of an inward conviction or feeling (Spiritual, NOT Carnal)

We should rejoice because of the Lords:

·         Power

·         Presence

·         Provision

 

Reverence (6-7b)

Without reverence, rejoicing can turn into a self indulgent pep-rally

We reverence with our:

·         Actions

·         Attitudes

·         Attire

·         Altar

 

Respones (7c-11)

When confronted with truth, men always respond, just not always in a positive manner

God help our response to be:

We are not going to be just another Church

This is not going to be just another Revival

I’m not going to be just another Christian

But our DESIRE is to please, praise, and proclaim the Lord Jesus Christ like never before.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Changing the Truth Series (Romans)


For ages, men have been trying to change the truth of God’s word. In the first chapter of the book of Romans, Paul gives a brief description of how and why men want to change the truth of God. The rest of the book sets forth many doctrinal and practical truths about God and his people. These truths are under attack today, and it is essential that we as a church understand and defend the truth.

In this series of messages we will break down the book of Romans by the truth that is established throughout.

Chapter 1 Truth of Creation or Natural Truth

Chapter 2-3 Truth about Sin and the Sinner

Chapter 4-8 Truth about Law and Grace

Chapter 9-11 Truth about Israel

Chapter 12- Truth about Christian Living

 

Message 1 Changing the truths of Creation (Romans 1)

1.       Truth of Creator

a.       There is one true God

                                                               i.      Everyone knows there is a God, they may not want to admit it, but they know

b.      He is Sovereign

c.       He Spoke everything into existence

2.       Truth of Creature

a.       Need to Worship (vs. 23)

                                                               i.      Man has a natural need to worship

b.      Not someone else’s fault  (own heart) (vs. 24)

                                                               i.      Man is responsible to God

c.       Natural desires of Man

                                                               i.      Man is made to desire a woman, and  a woman to desire a man

                                                             ii.      Homosexuality is an unnatural sin

3.       Truth of Coming Judgment

a.       These folks knew the coming judgement

b.      God gives every man light (knowledge) of:

                                                               i.      There is a God

                                                             ii.      You have a Soul

                                                            iii.      There is more to life than this earth

                                                           iv.      Need to prepare for after life

Message 2 Truth about Sin and the Sinner (Romans 2 & 3)

1.       It’s Real (2:1-3)

a.       Nature

b.      Practice

c.       Choice

2.       It’s Range (3:9-20)

a.       Sin affects everyone

3.       It’s Result

a.       Wages of sin is Death

                                                               i.      Soul

                                                             ii.      Church

                                                            iii.      Nation

4.       It’s Remedy (3:24-26)

a.       Jesus Christ alone can atone for sin

 

Message 3 Truth about Law and Grace

The Law:

Rom. 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.

Gal. 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Rom. 7:7 What shall we say then? is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.

Rom 5:20 Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:

Galatians 3:10-29

These verses contrast law and grace

1. The Law brings a curse while faith brings blessing. Vs. 10-11

2. The Law brings condemnation while faith brings conversion. Vs. 13-14, 22-24

3. The Law brings bondage while faith brings liberty. Vs. 12

 

1Tim. 1:8 But we know that the law is good, if a man use it lawfully;

Grace is an inside worker because sin is a inside worker

Works (law) is an external work that never makes its way inside

 

Grace Brings us:

1.       Justification (Rom. 4-5)

2.       Reconsiliation (Rom. 5)

3.       Sanctification (Rom. 6-7)

4.       No Condemnation (Rom. 8)

These works of Grace could not be achieved by the Law

 

 

Message 4 Truth about what God has Done, Doing, and Going to Do with Israel

Romans 9-11

(More to come Later)

 

 

Message 5 Truth about Christian Living

Romans 12

Many individuals today want to focus on the:

Promises of God

Blessed Hope

I am thankful that I have a home waiting on me in Heaven. I am glad that I will live in a perfect mansion some day in the very presence of the Lord God. However, right now, I am a pilgrim and a stranger living on foreign soil.

Prophecy of God

But we often neglect the practical living and service of God that should take place EVERY DAY!!!

 

Notice the wording of verse one. Yielding of our bodies to the Lord is our "reasonable service."

Righteous living is not an unreasonable request.

It is not just a request, but it is Required.

Jn. 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

1. A living sacrifice means that we are to be on the altar wherever we are. Regardless of the geographical surroundings, we are to remember that this body and all it is belongs to God. There is never an instant in life when we are out of His view or free to live as we please.

2. A living sacrifice means a constant, continuous sacrifice. This is not something we do from time to time. But we are to offer this body up to the Lord and never ask for it back again!

3. A living sacrifice means that the body sacrifices its own desires for those of God. To be a living sacrifice will require that the body does not live for the world, the flesh or the devil, but that everything the body does is held to the guidelines of the Word of God.

4. A living sacrifice means that the body is devoted to the task of serving God. This means that we are to lay down the ambitions and desires of the body and commit ourselves to doing nothing but that which God bids us to do! We are to be His vessels through which He can live and work in this world.

Lester Roloff said: “If you were arresseted for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”

We are to keep certain things Dwelling in our mind:

Destructiveness of Pride (verse 3)

Proverbs 16:18 Pride Goeth Before Destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

Prov. 21:4 An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.

Prov. 16:5 Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the LORD: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.

 

Decisive Position (verse 4)

Eph. 4:11-13 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Eph. 4:15 From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.

1Cor. 12:12-14 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. (Foot, Ear, & Eye)

1Cor. 12:18 But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him.

Divine Purpose (verses 5-8)

Eph. 5:17 Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.

Eph. 5:16 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;

 

 Things we should Demonstrate in our live. (Attitudes and Actions)

Separation (verse 9)

2Cor. 6:14-17 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

Eph. 5:11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

Prov. 1:10 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.

Prov. 1:15 My son, walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path:

Prov. 29:24 Whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul: he heareth cursing, and bewrayeth it not.

1Cor. 15:33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.

Prov. 28:7 Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father.

Ps. 1:1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.

2 Cor. 6:17 Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,

Titus 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

1Pet. 1:16 Be ye holy; for I am holy.

1Thes. 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.

Titus 2:11-12 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;

Gal. 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.

1Jn. 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.