Category: Ministry Page 5 of 6

We were in Galatians again in Sunday school which gave us the evidences of hearts that are unregenerated.

Gal. 5:19-21 “Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”

I’ve heard preachers say that we’ll be surprised in heaven when we look around for someone and discover they’re not there. I’ve also heard estimates that perhaps even 50% of our church members are unsaved. I’m sure you’ve done it yourself, wondered if so-and-so were really saved. Sometimes you just have doubts based on their actions. We know that only God can be the true judge, but He’s listed for us behaviors that indicate an unregenerated heart. Let’s just look at hatred:

(I John 2:9-11) “He that saith he is in the light, and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness, and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.”

Basically, if you truly hate a brother or sister in Christ, the Bible says you are walking in darkness.

(1 John 4:20, 21) “If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.”

There you have it. If we hate others, we are not of God. This isn’t talking about a temporary outburst of anger that we repent of later, or ill feelings that last for a short time. These verses are talking about a life-style of hatred – a deep down despising that would like to see that person fail or be hurt. This is a person who spreads rumors or lies about the person he/she hates, tells others about their failings and/or wishes they were dead. Realize, fellow believers, that if you are listening to a story about another brother/sister in Christ that is damaging, that you are not only contributing to the sin of gossip, but you are allowing that person who’s telling the story to hate his/her brother outwardly. It is very easy to tell when someone hates another person. Just hearing what they say about them is enough. So why do we listen to someone who doesn’t love God?

Well, another great Sunday has passed and the Word has once again proven to be riveting. Really, I sit at the edge of my seat just waiting to see what’s next. I’m not kidding. I have so enjoyed the dividing the Truth each Sunday. Today we were asked if we were willing to hazard our life for Christ. We used Hebrews 11, the faith chapter, and Acts 15.

“Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?” Jeremiah 23:29 I say, “ABSOLUTELY!”

Men like David Brainerd and Jim Elliott freely gave of themselves for the sake of the Gospel. Bruce Olson was 19 years old when he first made the decision to be a missionary to the primitive Motilone Indian tribe of South America. What made these men different from the average Christian we see in America today? These are “Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Acts 15:26

Ask yourself the following questions. Then honestly answer and you’ll know if you are one of the few who are willing to hazard their lives for the sake of the Gospel. If not, what is more important in your life than a soul?

1. Do I see the value of Christ and His work on the cross more than my own life? Am I willing to share it with others even when it’s detrimental to my own comfort or well being?

2. Do I see the value of eternal souls more than my own life? Do we see “lost” or “saved” engraved on the foreheads of those we pass by? (Phil. 2:3-8)

3. Do we see the value of eternity more than this temporal home? (Rev. 22:1-6; Matt. 6:19-21)

Back when April was two years old, Mark and I decided to place our lives on the altar and were willing to “hazard our lives” for Christ. That was 24+ years ago! Yes, we’ve been through many hazards and met with more challenges than you can shake a stick at, but we’ve also enjoyed many a blessing that others will never know. Has it been worth it, you ask? Perhaps a better question would be, “Did you have any other choice?” The answer is, “No,” not if I wanted to be a friend of God’s like Abraham. I choose friend over comfort. After all, look at what He did for me. I am driven to hear the words, “Well done.”

We have lost so much by putting ourselves in harm’s way to be a soldier of Christ, but it will pale in comparison when we see the rewards in the end (or should I say, “beginning?”).

When we see Christ…

“It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,
Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ;
One gliimpse of His dear face all sorrow will erase,
So bravely run the race till we see Christ.”

Picture this: You’ve worked 50 hours this week; you’re stressed to the hilt. You hop on a plane to a deserted beach where you can don beach wear and lay out on the beach for hours without interruption. There’s a cool breeze, only the sound of sea gulls and the ocean. Are you there?

Well, that’s what Sunday school was like today – refreshing. Pastor Adam took us to Psalm 50 written by Asaph, one of the men back in Bible times that were in charge of the worship service. He gives us an excellent listing of what true worship is. Churches today have lost their zeal, a passion for God that they once had. They’ve turned into social clubs that offer their own form of praise and worship contrary to what God tells us in His Word. It’s not enough to just say they’re social clubs and we need to change to gain God’s blessings. We need to know what true worship is. We certainly don’t want to eliminate fellowshipping with God’s people, but that’s not why we go to church, though it makes it very enjoyable to be around and interact with fellow believers.

(vs. 1-4) “The mighty God, even the LORD, hath spoken, and called the earth from the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined. Our God shall come, and shall not keep silence: a fire shall devour before him, and it shall be very tempestuous round about him. He shall call to the heavens from above, and to the earth, that he may judge his people.” Our God calls to His world from morning to night shining on us with His perfect beauty, full of might and majesty. He alone will judge our worship, whether it bring Him glory or fall short of what He has deemed right and good. We need to be in awe of His deity, for He is the ever present, almighty God. True worship springs from our respect and fear of our awesome God.

(vs 5-6) “Gather my saints together unto me; those that have made a covenant with me by sacrifice. And the heavens shall declare his righteousness: for God is judge himself. Selah.” Those of us who are saved have an obligation to worship our living God for He judges in truth those of us who claim to be of God. Only God can judge our worship to be acceptable.

The first sacrifice, Cain’s offering from the garden, was not accepted because it did not meet God’s requirements of true, pure worship. Our worship will displease God and lose for us His bountiful blessings of God if we do not have the right attitude of reverence in our offering. Gen. 4:3-5 “And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.”

(vs. 7-15) “Hear, O my people, and I will speak; O Israel, and I will testify against thee: I am God, even thy God. I will not reprove thee for thy sacrifices or thy burnt offerings, to have been continually before me. I will take no bullock out of thy house, nor he goats out of thy folds. For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. I know all the fowls of the mountains: and the wild beasts of the field are mine. If I were hungry, I would not tell thee: for the world is mine, and the fulness thereof. Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.” God won’t ask more than we are able to give; He’s more concerned about our heart condition and thoughts of Him. If we are genuine and desire to worship Him correctly, He’ll accept our worship and bless us through it. We have no right to offer what WE think is acceptable, especially since He outlines in His Word what exactly we must do. Here is the list of what true, pure worship is. Anything less is rejected:

1. Thanksgiving for all He does – longsuffering, goodness, blessings, direction, etc.

2. Faithfulness in our daily living

3. God centeredness in our thoughts and actions

4. Giving God the glory in our thoughts and actions

(vs. 16-19) “But unto the wicked God saith, What hast thou to do to declare my statutes, or that thou shouldest take my covenant in thy mouth? Seeing thou hatest instruction, and castest my words behind thee. When thou sawest a thief, then thou consentedst with him, and hast been partaker with adulterers. Thou givest thy mouth to evil, and thy tongue frameth deceit. Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother’s son. ” Here we learn how NOT to be. God contrasts true worship with the actions of wicked who have no desire to worship Him. Here’s the rest of our list of how to worship God we glean from reading the list of the ways of the wicked.

5. Declare God’s statutes – declare who He is and what He requires for salvation

6. Love His Instruction – love obeying Him and listening to His direction

7. Spend your time with others who love Him, be loyal and love truth

(21-23) “These things hast thou done, and I kept silence; thou thoughtest that I was altogether such an one as thyself: but I will reprove thee, and set them in order before thine eyes. Now consider this, ye that forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver. Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.” We will experience God’s blessing in our churches and personal life if we worship Him according to His direction. This is missing in many churches, and perhaps is the reason many are no longer in existence. Unfortunately ministries have become idols. We lift up the ministry, or our church agendas, above the needs of the people and even God Himself. What are we doing? Isn’t it all about Christ? Only a return to true worship and the acknowledgment of the awesomeness of God will bring our churches back to a place where we are pleasing God. Only then will be experience the blessings of God in our churches and personal life. How does your worship line up?

Sermon by Mark Adams, Redland Baptist Church, 1997

Scripture: James 3:1-12

Washington Irving said, “A sharp tongue is the only edge tool that grows keener with constant use.“

1. Perhaps the most common way in which the tongue hurts is when it is used for gossip.

GOSSIP is saying negative things about a person when they are not present. It can also involve the telling of a truth that does not need to be told for the purpose of hurting someone. Sometimes gossip involves simply asking questions like, “Is George faithful to his wife?” Sometimes we gossip by saying nothing when we hear things that we know are not true and say nothing to correct them. We also promote gossip by simply listening to it. Remember, there can be no gossip if there are no listening ears. Why is Gossip so destructive? It spreads uncontrollably and warps the truth.

2. The tongue can do damage through slander.

This is defined as saying negative things about someone else in their presence. The word “SLANDER” literally means “ripping of flesh”. When applied to speech it is a put down–intentionally hurting someone with the words you say about them.

3. The tongue can do damage through lies and exaggerations.

A local church body cannot be healthy if lying is a common practice within its membership. Ephesians 4:25 – “Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.” If your body worked in this deceitful way, it wouldn’t be long before it was no longer functioning. And the same is true of the church. When we don’t put away truthless-ness,  people become afraid to reach out; they don’t know whom to trust.

4. The tongue can do damage through grumbling and complaining.

Even when we try to resist being influenced by such negativism, we find some of it rubbing off. This passing around of the poison of pessimism happens every day, and it steals our joy. (Philippians 2:14-15; Luke 6:45)

This sermon was edited for brevity. You can read the original sermon in its entirety here.

Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth’s rite of passage?

His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone no matter what happens. Once he survives the night, he is considered a MAN.

He cannot tell the other boys of this experience because each lad must come into manhood on his own. The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. He knows wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm. The wind blows and shakes the trees nearby, but he must sit stoically, never removing the blindfold. It is the only way he can become a man in the eyes of his tribe.

After a horrific night, the sun finally appears and he is allowed to remove his blindfold. Only then does he discover that his father was sitting on the stump next to him. The father watches the entire night, protecting his son from harm.

We need to realize that as believers, like that boy, we are never alone. “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” II Corinthians 5:7